Meet our local representative on arrival at Entebbe International Airport
Private charter flight from Entebbe to Kayonza
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an enduring pocket of a huge primeval forest that once stretched from the Virunga Volcanoes in the South to the Rwenzori Mountains in the North. The fertile 331 square kilometers of the park contain 113 species of mammals (including a herd of the rare forest elephant), 200 species of butterfly, over 360 species of birds and a prodigious 324 tree varieties (10 of which are endemic to the park). In addition to this incredible diversity, Bwindi is home to seven species of primates, attracting the attention of international conservation efforts, of which the most endangered is the Mountain Gorilla. Only 600 of these magnificent animals remain worldwide, and Bwindi is home to just over half of them. Fittingly, Bwindi is one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Gorilla Forest Camp is a permanent luxury tented camp nestled in the mist-swathed rainforests of a mountainside in the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It has been designed to blend seamlessly into this most atmospheric of environments, carefully-appointed towards the misty valleys and looming, forest-clad mountains that protect this fragile eco-system. Accommodation is in 8 double tents, raised on wooden platforms, each with en-suite facilities and hot and cold running water, WC, basin and unusually – a bathtub looking out onto the forest. Each tent has a spacious wooden verandah where guests can relax, enjoy a private meal and absorb the exotic mystery of the surrounding rainforest that provided the inspiration for the animation of Disney's The Jungle Book. Electricity is provided for lighting and recharging of video camera batteries. This small oasis of luxury provides complete comfort - duvets and hot water bottles at night. The camp is an eco-sensitive camp, constructed to have as little impact as possible on the surrounding forest and its diverse ecosystem. The camp offers a bar and dining cottage overlooking the rain forest, as well as a raised natural platform for open air dining. At night, a traditional African campfire is lit from where a lecture might be given by a visiting primatologist, the gorilla briefings are undertaken or guests simply admire the myriad brilliance of Bwindi's crystal clear mountain sky. Note: Children of all ages are welcome at The Gorilla Forest Camp, but only children aged 15 or above can track the gorillas.
Day 2 - Gorilla Tracking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 3 – Gorilla Tracking (optional)
The next day’s activities may be amongst the most exciting and challenging of your trip. The Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi are part of a worldwide population of just 600 individuals. The gorillas you are allowed to track belong to either one of two habituated family groups. For up to five years each, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually brought them to tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day and allowed a few privileged visitors to interact with them in the wild. The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany you on our tracking, many of who have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts. Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 9 hours before one returns to camp. Once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences – a look into the eyes of one of these magnificent creatures brings home the bond that exists between them and us. It also brings home the poignant fact that they are on the edge of extinction, and that your presence here contributes to ensuring their continued survival. The hour is often over all too quickly, and you slowly make your way back to camp to recount the day’s adventures.
The huge vistas that open up on your one-and-a-half-hour flight belie Uganda’s small size. You see in the distance the hills and plains of Rwanda and Tanzania and the Rift Valley dropping away from you towards Lake Edward and the Congo. Below you rolling ranchland soon gives way to dry scrub and gigantic wetlands just before your final approach over Lake Victoria. On arrival at Entebbe Airport you proceed with your onward arrangements.
