Reviews of Bwindi (From 9 Acclaimed Safari Experts)

Expert

Alan Murphy –

AU

Visited: May

Alan is a travel writer and author of over 20 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Southern Africa and Zambia & Malawi.

7 people found this review helpful.

It’s all about the gorillas

Overall rating

4/5

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Bwindi is special. Sure, there are elephants here, so they say….and even bushbuck and duiker, but seriously, who cares…in Bwindi it’s all about the gorillas!

I never had the kind of gorilla experience I had read about; ie, a cute baby furball coming to play with my leg while I kept the required 7 metres away from the family group. That said it was a magical and surreal experience deep in thick forest, observing a family group going about their business of playing, snacking, grooming and lolling around in the sun.

It took about 4 hours to find the family of gorillas that our group were tracking (it can take a lot less depending on their movements in the previous 24 hours). That’s the adventurous part, heading (mostly) uphill on slippery ground through thick forest with the aid of walking sticks and local helpers who assist in pushing/pulling/dragging you up and through the roughest parts of the trek. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be in the Wet season!

The reward makes it all worthwhile when the gorillas are finally located. These big, beautiful, human-like monoliths staring at you amongst lush greenery is spellbinding. They were surprisingly tolerant of guides cutting foliage around them so we could all get a better look. Altogether, we had an unforgettable hour with the gorillas – and it rates as one of the most special wildlife experiences I have had.

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Expert

Tim Bewer –

US

Visited: September

Tim is a travel writer who has covered 10 African countries for Lonely Planet's Africa, East Africa and West Africa guidebooks.

7 people found this review helpful.

Visit gorillas in one of Africa’s most ancient jungles

Overall rating

4/5

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Home to nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, Bwindi is an unforgettable destination. About 460 gorillas live in the steep mountain-side jungle and more than 20 groups have been habituated to humans. An up-close encounter with these endangered giants is an experience like no other and anyone who has the chance shouldn’t pass up the opportunity. But make no mistake, unless you get very lucky and the gorillas are not far away, tracking at Bwindi can be difficult work and it might take many hours to find them. Because Bwindi is one of the few African forests to have survived the last Ice Age, it hosts an exceptional biodiversity (There are more mammal species here than in any other park in Uganda, albeit mostly small ones, and birdwatchers can tick off as many as 150 species in a day, with all but one of Uganda’s Albertine Rift endemics being present.), but the same factors that make gorilla tracking so difficult make spotting elephant, golden cat, giant forest hog, chimpanzee or any of the forest’s other large animals almost impossible. Regardless of the wildlife (Other than the gorillas, I did manage to see some smaller primates including black-and-white colobus plus plenty of colorful birds.) I loved my walk through this lush jungle and there are several guided trips available for those not seeking gorillas. And because of the tight limits on the number of people who can track gorillas, lodges at Bwindi are seldom too busy, so just hanging out and soaking up the mountain views can be enjoyable too.

7 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Expert

Dale R Morris –

ZA

Visited: February

Dale is a multi-award-winning writer and photographer with more than 500 published magazine articles featured in magazines such as National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Travel Africa, and CNN Travel.

4 people found this review helpful.

Gorillas in the Midst of Tourists

Overall rating

4/5

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The topography of Bwindi is not for the faint of heart. After an hour of relentless uphill climbing, I found myself gasping for breath at a junction where tea plantations and villages give way to a towering wall of jungle.

The forest lay before us, lush green and alive with the sounds of myriad birds. The other seven participants on my gorilla trek were all similarly red-faced, gasping for air like fish out of water. One man had even turned purple. However, as soon as the park rangers guided us to where the mountain gorilla family was, we became instantly captivated and forgot how out of breath and tired we had just been.

Two young blackback males were engaged in a testosterone-fuelled feud, while the older females watched over their newborn infants protectively. The huge silverback of the group, however, was completely relaxed and seemed unperturbed by the shenanigans of the younger males.

I was mesmerized and enjoyed every minute of the one hour we were permitted to be with this habituated family of apes.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is renowned for its population of mountain gorillas, making it one of the best places in the world to see them. It's a bucket-list item for many people, and rightly so. In addition to visiting the gorillas, there are other activities to enjoy, such as guided walks through the rainforest, bird watching (with over 350 species to spot), and cultural tours to local communities.