The Gorilla Trecking Experience.

Its been a while since simone and Gadi singer  travelled to Uganda on thier 18 days that we prefer to  call the Uganda experience adventure but the memories never even tend to fade a single bit. It just seems like yesterday. Counting seven months since they left Uganda but seems like i did drop them off at the Entebbe airport yesterday evening.

Refreshing again, after the incredible lake bunyonyi  experience, visiting the traditional acient islands including the re-known punishment island, which any one who has been to this lake has probably visited, we have our lunch at the open restaurant before we pack our bags to head to the bwindi impenetrable national park for the gorilla tracking.

Usually most visitors to Uganda top the Gorilla trecking experience as  top thing to do but most of them get more than what they expected. Uganda beats your expectations when it comes to adventure experience. Usually when you are as much flexible as possible. Here simone and Gadi did it right and were so much clever to go for a car rental in Uganda which she doubled with hiring a guide driver from self drive. This actually worked as they got all the Uganda insights about Uganda. Renting a car in Uganda and hiring a guide driver is one way you will get the best budget safari in Uganda. So her we drive to the bwindi impenetrable national park in the afternoon.

The rolling hills through the landscapes of kabala-kisoro road kept them entertained until we got to the  ruhijja park entrance gate. The nice breath from the untouched trees enveloped us as simone and gadi could not hold it that much but get out the car and take a walk on the drive way as i drove behind them. For over a kilometre they walked and enjoyed the jungle not until i adviced we needed to get to the lodge early enough and if we continued this slow, we would definetly get to the lodge late in the night. So here they had to jump into the car but still needed to enjoy the jungle walk. Its just breathtaking in there.

It was about 6pm when we arrived at Buhoma side of the gorilla treck. Truth is even myself had no idea the lodge we were headed to was a new one and the location as well. Unbelievable how almost the whole lodge staff was eagerly waiting for the first clients to sleep in the new lodge, the haven lodge buhoma. It is a very nice refurbished nice looking lodge on top of a hill overlooking the bwindi thick forest., on the terrace if you had good binoculars you would actually see the southern sector of the park Nkuringo clearly. The sounds of the birds and the scent from the forest give you the feeling of adventure. On checking in, which everyone wanted to help carry the bags the rooms were very nice with a good clear view. The dinner was nice, great food and great chef they heard and then it was a time to sayu goodnyt and get ready for the once in a lifetime wildlife encounter.

Our breakfast was at 7am which was nice and alot. Usually the lodges get you a packed lunch as you are not sure what time you return or how far the gorillas are. At 7;35am we proceed down to the park headquarters which is close by anyway for breefing by the park rangers before you headout to the jungles. We needed a medium distance treck and as the driver guide, i had to secure them the mubare family of gorillas. Off they set off for their gorilla treck. Yes it was in the rainy season, and 2 hours after they had descended into the forest, than it started to rain. Now in the forest is a story for simone and gadi to tell, they actually had the most memorable ultimate wildlife encounter. The rain-in-the jungle trust me make this whole experience incredible.. if simone or Gadi read this, any would actually tell you how it all went. the driver guides usually don’t join the clients they have for the trecking but just make sure everything is right and accomplished. The ranger guides of Uganda wildlife authority take over from there till the end of the trip. The appreciation and excitement of the clients is usually seen by the tip they offer to the rangers and yes these rangers were greatly appreciated. First impression of satisfaction. Form there on for the next two days even on the safari in queen Elizabeth national park, the story was all about the gorilla encounter. And yes simone would not leave the words out everytime she narrated the encounter. ‘Ezii yoffii, uaii, uaii, uaii’ a slogan she used for excitement.

We would have loved to stay at this lodge for another day but everything good comes to an end. Our booking was for one day and then we had to leave vecause alot more excitement and nice things awaited us. Join me net time as i narrate our next journey on a safari to the ishasha and kasenyi, queen Elizabeth national park.