Silverback Gorilla, Uganda

Dominic is a Naturetrek tour leader and one of Britain's
best known and most prolific natural history writers.

Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas live in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the far south-west of the country, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are about 400 animals in the National Park, about half of all the world’s Mountain Gorillas. Bwindi is the very heart of Uganda’s primary forest and is one of the most biodiverse areas on earth. The name arises from the exceptionally tricky terrain, with large stands of bamboo growing between the forest giants which, combined with the steep slopes, make trekking difficult. The Gorillas, of course, make every faltering step worth it, and there are many other highlights, including several other rare primates such as Guereza Colobus and L’Hoest’s Monkey, and a phenomenal suite of forest birds.

From our comfortable accommodation it is a short drive to the park headquarters at Buhoma. From here, five trekking parties set out each day, three into the nearby forest and two 90 minutes further away by four-wheel drive at Ruhija. Although there are five habituated groups of Gorillas, finding them can be difficult and involve up to eight hours walking in the very difficult terrain in hot, humid conditions. Once you meet the group you are allowed an hour of viewing time, surely one of the greatest wildlife experiences you can have anywhere.

You can go at any time of year, but in April and May it can be very wet. Having said that, the stable equatorial climate ensures that heavy rain may fall at any time. The National Park is situated above 1100m, ameliorating the worst heat.