3 Days Gorilla Adventure
Day 1: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After an early breakfast we depart for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest via Mbarara town.
We drive through stunning volcanic landscape adorned with steep sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced plantations of bananas, tea and thick montane forests to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
The Bwindi area is a highly fertile, mountainous region with steep sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced rows of cultivation. You are really driving through the “Banana Republic” with banana plantations all around you, steep hills, small rivers……just amazing scenery. Arrive late afternoon at the park and check-in at accommodation.
Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge | Trackers Lodge Buhoma
Moderate: Silverback Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Mist Camp
Low Budget:Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp | Gorilla Valley Lodge | Buhoma Community Campground
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, proceed for the morning briefing before enjoying the highlight of the trip - gorilla trekking, which may last the entire day.
We trek through the rainforest and bamboo covered slopes, accompanied by a guide and trackers, in search of a mountain gorilla family. The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. When sighted, visitors will be guided to within 6 metres from the gorillas, sit around them for a whole hour while gazing into their big round eyes.
Gorilla trekking is unpredictable. It's difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. The gorilla excursion can take from 2 up to 8 hours. Expect to walk along distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. A good physical condition is recommended. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. A ranger will brief you on how to behave with the gorillas.
While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles over at least 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list. This includes 310 species of butterfly, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths and an exceptional 120 types of mammal including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzee, L'Hoest's, red tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.
Bwindi is a prime destination for birdwatchers. Its 350 species include seven which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, species which are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa
Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge | Trackers Lodge Buhoma
Moderate: Silverback Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Mist Camp
Low Budget:Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp | Gorilla Valley Lodge | Buhoma Community Campground
Day 3: Kampala
Breakfast and head for Kampala (about 5 hours driving) via Mbarara This route travels through breathtaking scenery and delightfully rolling plantations, some of the best in Uganda.
Depending on how much time we have on us we can tour around Kampala’s crafts and souvenirs markets before checking in at your hotel or being transferred to the airport.