Welcome to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with Gorilla Safaris Tours was a lifetime experience and really showed us the Pearl of Africa.

We enjoyed our time off in Uganda and seeing the endangered mountain gorilla was really memorable experience thanks to Jackie for the good organization, extremely responsible and always answers emails on time.

We booked our gorilla trip with gorillas safaris tours and we were so much concerned about transferring all the money up front to a bank account in Uganda months before our trip, but thankfully it all worked out well.

The permits were secured in time, and they emailed us a scan of the permit on request before we completed the payment.

Once you get to the gate you are handed over by the tour company into the hands of the rangers from the Ugandan Wildlife Authority.

Before heading out, you are given a thorough briefing by the ranger, learning about the region, the gorilla families, exactly what to expect on the trek. It definitely put all of us at ease and helps allay any fears about being close to the gorillas.

After a briefing our group of eight were led into the jungle by our rangers and hiked for about 4 hours until we located the gorillas.

The hike down started on a trail, then transitioned to paths between farmers’ fields, then more like livestock paths, and finally we were just hacking through the brush trying to weave our way steeply down to the gorillas.

Trackers follow the group through the night and are in radio contact with the ranger leading you and the goal is to get you down as quickly as possible and with the gorillas.

The hiking was physically demanding in difficult terrain and at quite a fast pace, the rangers are obviously keen to find the gorillas as early as possible so that the group can return to the gate before the evening rains and nightfall.

Nearly everyone slipped and fell at least once, bit no one was hurt and all memories of the tough descent are erased when you see the gorillas.

When you are with the mountain gorillas, you are given only one hour to observe and watch them. The thrilling experience is as good as everyone says, we were within about 7 metres of three different silver backs.

The group had 13 gorillas in total. The forest is quite dense and some of the gorillas, particularly the younger ones, can be hard to see clearly if they do not feel like coming out into the clearing. The rangers do their best to get a good view for everyone.

After getting the one hour of observation, we returned back to the starting point, the scenery is stunning and the way back up is on a real trail and far more gradual an ascent than on the way down.

You can go at whatever pace you need and stop as often as needed, the guides and rangers will stay with you away from way the gorillas, you stop and eat your lunch box you brought, then continue back up to the ranger station for your gorilla certificate.

After wards we transferred to Lake Bunyonyi Overland Camp for an overnight stay. The tour included a night Lake Bunyonyi which I highly recommend as it is a very peaceful. The tour included a 2 hour boat tour around the lake.

Gorilla Safaris Tours are highly recommended tour company for organizing any wildlife and gorilla safaris in Uganda.

A huge thank you to our guides, porters and trackers who made this experience so fantastic and are doing such a great job in helping preserve these wonderful creatures