Some of my favorite trips have been seeing animals in the wild, so when I found out about gorilla trekking in Uganda, I had to add it to my list. And if you can see yourself trampling through a muddy forest in search of these gentle giants someday, here is everything you need to know.
How to Get to Uganda
If you decide to go gorilla trekking in Uganda, chances are you will be going to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. And getting to Bwindi isn’t the simplest feat, but it’s a beautiful one.
First we flew into Entebbe and spent a night at a hostel there. The next day we had a 9-10 hour drive to Bwindi. Luckily for me, I love a road trip. Plus there were no shortage of views along the way (and baboons trying to steal our dashboard bananas).
Outside of the park, we stayed at Mutanda Lake Resort .
Gorilla Trekking
We woke up early in the morning, grabbed breakfast from the hotel and then started the drive to Impenetrable National Forest. The drive was about an hour. We booked the gorilla trekking with Bamboo Ecotours.
Once in the National Forest, we met our gorilla trekking guides for the day and the small group of people we would be trekking with. And trekking is the correct word for it. Because this wasn’t just a simple walk on mostly flat land, meandering through the woods. This was hiking up a 45 degree slope, off trail, in the mud and pouring rain.
They asked beforehand if we would like a porter, which I politely declined. I only had a day pack and thought it would be a little ridiculous to have someone else carry my things. Little did I know, that the porters are actually for helping you up and down the steep, slippery hills. So, if you’re someone that needs help with that kind of thing, definitely hire the porter.
The gorillas don’t stay in the same place all the time, so it’s the guide’s job to look at signs in the forest to track the gorillas and find out where they are currently residing. And about two hours into our hike, we found them feasting on trees in the middle of the jungle.
It amazes me that animals this huge are vegetarians. It also made me a little happy to know that when I was standing next to these enormous guys in the middle of nowhere. The guides closely watch the gorillas to make sure they aren’t displaying any aggressive behavior.
I was actually quite surprised how close we could get to the gorillas, and this was when COVID as still going around, so we did have to wear masks. Gorilllas can get COVID too!
After we viewed the gorillas for an hour, we made our way back down the hill. The rain had picked up a lot at this point, and the guides had to help us cross a recently formed river.
What to Bring Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
A great pair of waterproof hiking boots, I have these
A jacket that is actually waterproof (I recommend gore-tex like this one)
Comfortable hiking socks, I only wear Darn Tough
Tank Top
Bug Spray
Camera (I have this one )
Leggings
Day pack
Waterproof Daypack cover
Have any questions about gorilla trekking in Uganda? Feel free to leave them below!
