IMPENETRABLE FOREST
Also discover this mysterious jungle (and everything that hides in it)? No problem at all! You can take a real trek through the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas. But Uganda has several jungles where our hairy second cousins hide out. In Kibale Forest or Kalinzu Forest you can look for our ancestors: the chimpanzee.
ABOUT BWINDI AND THE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS:
Thick, green, humid jungle vegetation, so dense that you can barely make your way through it. The Bwindi ‘Impenetrable’ Forest is called the Bwindi ‘Impenetrable’ Forest for exactly this reason. The rainforest is largely located in Uganda, and grows a little over the border with Congo. It is therefore right next to Congo’s famous Virunga National Park. These mysterious forests, which cover mountains and volcanoes, are also home to the rare mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are the most endangered primate species in the world: in the 1970s the estimated number was only 600 (yes, in the entire world!) Because they have acquired protected status, the group has now expanded to a number of 800. Of these, about 400 live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and the other 400 around the Virunga volcanoes in Congo, Rwanda and Mgahinga National Park in the southern tip of Uganda.
A gorilla trek is a magical, unforgettable experience. From a lodge near the park, you get up early to trek into the misty forest. The hike is right through the jungle (think: machetes, lianas, Tarzan and Jane), accompanied by a tough ranger who tracks down the mountain gorillas. Sometimes you find them right away, sometimes you have to hike about five hours before you find them. And there you are: face to face with these majestic apes. You get to admire them for an hour while they casually do their thing, just a few meters away. This tour may not be a budget option, but the experience is one to remember!
Want to know more about gorillas in Uganda? Then read on here!
ABOUT BWINDI AND THE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS:
Voor wie maar geen genoeg kan krijgen van de mensapen, kan ook nog op zoek gaan naar chimpansees. Ten Noorden van Bwindi, bij Queen Elizabeth National Park en Fort Portal vind je twee andere dampende wouden: Kalinzu Forest en Kibale Forest. De wouden zijn kleiner dan Bwindi, maar niet minder mooi! De trek is aanzienlijk goedkoper en de hike duurt minder lang. Maar het resultaat – een uur lang onze familieleden in hun natuurlijke habitat bestuderen – is niet te evenaren!
