subject: A Gorilla Tracking Experience in Uganda [print this page] A Gorilla Tracking Experience in Uganda A Gorilla Tracking Experience in Uganda
If you think the typical African countryside cannot offer you rolling emerald hills, snow capped mountains, misty forests and deep, crystal clear lakes, then you haven't been to Uganda. Even though Uganda is a small country, it offers all of this and a lot more- gorilla tracking, game viewing, white water rafting and some of the best trekking in Africa.
One of the must do excursions is the magnificent gorilla tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks. The experience of gorilla tracking to many shall always make Uganda "A pearl of Africa" as it is known.
After a short stay in Kampala which is the capital city, you embark on your Uganda safari and take to the road, extremely eager to do what has actually led you to the pearl of Africa. Six hours later you are in Kabale. From Kabale you connect to Buhoma which takes 3-4 hours in a 4WD which is especially advised because the terrain is very hilly and the roads can be bumpy and terrible in some spots. In Buhoma tired and worn out, you rest in any accommodation of your choice either middle or upmarket accommodation.
Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi is a magnificent verdant swathe across the steep ridges of the Albertine rift valley. You couldn't possibly imagine a small country on a map as Uganda is, to be with the most beautiful sceneries in the whole world. This ancient rain forest one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last ice age- is the home to roughly half of the world's mountain gorillas. The demand for mountain gorilla permits has grown over the years such that one has to book a few months before the trip to avoid disappointment.
Wherever you decide to track gorillas, (Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija) the experience is all it promises to be and a great deal more. There is a long walk in the forest and a couple of hours of fighting through the forests behind machete wielding guides. The walk takes you to the spot where the gorillas were last seen and from there you follow their trail. It is hot and humid and pretty hard going- they aren't called mountain gorillas for nothing-the terrain is very hilly.
When you do see them however, you forget everything and the experience is immediately worth every drop of sweat and every dollar you paid. Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes of these gentle giants is surely the most exciting and poignant wildlife encounter that Africa has to offer, but you should not let it distract you from Bwindi's broader biodiversity, a result of its immense antiquity and an altitude span from 1,160 to 2,607m. The national park has 90 mammal species, including 11 primates, of which the black and white Columbus, with its lovely flowing white tails, is prominent.
You are limited to one hour with the gorillas and the time just flies by without one getting enough of these magnificent endangered species. However you are warned to maintain a distance of five metres from the gorillas, something that may sound insincere but it's for both your safety and that of the gorillas. Make a point of taking a good camera though, a shot of a gorilla filing the frame takes some beating in terms of impressing the people back home.
Tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The next day, take a tour of the mountain gorillas in the Mgahinga Gorilla national park where a few tourists per day are allowed. Mgahinga gorilla national park comprises of three extinct volcanoes and three extensive swamps. This small national park protects the Ugandan republic portion of the Virungas, and a chain of six extinct and three sporadically active volcanoes which follow the borders with Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Along with gorillas, the park also supports golden monkey, elephants, leopards, and forest hogs.
Mgahinga was proclaimed with the primary aim of providing sanctuary to the rare mountain gorilla, some 300 of which live in the Virungas, and gorilla tracking remains the most popular activity here, though it is dependant on the seasonal movements of the habituated groups which often cross over from Uganda to DRC and back in search for food.
Mgahinga support a diverse forest and moorland fauna, notably the localized golden monkey and at least 12 bird species endemic to the Albertine rift, but also small populations of elephant, leopard, buffalo and black and white colobus monkey. The spectacular setting at the base of the volcanoes, the tallest of which reaches an elevation of 4,507m, is among the most stirring in East Africa.
