Discovering Uganda

Even for those of us who see a lot of East Africa, the region’s staggering variety still holds the power to surprise and excite with new sights. This has proved true yet again on our recent exploration of Uganda. Despite bordering Kenya, this lesser-known neighbour has some striking differences. Uganda’s lush tropical rainforests seem a world apart from the dusty open savannah of Kenya’s famous safari landscapes. And its own very distinctive natural wonders endow Uganda with a highly unique visitor appeal.
 
On our travels to Uganda we sought out the country’s finest offerings with a view to presenting them as compelling new extension options for our guests on safari in Kenya and Tanzania. Over our next three newsletters, starting this month, we’ll reveal our top discoveries in Uganda as a preview of what may well become available as experiences for guests of Africa House soon. We start with our magical trip to see Uganda’s most famous wildlife wonder: its beautiful mountain gorillas.

Tracking gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Of all the wild experiences that Africa has to offer, there’s simply nothing quite like tracking mountain gorillas in their own habitat, which we were thrilled to do ourselves a couple of weeks ago. Trekking through the tropical rainforest of Bwindi – whose incredibly dense vegetation makes it thoroughly deserving of its ‘Impenetrable’ description – is intoxicating enough. But to take in the statuesque grace of the forest’s resident gorillas as they come into view is simply out of this world.
 

Only around 810 mountain gorillas remain anywhere on Earth and around half of these are found in right here in Bwindi. While it is a tragedy that this species to which we are so closely related is endangered to this degree, responsible tourism is contributing to their protection (the global number was as low as 700 in 2006). It is an encouraging thought that the very act of going to visit these majestic animals is helping to address their plight.
 
The forest itself was a magical place to visit, and teeming with life besides its main primate attraction. In fact, it is so rich in biodiversity that it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on grounds of ecological importance. With a colourful and diverse display of monkeys, birds, butterflies and reptiles, Bwindi is a fascinating treasure house for wildlife lovers.
 
But the stars of the show on this leg of our Ugandan adventure were, inevitably, the gorillas. To stand as close as we did to these incredibly powerful yet gentle creatures is an unforgettable pleasure and privilege. Not one of the group with whom we travelled was unmoved by the experience – and we’d recommended the encounter to our guests in an instant.