Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, is the most amazing venue and if you are looking for the full-on’ gorillas in the mist’ experience it comes highly recommended. The Bwindi complex nestles in the forest with tremendous panoramic views of the surrounding woodland and consists of a main reception, eating block and small thatched huts which come either full contained or with easy access to public showers and toilets.
On the day of the actual gorilla trekking safari you are divided into groups of 8 people, normally 3 groups, who will be assigned to a family of gorillas and given a full briefing on what to expect along with some health and safety guidelines. Some of the terrain can be hazardous, so I suggest that you take advantage and engage a porter to carry your bags during the excursion – you will be glad you did; they know the land extremely well and will be very helpful for a relatively low fee.
The guides for this trip are very knowledgeable and the trackers – dispatched in to the forest earlier in the day – are in constant contact with the guides to let you know exactly where the gorillas are. Please be aware that the treks, depending on where the gorilla family is, can be anything from 1 to 5 hours, so make sure that you dress appropriately; long sleeves and long trousers are advised to fend of the many tiny forest inhabitants (more insects)!
You will get to spend an hour with the gorillas, with ample opportunity to take lots of photos and video clips. This experience is truly phenomenal and a must for anyone with an interest in wildlife. A top tip from the locals are that if a gorilla decides to charge don’t scream and run away waving your arms in the air, make full eye contact, stay still and show no fear…you can always change your trousers later…
Other must do excursions at this venue are Batwa trip an amazing local village walk at 25$ per person, which will involve meeting the local faith healer, a tour of some of the village houses and a look at the production process for banana gin (40% proof and it will blow your socks off. Do not operate heavy machinery after tasting this!)
Everyone I met in the complex was extremely friendly and more than happy to help. They also had a genuine and fundamental passion in the preservation of a wonderful national park and took delight in sharing the experience with others.
Just a point to mention the local Doctor said that Malarone, one of the anti-malaria drugs on the market at the moment, is not effective at all in Uganda against malaria, so best to go for something like doxycycline. So come and experience the best tourism products in Uganda.
