In Southwestern Uganda at the edge of the western Great Rift Valley, hugging the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo lies Bwindi Forest. Theatrical mountain formations are swathed in 331 square kilometres of the thick tropical forest that earned the name ‘Bwindi Impenetrable’. Every visitor to this secluded habitat describes the meeting as a moving, near-spiritual experience never to be forgotten!
Day 1: Into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After your breakfast, you will be picked up to begin your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. A brief stop at Uganda Equator gives us a chance to look through the many craft markets for a few souvenirs/gifts, and perhaps a cup of coffee as well as a picturesque moment at the equator. This is followed by another stop for lunch in Mbarara. We’ll traverse the rolling hills of the southwestern landscape on our way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where we’ll check into our booked lodge in time for dinner.
Day 2: Gorilla Tracking – Batwa Cultural Experience
After a briefing, we’ll venture into Bwindi Forest on foot and enter a world suspended outside of time. The undergrowth thrives with diverse plants, mammals, and birds. It may be minutes or hours before we come upon a gorilla family, but when we finally do, the encounter sweeps us into a timeless moment. We watch the juveniles play as the impressive adults groom and keep a sly but watchful eye on their human visitors. At this moment, a feeling of kinship rises to close the gap that grew between us and our primate relatives over millennia. We’ll descend, elated and arrested in a timeless moment to be told and retold for years to come. We’ll return to the lodge to catch our breath before our next hard adventure with the Batwa people, also known as the pygmies that originated from the Ituri forest of Congo.
Day 3: Return to Entebbe/Kampala
We’ll exit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to begin our journey to Entebbe for our flight back home. We’ll stop for lunch en route at Igongo Cultural Center. As we cross the equator, back into the northern hemisphere, we’ll feel the distance of the Impenetrable forest, but our memories linger close by, accompanying us on our journey home.
Inclusive
Accommodation
All Activities mentioned
Gorilla Permits
Welcome briefing and assistance.
Meals: Dinner (exclusive alcohol/liquor).
Excluded
International flights
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips
Souvenirs
Travel insurance
Visa fees
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Drinks
This tour starts and ends in Arusha
This operator can help select your international flights, but you’ll have to book them yourselfhelp
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost
