Postcard from Uganda

This photo is of a baby mountain gorilla taken somewhere in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (aka the Impenetrable Forest) of southwestern Uganda located along the edge of the western Great Rift Valley. 

The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to about half (approx. 340) of the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas.

Baby mountain gorilla in treetop – Uganda

Making the trek to see the gorillas is probably the most unique experience that Uganda has to offer, but it is not for the faint of heart.  First you have to make the 500km drive from Kampala to Kisoro, the closest town situated for gorilla tracking.  It is a full day of very bumpy roads, stunning scenery, likely a lunch of delicious Nile perch, and interactions with some of the nicest locals you’ll ever meet. 

An overnight rest in Kisoro is generally followed by an early morning departure for the 36 km drive through almost fairy-tale like landscapes by 4x4 to Nkuringo, the starting point of a full day of gorilla tracking. 
The permit required to embark on the trek is a standardized fee of $500 (the same in Rwanda & the Congo) and there is no guarantee you’ll actually come into contact with one of the 4 habituated families.  But you are guaranteed to get one heck of a workout clambering up and down the lush, dense mountainsides in search of these beautiful creatures.

The mountain gorillas share about 99% of our human DNA structure, and are highly intelligent ~  they’re playful, emotional, and family-oriented. Once in view of a gorilla family, there is a mandatory One Hour Only limit on the time you can spend observing them.  Most travelers agree that this is one of the most sublime hours of their lives.

Photo credit: Sean Benner

Heather Thorkelson has been an adventurer for as long as anyone can remember, having visited 18 countries by the time she was 18, lived in 5 different ones by the time she was 23, and had reached all seven continents by 32. She is an avid outdoors-person, devoted mom to a Portuguese water dog, and lives with her partner Sean in Toronto when they are not out traipsing the far reaches of the globe. By day, she's a life coach who works with people to create the life they dream of, and she moonlights as Antarctica Travels’ Social Media Ninja. She can be reached at heather @ antarcticatravels.com