Last January, I received a text from a friend of a friend: ‘Happy New Year! Would you like to go gorilla tracking with me in Uganda?’ I stared at the screen for a nanosecond and wrote back, ‘Yes!’
A nanosecond later, I wrote, ‘Wait… what?’
So began nine months of planning that would eventually take us to see the indigenous Batwa Pygmies, through dusty local villages, over the golden savannah of Ishasha, into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and ultimately, to the magical moment of finding our first family of silverback mountain gorillas.
Sabotage
Even a few weeks before our trip, I still couldn’t believe that I was going to Uganda. Sabotage seemed to follow from the start. In March, the plane on which we were supposed to be flying, the Boeing MAX 737, was grounded after mechanical failures led it to crash.
In April, a solo female traveler and her guide were kidnapped in Queen Elizabeth National Park, held for ransom, then released. As if that weren’t enough, the tour operator connected to the unfortunate kidnapping issue was, you got it, the one we had hired.
Nevertheless, we remained on track, convinced that we would make it home with a few wild stories to tell. My husband started saving ransom money—just in case.
Finding the silverbacks
Nine months of planning had led up to these next few days, the inspiration and impetus for the trip—tracking the silverback gorillas. In the two-hour drive from Ishasha, (where I had spent the previous three nights) to Bwindi, the landscape shifted so dramatically that I could have been in an entirely different country.
The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and its surroundings are a never-ending panorama of steep, rounded hillsides, interlocking and overlapping in muted shades of green. Dense foliage replaced the vast golden savannah of Ishasha. Clusters of trees and steep, verdant tea fields took the place of flat, open vistas.
A heavy mist enshrouded the landscape, and then suddenly the sun would break through. The rainforest did not disappoint.
Bwindi is accessible only by foot, and is home to nearly 400 silverback mountain gorillas over 124 square miles. It is protected and owned by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and is a World Heritage Site. An impressive resume, indeed.
Family vibes
Echy, my Ishasha guide, delivered me to Buhoma Lodge, which immediately felt like a home away from home. Not fancy or modern, it nailed the unassuming, homespun vibe I was hoping for during our few days of gorilla tracking. Buhoma Lodge and Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp are the only two lodges located within the park boundaries. My friend and I decided to spend two nights at each.
Four nights, two camps
Although Buhoma Lodge and Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp are right beside one another in proximity, they are quite different in many ways.
The rooms at Buhoma ratchet up a steep hillside and required an amount of stair climbing that I hadn’t encountered since the Eiffel Tower. The views of the rainforest from our balcony made the climb worthwhile, and my aching quads eventually forgave me. Good practice for the gorilla tracking ahead.
Gorilla Forest Camp
This differed greatly from GFC, whose eight tents are much lower to the ground, nestled, and virtually secluded in the foliage, and had a much more private, romantic feeling.
Buhoma Lodge
Buhoma’s effervescent staff acted like extended family, always with a warm smile and polite conversation. My favorite time of day was when everyone would come together after the day’s trek and swap stories like old friends.
GFC’s staff was a touch more formal and allowed the guests to mingle among themselves. The managers of both lodges were as lovely and warm as the rainforest air and made many daily appearances to catch up with us.
At both lodges, wine was ever-flowing. At Buhoma, hors d’oeuvres were passed and a hanging iron fire pit completed the convivial scene.
GFC had an inviting nightly bonfire surrounded by a circle of chairs where we would curl up with a blanket, and watch the flames with a glass of wine in hand. An occasional storm would pass by, thunder and lightning in the distance. I felt like we were as far off the beaten path as the world would allow.
Thoughtful touches appeared at both lodges; at Buhoma, a hot water bottle on the bed at night. At GFC, toasty electric blankets and a large soaking tub.
Each lodge had convenient charging stations in the common areas so that one would never be caught with a dead battery. GFC offered coffee, tea, and wine service in your tent, and Buhoma’s open-air areas were piled high with coffee table photo books about Ugandan wildlife.
