Gorilla trekking – But not in the mist.

Actually it was a lovely day when I did my gorilla trek. I chose to do it in Uganda but you can also do it in Rwanda and Congo (not always recommended due to safety). These are the only three countries left in the world where you will find these beautiful gentle creatures. My choice of Uganda was based on cost. You will have to pay for a license and the cost in Uganda was $600 compared to $1500 in Rwanda, Yes it’s not cheap but it’s a once in a lifetime experience. I suggest you do this as far in advance as possible. I also suggest you check out Katona tours (Jackie is awesome) who I used. They were excellent and organize everything for you. For more details click here.

My tour was to Bwindi impenetrable forest. Before the trek you will be given an introduction and some do’s and dont’s like not making sudden noises, getting too close, carrying food and using flash photography. You will also have the option of paying extra for a guide (about $20) which as the forest is hard going on tangled plants and mud this is a good investment.

Once you start the trek finding the gorillas can take anything from minutes to a couple of hours. We lucked out and found our group after 20 minutes. We eventually came to a stop in front of a gorgeous silver back who was literally about 3 meters in front of us. He didn’t look at us even once. Incidentally if they find a new group it can take up to two years to get them used to humans.