Wildlife Holidays to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

To a birder, the gorillas could even be a secondary attraction. The park allows access to a glittering array of rare and localised species, as well as more widespread forest birds that can be hard to track down in other parts of East Africa, such as hornbills, broadbills and a suite of forest floor feeders. The jewels in the avian crown are the cohort known as Albertine Rift endemics, species that are confined to the western Rift Valley. They are all quite obscure to a general audience – Red-faced Woodland Warbler, anybody? – but nonetheless, many are astonishingly beautiful. One of the better known is the Ruwenzori Turaco, a dazzling concoction of royal blue, iridescent green, and outcrops of red. The turacos possess several pigments that are physiologically entirely their own, which partly explains their radiant colours. There are also several sunbird species unique to the Albertine Rift, such as Regal and Purple-throated; the former is arguably one of the most stunning in an already gilded family, with its intense yellow breast, down which leaks a stripe of crimson, as if the bird’s neck had been wounded and was bleeding.

It is, though, the sheer variety of birds that stands out here, not just their rarity. The keen, but less ‘list-minded’ birder will be blown away by their diversity – and, indeed, by the wondrous chorus of voices that emanate, unseen, from the dense canopy. The roll-call includes barbets, tinkerbirds, sunbirds, woodpeckers, cuckoos, pigeons, finches (there is a whole range of sought-after seedeaters), chats and weavers.

The very name ‘Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’ carries a definite kudos, redolent of exploration and intrigue. In fact, the word ‘Bwindi’ means ‘darkness’ in the local language, so visitors could hardly argue that they weren’t forewarned that the terrain might be challenging. The main problem is the steep slopes with thick undergrowth. While this makes the park difficult to access, it has also been the saving grace for the Mountain Gorillas and other wildlife. These highlands are now islands in a sea of cultivation, both on the Ugandan side and the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The forest, which covers 321 square kilometres on the rim of the Great Rift Valley lies between 1,200m and 2,590m, and clings thickly to the slopes. If your visit is primarily concerned with birding, you will visit several areas of the park at different elevations. There are trails near the four entrance points to the national park, Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija, and you will end up following a machete-cut track on the way to your encounter with the Mountain Gorillas. It is also often extremely muddy and slippery, but there are porters available to carry your rucksack (and if necessary, they can even carry you too!).

The gorilla-tracking experience is in every way as exciting and emotional as any visitor could hope for. It is done with great care and with suitable diffidence to the natural wonder that it is. We meet at a reasonably early hour (usually 8am) for a briefing, which emphasises important aspects of the trip, such as the role of the local community, and the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of gorilla tracking (don’t use flash, don’t leave any food; there is even advice about toilet matters), before heading out in a group of up to eight people. Long before you begin, teams of trackers have already left to check on their respective gorilla group; the animals are free-ranging and move where they like, so the trackers need to re-find them each morning. 

Soon, heart thumping, you set out into the forest with your guides and porters. Along the way, guides point out other aspects of the fauna, and you may see several other primates, including Guereza Colobus and Grey-cheeked Mangabey. The exceptionally smart L’Hoest’s Monkey, with its bold white collar, can also be seen here; Chimpanzees occur in the forest and although you might hear them, you would be lucky indeed to see them here (they are easy to see in Kibale National Park to the north). Myriad butterflies ply the forest airspace, and some of these are large and showy, as tropical butterflies should be.

The walk to the apes takes anything between an hour and three hours. It can be hard going, but the guides and porters are unfailingly encouraging. All the while, the anticipation builds. By the time you reach your group, and arguably the zenith of any wildlife trip to Uganda, you might well find yourself close to tears.

Although the guides have walkie-talkies, the final meet-up takes place using shouts and whistles. When you hear the trackers shouting across the forest slopes, you know you are close. In a few minutes, you are standing at a respectful distance from a group of one of the most iconic animals on earth. There are only 1,000 or so Mountain Gorillas left in the world, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to about half of these.

Each group of visitors is given an hour with the gorillas. The large male gorilla, the ‘silverback’, which can stand 2m tall, tends to steal the show and accounts for most of the images. The apes are both formidable and gentle, not noisy, and tend to spend much time chewing the vegetation. If they wish to, they can melt away into the vastness of the forest.

Your return to the centre seems to go very quickly. As a special flourish, everybody is given their own personal Gorilla Tracking Certificate. It will soon become a treasured possession, a unique souvenir of what is one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest it might be; but Bwindi Unforgettable Forest is an entirely suitable alternative description for this incredible place.