By Mari Brothers
Travel from South Africa to Uganda has become much more convenient following Uganda Airlines’ four time weekly direct service between Johannesburg and Entebbe. SA Airlink also revealed that it would, from 19 July 2021, fly four times per week from Johannesburg to Entebbe. These direct flight services will get you to your destination in just over four hours!
Gorilla Trekking has always been on our bucket list, but due to limited numbers of permits issued and sold out at least a year in advance, we’ve never succeeded in ticking it off our list.
Uganda was recently placed on the United Kingdom’s destination “red list”, resulting in many UK tourists cancelling their travel plans. As a result, an enticing special offer landed in hubby Chris’s email inbox: “Gorilla Trekking in Uganda! Permits available at discounted rates of US$ 400 per person for the month of June 2021!”. Not to be sneezed at, considering that a one-day gorilla tracking permit usually costs US$ 700 per person.
We jumped at this opportunity.
Our safari agent, Wild Frontiers, promptly advised available dates and minutes later our flights were booked. We were going to see gorillas! Mountain gorillas can survive only in their natural habitat, so trekking into their native forests like Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is your only chance to see these wonderful primates.
You do, of course, need to apply for a visa, which we did online.
The day has finally come! It has been ages since we’ve travelled internationally and the prospect of setting off, made the butterflies in my stomach do somersaults. We arrived on a Sunday morning and although Uganda was in strict lockdown, essential service vehicles – as well as registered tourist vehicles – were allowed to travel by road. Uganda realised the importance of keeping the agriculture and tourism industries running in order to keep their economy going during this difficult time. It paid dividends: I was surprised at the number of American and German visitors.
On arrival at the Boma Hotel Entebbe we were met by our Wild Frontiers representative who briefed us on our trip while we enjoyed a lovely cup of Ugandan brewed coffee. By 11:00 our room was ready for check in, which was a great treat as we both were in need of a shower and short nap. Late afternoon we departed for a sundowner cruise on Lake Victoria with its abundant birdlife and the best sunset in Africa – an enjoyable experience which included drinks and snacks.
We retired early on our first night, as the adventure was about to kick off early the next morning with a 07:00 flight from Entebbe to Kihihi on a small 11-seater plane with one nose-driven propeller. The flight was unexpectedly smooth and the views from above just unbelievable.
On arrival at Kihihi, our driver-guide, Etchy, was waiting with a big welcoming smile and a bunch of small bananas in his hands – our padkos. We set off on a scenic two-hour gravel road journey through local villages, tea and coffee plantations, banana plantations and green rice fields where we spotted Uganda’s national bird, the gorgeous Grey Crowned Crane. It was remarkable to see how men and women moulded their own clay bricks and then baked them to a bright red in homemade ovens fueled with eucalyptus wood. They will then use a homemade clay cement to construct their own house. No excuse for not having a roof over your head!
Ever so often the bumpy gravel road will shake us about in the vehicle, followed by Etchy’s laughter while encouraging us to “enjoy the African massage”.
At the entrance to the forest a sign read: “Welcome to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – A World Heritage Site”. A few meters further our transfer came to an end at our lovely accommodation, Bohuma Lodge, one of only two lodges located inside the National Park. The beautiful wooden lodge boasts spectacular and uninterrupted views of the forest. We were warmly welcomed by the staff and treated to a delicious lunch before being shown to our cabin. We had plenty of time to unpack, refresh and prepare for our trek before meeting Etchy around the campfire for a drink and Trek briefing. Dinner was just lovely – our chef, Ronald, made sure we won’t go hungry. Soon after, we retired to our cabin to sleep off the anticipation and last hours prior to our trek.
I loved the fact that our huge windows consisted of only a fine gauze – which allowed the fresh air and forest sounds in. I could never imagine that a forest could be that noisy at night – “noisy” with magical sounds of crickets, monkeys, owls and frogs. We slept really well that night.
The big day has arrived! We started the day with a scrumptious breakfast (Ugandan avocado on toast with soft poached eggs). A short three minute walk from our lodge brought us to the Buhoma Park headquarters. We were entertained with dancing and singing from the ladies of Ride 4 a Women (a charity organisation set up to support women struggling with poverty, HIV and domestic violence https://www.ride4awoman.org). After a short briefing by park officials, the trekkers were separated into groups of up to eight people. Each group would get to visit one of the five habituated gorilla families living on this side of the Bwindi Forest.
The duration of tracking gorillas in Bwindi depends on where the gorilla group which you are assigned to, is currently located. Some groups (as in our case) can take only 30 minutes to locate, while others may take hours of trekking. A team of trackers goes ahead early in the morning to identify the location of the gorilla family and inform the lead guide by radio call. Trackers are aware of where a gorilla group last built their sleeping nests and will head to that direction.
Setting off from the briefing point, we all had to step in a disinfectant solution in order to clean our hiking shoes from any harmful substance. It is now apparent that gorillas may contract Covid-19 and therefore strict Covid-19 protocols apply while trekking and viewing the gorilla families. Hands are sanitised frequently by our lead guide and masks have to be worn at all times.
We found ourselves in a very fortunate group of trekkers, as 30 minutes and 1 km later, we found them: the Rushegura family consisting of 18 gorillas. – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-wildlife-idUSKBN25T2TY. We had an hour to enjoy and photograph this amazing encounter, a rule set to ensure humans don’t encroach too much on the gorillas’ daily life. The first thing I saw, was a mighty big silverback sitting in the crotch of a huge African mahogany tree. I could not believe the size and pure power radiating from this leader.
He soon moved from his post to join the females which, unbeknown to me, were having a lazy nap in the scrubs a mere five meters from where we were standing. The more you look, the more you see. There is one searching for flees. There is another one … and another one … one up high in the trees … and another one! A small hand pops up … then a little face … a baby! Time went by so quickly, one has to find a good balance of taking it in through all senses , while also capture enough photo and video moments to have proof, bragging rights and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The park is, however, not just about gorilla tours. With time to spare, we undertook a four-hour hike to the waterfalls in the park. An UNESCO world heritage site, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park has a diverse flora and fauna. There are many more activities to enjoy, so make sure to stay another day.
That then concluded our lovely trip to Uganda: an experience which will be treasured for many years to come. Right now, South Africans do not have many travel destination options, but Uganda is there. Grab the opportunity while you can.
| Mari Brothers is a tour operator from Cape Town. Feel free to contact One Turn Trading for assistance should you wish to book or plan your own Gorilla Trekking experience. Mari Brothers Phone: +27 21 913 8138 Mobile: +27 82 902 3450 e-Mail: mari@oneturntrading.co.za Web: www.oneturntrading.co.za |
