GORILLA TRACKING

The focus of any stay in Uganda. Except in Mgahinga National Park where the possibilities remain more uncertain, all gorilla trackings take place in Bwindi Park. It is essential to book your permit several months in advance through an agency or directly with UWA in Kampala. The permit will cost you the coquette sum of 700 US$ (park entrance fee and guide fee included) for a meeting with the great apes strictly limited to one hour. In case of illness (cold, flu, Covid-19...), it is wise, for the health of the gorillas, to abstain and ask for a refund of your permit. Expeditions are done in groups of eight maximum, an inflexible rule, and each person must be at least 15 years old. They are supervised by a guide equipped with a walkie-talkie to keep in touch with the team of trackers in charge of locating primate families and guiding the walkers. Three other men, armed with machetes and rifles, lead the way through the forest and ensure the protection of the group, because although the area is now secure, the Congolese border is close by. In 2020, Bwindi National Park was home to nineteen groups of gorillas accustomed to tourists (eight in Rushaga, four in Buhoma, three in Nkuringo and four in Ruhija). Appointments are scheduled at 7:45 am for a briefing, with departures for the tracking taking place around 8:30 am. The groups in the Nkuringo area are technically the most difficult to apprehend with rough terrain, a steep walk followed by a descent on slippery ground. The approach can take from one to four hours depending on the position of the monkeys. In Buhoma, and a priori on the other three sites, you can ask, before departure, to be assigned to the closest group if you suffer from a physical problem or lack of endurance. In any case, bring good shoes, loose, waterproof and covering clothes and a plastic bag to protect your photo or video equipment. Also bring enough water and a snack (most lodges will provide a picnic basket). You can also hire a porter (minimum US$15) to help you carry your bags. Thus equipped, you are ready to live a great adventure, a magical and timeless moment: watching for sixty minutes our big hairy cousins eat, play and frolic in the high grass of the millennial forest, as in the first days of the world.