Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is arguably the most thrilling wildlife activity you can take part in. Not only do you get to explore Africa’s jungles and pristine wilderness, but you also come into contact with a creature that resemble we humans the most. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park takes you for an encounter with the endangered mountain gorilla. Mountain gorillas are only found in the dense forests of central and Eastern Africa. Bwindi impenetrable forest in Uganda is one of them. Bwindi has about half of the remaining population of mountain gorillas hence making it the best destination for gorilla trekking. The other half are found in the Virunga region including Mgahinga national park in Uganda, the Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Congo.
Bwindi Impenetrable forest is one of the few tropical rainforests left in Uganda and is located in the southwestern part (Kigezi region) of Uganda. The forest has been in existence for over one million years and is said to be one of the oldest in Africa. The hilly terrain makes it a perfect home for mountain gorillas. Because of the rare mountain gorillas, the forest is now a protected area and national park. However, conservation related activities started as far back as 1932 when it was called the Crown Forest Reserve. The process of turning it into a national park was slow but it eventually happened in 1991. Because of its incredible biodiversity and the mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has now grown to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a great achievement considering that it became a national park much later than other game parks in Uganda.
In order to protect mountain gorillas, stop illegal logging and poaching of other wildlife, the government was forced to remove the Batwa pygmies from the forest. Although it was sad to see the Batwa leave their natural homes, the number of mountain gorillas has grown year after year. Bwindi now has over 460 mountain gorillas living in 50 recorded groups. Of the 50 gorilla groups, 17 have been habituated.
It is important to note that apart from Mountain gorillas, Bwindi is home to 120 mammals, 10 species of small primates, forest elephants, buffaloes, leopards, duikers and the African golden cat among others. There are over 350 species of birds of which some are endemic to the Albertine rift. They include the African green broadbill, Chapin’s fly catcher, Shelley crimson’s wing and Ruwenzori nightjar to mention but a few.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi impenetrable National Park
Due to uncontrolled poaching and conflicts with humans living close to mountain gorilla habitats, the governments of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo teamed up with wildlife conservation organizations to come 
up with a strategy to save the gorillas from getting extinct. This occurred in the early 1990s. One of the decisions was to remove away all humans living inside the forests and promote gorilla tourism. Bwindi Impenetrable forest was the first national park to introduce gorilla trekking in 1991. The purpose of gorilla trekking/tourism was to introduce the primates to the world, help raise awareness about their endangered status and to raise funds to protect them. Fortunate enough, the world has embraced the initiative and thousands of people have found gorilla trekking an exciting and interesting tourism activity.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest is awesome because there are over 15 habituated gorilla groups to choose from. Moreover, it is only in Bwindi where tourists can register for what is known as 
the gorilla habituation experience. This experience allows tourist more time to study how wild gorillas are habituated. Bwindi forest is divided into four sectors – Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the East, Nkuringo and Rushaga to the south. Each sector has at least 2 habituated gorilla groups. Only 8 tourists may track a gorilla group in a day. The limit is set to avoid overcrowding and degrading the forest. Gorillas start getting irritated if humans stay in their midst for too long. You might want to learn about gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park in Congo.
How is gorilla trekking in Bwindi organized?
What happens during the gorilla trekking? Gorilla trekking starts early in the morning with all trackers gathering at the park headquarters for a 30-minute briefing. It is during the briefing that visitors are 
allocated gorilla families. Each group of trackers is assigned a park Ranger to lead them into the forests. The park ranger introduces himself to the group and shares with them information about the gorilla groups, the history of the forest, what to expect and how to act around the gorillas. After the briefing, one can hire a porter to carry any heavy luggage or cameras. It also at his time that one can acquire a hiking stick. The Ranger will then take his group to the starting point on foot. If the starting point is far away, tourists are taken by car. Once they reach the starting point, they follow established trails for a while before hiking right into the thick forest to follow gorilla footprints or dung.
It is important to clarify that an advance team of trackers are sent ahead before the sun rises to find the exact location of the gorilla group. This advance team is in constant communication with the lead Ranger hence ensuring that the chances of seeing gorillas is 100%. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi usually takes between 2 to 6 hours. This time can be made more adventurous by checking out other resident mammals, smaller primates or the numerous birds in the forest. Bwindi is one of the best places for bird watching in Uganda. It has an amazing collection of butterflies, moths and plants. The Rangers can help identify all species because they are knowledgeable about all the animals in the park.
Once you find the gorillas, you have one hour to observe them. A gorilla family usually comprises of between 6 to 30 members. Each group is headed by a dominant male silverback. The silverback is always the first to come out when you approach them. After checking who the intruders are determining that 
you are not a threat, he will go back to resting or feeding. Do not take it for granted because he will be observing all your movements. It is therefore important to follow instructions from the Ranger and keep a distance. Only begin taking photos when the Ranger clears you to do so. Gorillas are very fascinating primates because their family arrangement and behavior reminds us of how we were thousands of years ago. Watch as the young ones play, juveniles climb trees, mothers breast feed and adults groom. The Silverback leads the group using his charisma but will not hesitate to apply force to keep group members in check. After the one hour has elapsed, you will be led back to the starting point where you well get your certificate of participation before returning to your lodge. Gorilla trekking is not a normal wildlife experience. It is an exciting activity and the experience of looking into the eye of a silverback in the wild will remain with you for the rest of your life.
The cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi
What is the cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? There is no fixed cost for gorilla trekking. The cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi depends on the number of days you have set aside 
for the tour. It also depends on the type of lodge you are planning to book. Luxury lodges can raise the cost of a gorilla tour in Bwindi while a budget lodge will keep the cost down. When calculating the overall cost of a gorilla safari in Bwindi, you also need to take into account ground transportation, meals and the cost of a gorilla permit. Then there is the cost of air tickets, Visas, tips and money for souvenir to consider. All in all, a 3 days gorilla tour in Uganda can cost $1350 if you are planning to travel with a partner on budget. It excludes air tickets, Visa fees and expenses that are personal in nature. A 2 days Bwindi gorilla safari costs $1150 per person if traveling on budget with a colleague. A 1 day gorilla tour in Bwindi costs $980 dollar per person if traveling with a friend. If you plan on traveling alone or on a luxury safari, the overall cost of a gorilla tour in Uganda will increase further. You may want to read an article about gorilla tracking in the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda.
Other activities after gorilla trekking in Bwindi
What else can you do in Bwindi besides gorilla trekking? Apart from gorilla trekking, Bwindi has other amazing attractions that await tourist as we shall describe in a moment. For now, it is important to note that Bwindi is close to some of the best national parks in East Africa including Mgahinga, Queen Elizabeth, Virunga, Kibale and the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. It would be an even more amazing safari if you could combine gorilla trekking with chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey trekking and game drives in any of these other destinations. Within Bwindi itself, one can take part in: –
The Batwa trail experience: We already mentioned earlier that a tribal group known as the Batwa once lived in the dense forests of Bwindi before being evicted and resettled outside the park. The Batwa are short in stature and after their eviction live a simple and destitute life. They never really adapted to 
life outside the forest. Some blame the government for ensuring that they were properly integrated in their new surroundings. The Batwa had lived in Bwindi forest for thousands of years. Theirs was a life of plenty as the forest provided everything they needed. After eviction, they now have to rely on agriculture and small jobs to survive. They are also marginalized by tribal groups they had avoided for thousands of years. Because of the challenges of living outside the forest, many of them have taken to alcohol to drown their sorrows or reminisce about the good old days in the forest. Most of the Batwa remain proud of their culture and traditional values and this will be demonstrated during the Batwa cultural experience visit. They will entertain you with music, dance and drama which mimicking some of their ancient practices (fruit gathering, gathering lives for medicine and hunting).
Primates tracking: Mountain gorillas aren’t the only primates found in Bwindi. There are also other primates in the forest like chimpanzees, baboons, blue monkeys, colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, bush babies and many more. These can be seen while on a nature walk around the forest or while tracking the gorillas. The chimpanzees in Bwindi are not habituated but you can be lucky enough to spot some while tracking the gorillas or during nature walks.
Viewing other forest mammals: Bwindi impenetrable national park is also home to large mammals like giant forest hogs, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, golden cats, duikers and jackals. These can be spotted during gorilla tracking or while on a nature walk.
Birding: Bwindi impenetrable forest has over 350 bird species to its name and 23 species are endemic to the Albertine rift. In 2010, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was listed among the top ten best birding destinations in Africa. The top attractions are the African emerald cuckoo, red headed bluebill, grauer’s warbler and the handsome francolin to mention but a few.
Accommodation for gorilla trekking in Bwindi
There are several accommodation facilities in all the four sectors of Bwindi impenetrable national park. These range from budget, mid-range and luxury facilities. The choice depends on which sector you would be tracking the gorillas and of course your pockets. You cannot book a hotel in one sector yet you tracking a gorilla family in another sector. You might end up arriving late for the briefing and miss out on the activity all together. This is one of the reasons why its wiser to book your trip through a good tour operator. Let’s briefly discuss some of the hotels: –
Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort and Campsite: This is a budget accommodation facility managed and owned by the local community. It is located in Ruhija sector and very close to the park office. It has self-contained tents with comfortable beds, working tables, bathrooms and warm showers.
Bwindi Lodge: This is an executive lodge located on a hill overlooking the dense forests of Bwindi. It is managed by Volcanoes Safaris. Bwindi Lodge has 9 self-contained bandas with showers and toilets. Free Wi-Fi is available in the rooms as well as in the bar and restaurant. The lodge also offers spa and massage for clients after a long day tracking the gorillas.
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge: Formerly known as Nkuringo gorilla camp, Nkuringo Bwindi gorilla lodge is built very close to the park offices in Nkuringo. This is a luxury lodge with both standard cottages and family ones. It has a fine restaurant and a well-stocked bar for guests.
Buhoma Community Campsite: This is a budget lodge built in Buhoma sector (north of Bwindi). It has tented camps that are spacious with running water in the bathrooms and toilets.
Buhoma Lodge: This is a higher end accommodation facility also found in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi forest. The rooms are each designed in a unique way but with excellent comfort and services.
Silverback Lodge: This lodge offers high end accommodation facilities and targets the luxury traveler. It is owned by the reputable Marasa Africa. Silverback lodge offers both standard and deluxe rooms for guests. The lodge is found in the Buhoma sector.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla lodge: the lodge is built in an area of high altitude (2000 meters above sea level) with uninterrupted view of the Virunga volcanoes. It has luxurious wooden cottages with a sitting room and a fire place. It is one of the few luxury lodges in the Nkuringo sector and is an excellent choice for those looking for classy services.
Gorilla Forest Camp: This is also a luxury lodge but found in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi. It has 10 classy tents deep in the forest. Its serene environment makes it the perfect place to stay and unwind after gorilla trekking. The lodge supports local community based initiatives including the Bwindi community Hospital which is frequently visited by the guests. Gorilla forest camp is often frequented by one of the gorilla groups hence offering guest a rare chance to see the primates around their premises on certain days.
Mahogany Springs: Like the name suggests, the lodge is built using wood from mahogany trees. It is one of the oldest and most popular luxury lodges in Bwindi. The lodge has standard luxury lodges and a presidential suite. Most of its rooms offer a magnificent views of the forest.
