Chimpanzee and Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

The next morning, we will head back to the airport at Kasese for the short flight to Kihihi which is the closest airport to Bwindi.

And so on to the main event (although guests often say that the Chimpanzee tracking experience was certainly an equal!) gorilla trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

But first, we should address the elephant in the room.

Why do we choose to go see mountain gorillas in Bwindi, Uganda and not The Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda?

We need to first appreciate that Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo basically share the same mountain range, which is home to the vast majority of the endangered mountain gorillas left in the wild. The gorilla families often disregard these borders anyway and cross freely between the countries!

Over the last few years, Rwanda has adopted a policy of marketing to a high-end clientele with the development of several 5-star lodges and a huge increase in the price of the gorilla permits to over 3 times what they were only 5 years ago. As we like to go gorilla tracking twice on a safari this would mean that the gorilla permits would equate to $3,000 on their own. the cost of a gorilla trekking permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo is considerably less but the situation on that side is so volatile we are not running gorilla trekking tours there currently.

Uganda gorilla trekking also affords us the opportunity to see the other photographic highlights of the region – Chimps and Shoebills so this is why we have chosen to go to Uganda.

Back to the gorilla trekking in Bwindi.

In the morning we will head over to the park gate at either Buhoma or Ruhiji (which is a bit further away but it all depends on what gorilla permits we are issued with) to be allocated our gorilla family for the day and to start the gorilla trek.

We are often asked how long the average gorilla trek takes and the answer is never simple. It depends on the gorilla family we are allocated on the day and where they spent the night before. the difficulty of the gorilla tracking is also dependent on the above but the group only moves as fast as the slowest member. There is no rush. The one hour with the mountain gorillas for the encounter starts when we find them.

We always suggest employing the services of a local porter to help with camera gear but more importantly this is an important source of income for the local communities.

We have conducted a detailed interview with Nelis with plenty of advice on what exactly to expect on a gorilla trekking safari and we suggest reading that for all the questions you might have. Here is a link.

What we will say here is that when you first encounter mountain gorillas in the wild it can be a most profound experience. There are no fences, no sense separation of from being in a vehicle. It is you and these gentle giants co-existing for a brief while where the mountain gorillas live. It is so profound that we always do two gorilla trekking excursions on each of our gorilla tours so that when you do the second the adrenaline has subsided a little and you can focus on your settings.

Of course, Nelis will be right by your side suggesting shots to take and settings to use throughout the gorilla trek. Nelis has spent so much time with mountain gorillas that his instinct and understanding of their behaviour will be invaluable in getting the best shots.

After the gorilla trekking on both days, you will return to Mahogany Springs lodge to review your images and start with some editing. After the first gorilla trek, this will be an opportunity for Nelis to point out ways in which you could improve your shots for the next day of gorilla trekking.