6-day Gorilla Encounter Accommodated

We leave Ugandas bustling capital Kampala traveling west and crossing the equator toward the forests. Arriving in the afternoon, we have some time at leisure to explore the nearby village and prepare for our trek to see Chimpanzee tomorrow. Uganda is considered a green country owing to having no distinct rainy season and permanently green countryside. Perhaps this is why it is home to nearly 7 of the worlds butterfly species, in addition to a vast variety of birdlife and wildlife.

This morning, we trek to see the chimpanzees. Unlike their larger cousins, the mountain gorilla, chimps live mostly in the trees and so our viewing consists mainly of peering high into the forest canopy. Predictably, the experience of seeing mans closest relative in the wild is a memorable one.

We depart and make our way south to Lake Bunyonyi - a crater lake set high in the mountains. The lake is 27km long and 7km wide with a depth of nearly 900m, making it Africas second deepest lake. With 29 islands that can be visited by local boats, the lakeside offers a great base to unwind and enjoy the Ugandan countryside. We base ourselves at the lake for our gorilla trekking splitting into smaller groups to trek for the gorillas over the next few days in the incredible Bwindi Impenetrable forest.

There are many activities to do at Lake Bunyonyi such as hiring canoes to visit some of the lakes islands, visit local tribes and villages, visit the local orphanage, bird watching and nature walks. Alternatively just relax, catch up on your travel diary or postcards to home.Mountain Gorilla TrekkingThis region of Africa is home to the worlds remaining 700 mountain gorillas, many of which inhabit the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On the day of our trek we gather in the early morning to meet our local guide and tracker. Walking in small groups we trek into the thick rainforest. The trek can be demanding at times with uneven terrain and hilly terrain but the privilege of spending time with a family of these gentle primates makes the effort well worthwhile. The usual procedure, once we have located the gorilla family, is to squat or sit down and simply observe them for around an hour the time set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority the national body charged with controlling and maintaining the gorillas in Uganda. Gorillas are sociable creatures, living in groups between 12 and 20 individuals, usually led by an alpha male the silverback - so called because of the silver hair on his back which grows once the male gorilla attains maturity. Most people find that the gorillas are remarkably human-like at close quarters particularly in the social interaction between family members and in play activity in which the young engage. Photography is permitted although not with a flash and there are restrictions for those who wish to use a video camera.Your permit allows you one trek and gorilla viewing time limited to one hour. However because the authorities maintain strict limits on the number of visitors allowed to view the gorillas each day we may spend several days in the area while all passengers in our group complete the trek and viewing.

We make our journey back north crossing the Equator once again and continue to Ugandas capital Kampala where our tour ends on arrival.