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GORILLAS - that's explain everything. All your efforts are worth to make when you see huge silverback charging on you :)
TC0241
FR
Visited:
July 2011
Reviewed: May 12, 2012
Email TC0241 | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hard work but worth the effort (you have not seen everything until you have seen Gorillas)
Bwindi Impenetrable forrest is not the easiest plave to get too but that is part of the adventure. Accomodation can be from very basic to 4 star if you want it to be.
Trecking to find gorillas is hard work (they are mountain Gorillas after all) but you are pretty much certain to find them and it is a very special time.
The Park guides are excellent trackers and you are looked after very well (if offered a porter then take one carrying all you stuff is harder then you imagine).
We went mid year and the weather was fine although the jungle is damp most of the time.
The scenery is stunning although travelling around is an adventure of its own wil only mud roads to use.
Some great bird watching opportunities with some really good guides.
Would I do it again Yes in a heartbeat, worth all the effort.
erbsl99
Visited:
July 2011
Reviewed: Jun 16, 2012
I you like mountains and Gorillas - it's a must see (but to expensive)
majzik viktor
CH
Visited:
August 2010
Reviewed: Jul 12, 2012
Email majzik viktor | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the unforgettable days of my life with the mountain gorilla!
The park crew was very supportive, very friendly and very competent. They informed us very well what to do, what not to do. I also made a walk to the 3 waterfalls, which was also great. I always had the feeling, thta our guide knew what he was doing. He instucted us nicely but stricktly, how to conserve the territory for another generations. I felt, that the park is not simply an financial income source, but the people really love their home and the nature.
The village was nice, the people really nice. With the honey maker Agaba i still have connection. The childrens
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dance on the school was a bit too much show. I felt sorry for them instead of joy, that they dance and sing. I knew, the make it every day.I was thinking about the masks, and gift stores. I wished more t-shirts, and less gorilla masks. I think the tourists really wanted the traditional stuff, not the fake modern touristic things to buy.
I wished for a bit longer running of the generator in the evening. The camp site was still really nice, confortable and welcoming.
Thank You for the great experience!
Ash G
US
Visited:
March 2012
Reviewed: Sep 4, 2012
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bwindi National Park is well worth every hard hike and every hard earned dollar.
My trip to Bwindi to trek gorillas was absolutely incredible, it's a must-do for anyone traveling to Uganda. Uganda is one of only a few countries that offers this experience, it's a beautiful and lavish country to trek in.
The staff at Bwindi is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The trek to find the gorillas ranges in time and difficulty; a hike can take from 1-5 hours and can be strenuous depending where the gorillas are located that day. I suggest wearing your best hiking boots and brining a lot of water.
The family of gorillas in Bwindi are not threatening at all, the staff have been working with the families for years and they have become quite accustomed to people. One of my top life experiences.
Peet Venter
ZA
Visited:
April 2015
Reviewed: Apr 22, 2015
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Dream coming true Gorilla interaction experience
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opener for me--(I couldn't believe that all those lands was not work with the aid of tractors and farming implements)The weather was playing along and we had a perfect day trekking the Gorillas . Even the Gorillas played along and we did found the with a hour and a half since we started the long trek downhill ( I must say another bonus for me--at the age of 58 this is not a joke to trek thru thick undergrowth vegetation with hooks and thorns) -- but I'm not complaining - I was enjoying every minute of it even when I dropped down a washed away hole in the pathway the tracker indicated to us. Then we got our first glimpse of the mountain gorillas in the distance --about 300meter away. I must say the silence was overwhelming and the only thing we hear was the cracking of the boots and clothing against the undergrowth. as we move forward towards the gorillas. We spend the allowed 1 hour in their midst. We were surrounded by 16 Gorillas - 2 x silverbacks, youngsters. 2 x babies and females. Soft whispers and the clicking sound of the cameras as the picture were taken from the group could be clearly heard as the gorillas was in front, left and right next to us, behind and above us . And to soon the hour was up and we had to move on. This was also an experience and a half -- we basically move back at an angle varying from 45º to 75º to the road where our transport will collect us. Now nearly dead when we reached the road . I was puffing, heaving and my heart was beating about 2 feet above my head and this is where i realized why they called it a rain forest-- The sweat was raining from my head.
