Trekking in Uganda

Uganda is undisputedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world. You will always hear people say that the small East African country has beautiful scenic landscapes, warm people and fantastic weather. Of course all these descriptions are correct! Where else in the world would you find ice on the equator? Which other country has nearly all types of climate – from temperate to tropical and semi-arid conditions? Tell me of a country that has friendlier, kind and warm people! Truly, Uganda is Africa’s pearl, over 100 years since Sir Winston Churchill described the country as such

Over the years millions of people have come to Uganda to enjoy her beauty. One of the hidden treasures that have often created lifetime memories for the visitors is the mountain gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experiences. Talking about Mountain gorillas, there are only about 800 still remaining in the whole world, and Uganda is home to half of this population. Mountain gorillas live in the wild but share a lot in common with us the humans! They live in families; have a family head, a mother, children and sometimes relatives! A family head is usually an adult male that mentors young ones and defends the family – often to death. He can be as tall as 6 ft 3 inches and often may weigh up to 220 kg! Literally, this means that one adult mountain gorilla may be the size of three average men.  These primates start their day early morning (6:00 am), have a rest at about noon (for cleaning their fur) and go to bed all night from around 6:00pm. An average male gorilla eats about 34kg of food daily but females, generally like our ladies, eat less – about 18kg. These primates live in Uganda’s dense forests, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where since 1994 thousands of visitors from all over the world have come and had a thrilling encounter with these gentle apes. Of course the journey to where these apes live is physically challenging but walking in a forest heavily stocked with birds, flowing rivers and all sorts of plants is itself a rewarding experience.

Besides the mountain gorillas, Uganda offers exciting trekking opportunities for other primates, including Chimpanzees. The Kibale Forest National Park is regarded as the most densely populated area with primates in Africa. There are up to seven different primate species in this tropical rainforest. Imagine spending a few days with these wild apes! The days can be as few as six but the experience is a lifetime memory. A story to tell your grandchildren!