The food was also very nice especially the fruit - Sweet and very fruity.
Stuart
AU
Visited:
May 2014
Reviewed: Apr 26, 2015
Email Stuart | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This is quite an amazing adventure
It takes quite a lot of effort to get to Bwindi but the journey is well worth it if you get to see a Mountain Gorilla which generally most people do. This is really why you go there. I have worked for the National Parks Service in Australia so i went with a critical eye as to how the experience was managed but particularly how the Gorilla trekking was managed, especially since there are only 880 Mountain Gorillas left in the world. And i was very impressed. I stood within four metres of a Silverback and his family after a five hour hike with my heart thumping a million miles an hour. The guide was fantastic. You are only allowed one hour with the Gorillas but it was a truly wonderful experience to see these magnificent animals in their environment. A word of caution. The trip to get there from Kampala is long and arduous and if you get car sick then the last two hours could be hell but i dont so i just took it all in and had a wonderful time. I highly recommend going. It's a good idea to take a stop at Lake Mburo and/or Queen Elizabeth national parks on the way.
Denis D'Arbela
US
Visited:
June 2015
Reviewed: Jul 4, 2015
Email Denis D'Arbela | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well worth the trip off the beaten path. I stay at Broadbill lodge which is a tent overlooking the rainforest. Their hospitality was excellent. Meals were good and the accommodations provided a real coming feel. It rained at least twice a day. The vegetation was marvelous. A lot of Ephiphytes on the tree trunks. We trekked about 12 km roundtrip to see the Gorilla's on steep hills. Be prepared to bring rain gear because we were drenched on the way back. Also be ready physically because trekking can be quite a challenge. Birding was limited because of the tree cover in the Jungle I am sure that would be a separate trip altogether given the time frame of my visit. The Ugandan Wildlife Authority rangers are very versed and professional, and very informative throughout.
oemebamo
BE
Visited:
August 2015
Reviewed: Sep 4, 2015
Email oemebamo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gorillas-gorillas-gorillas!
We just did the gorilla trekking at Bwindi, which was truly the highlight of our 3-week-roadtrip! We came up close with the gorillas (this family was one of the first to be habituated to humans), and could observe their behavior for an hour.
The scenery is stunning as well, especially in the morning light! There are some walks (only guided) in the park as well, but we didn't do any of these.
We spent the night in the Buhoma Community Rest Camp, planning on pitching our tent, but we decided to go for a banda as it was pouring rain. This was 100$ per person, which is steep compared to other parks, with shared bathroom and toilet. Besides this, the staff was very friendly and helpful and the food delicious (though quite pricey, too)!
uffedittmer
DK
Visited:
January 2016
Reviewed: Feb 14, 2016
Email uffedittmer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredibly close to "The Gentle Giants"
We walked for one and a half hours before we found the gorillas. They kept moving and was in a dark part of the forest. It was a photographic challenge. Eventually they appeared in a sunlit glade and sat down to eat. All too soon, our hour with the gorillas passed and we had to go back. We were back in one hour.
It was an amazing experience to be so close to the animals and really be in the jungle. It takes effort to go through the jungle but if you are in normal shape it is no problem. It is possible to make all the breaks you want on the way out there and on the way home. We needed to keep pace with the gorillas when they moved, but it was not that hard.
The day with the gorillas, I will never forget.
The only thing I think could have been better was if we had had the energy to see more of the forest and its other inhabitants. We were all (tourists and guides) so focused on gorillas that I did not see other animals on the 4-5 hours I spent in the forrest.