Both/And When Searching for the Silverbacks
GFC was a more modern and upscale lodge, overall. The parent company, Sanctuary, is steeped in philanthropy all over Africa, and in Uganda especially. A few of their impressive philanthropic efforts include supporting the Bwindi Community Hospital (which we visited), The Ebenezer Nursery and Primary School, as well as the Bwindi Women Bicycle Enterprise.
In all of our lodges, we discovered the Ugandan effort to reduce plastic waste. We were encouraged to use reusable water bottles and had access to water stations to refill them.
While both lodges exceeded expectations, I’ll admit, that if I were to go back with friends, I would opt for the more rustic Buhoma Lodge due to its more relaxed vibe. Alternatively, GFC would be my choice if I wanted a more romantic atmosphere.
Ham, our all-knowing guide, and the Silverbacks
Our new guide was named Ham, who I immediately adored. Guiding since 1999, he had gentle, soulful eyes, and an understated demeanor. Ham was filled with local knowledge and stories from growing up in western Uganda. He told us that he didn’t get his first pair of shoes until he was twelve years old. I tucked that piece of info away in my head to pass on to my kids as soon as I got home.
The Silverbacks
The draw of this tiny patch of the globe, where Uganda, Rwanda, and The Democratic Republic of the Congo meet, is the endangered silverback mountain gorillas. There are none in captivity, and only about 1000 are left in the world, all found in this one remote spot. In order to see these noble animals, who, as an aside, share 98 percent of our DNA, I knew I had to be prepared to travel far, hike treacherous terrain, and have oodles of patience.
As you may have guessed, the silverbacks get their name from the saddle of silver hair that develops on their backs as they age. Only the males, who can grow to nearly 500 lbs have this defining feature.
We had permits for two separate treks. Since we had booked this trip late (by African standards), we could only get permits for the Ruhija park entrance, which was two bumpy, pre-dawn hours away from our lodge. At first, this seemed like a setback, and we tried to change the permits, to no avail. In hindsight, it was a blessing.
While the early morning wake-up was painful, the drive to the Ruhija entrance was breathtaking. We were able to watch the sunrise over the hilly tea fields, the sky changing from night to day before our sleepy eyes. We passed women carrying plastic water jugs to the communal wells, farmers tending the land, and the barefoot freedom of kids. All this would have been missed if our permits were at the Buhoma entrance. A serendipitous gift.
Off the beaten path, literally
Advance trackers go out in the early morning hours to help locate the meandering gorilla families. They then radio ahead to the main trackers, so that visitors can find them. Even though their whereabouts are generally known each morning, getting to them is still no easy feat.
Gorillas, unfortunately, do not stick to the paths. They roam. Hiking to them required climbing over thick undergrowth, up and around cumbersome tree roots, and dodging biting safari ants, with the help of machetes to carve the way.
Navigating Silverback Terrain
Vegetation nearly swallowed me whole, and I lost my footing countless times. Safari ants somehow got to places that defied gravity, despite my pants being tucked firmly into my socks. For $20 USD, I hired a porter to carry my backpack. Money well spent, I thought, as she crushed a few safari ants on my back while I navigated the steep and unsteady terrain.
There are about 13 habituated silverback families in Bwindi, and strict rules govern their viewing. Once we found our family, which took nearly two hours on our second trek, we had one hour to observe and photograph them. ‘Habituated’ refers to the fact that the gorilla family has been exposed to humans for enough time that they react normally in their presence.
Silverbacks—The Bitukura Family
The moment I saw my first silverback will be forever etched in my mind, no photo necessary. We were tracking the Bitukura group that morning, and came upon the mighty dominant male silverback, Mugisha, sitting on the ground eating shoots and leaves.
The rest of his family, 12 in total, were mostly arboreal, swinging from the leafy canopy. The juveniles beat their chests (isn’t that a myth?) enjoying forest life. Barely noticing our existence, we were able to get as close as five feet away.
Jungle Love
A dense, deep quiet enveloped me and warmed me from the inside out. The only sounds are the rustling of branches, the low guttural grunts of the silverbacks, and the click click click of eight SLRs shooting simultaneously. Our group sat in relative silence, in mutual awe of the experience.
At times, we jostled for better positioning, and the trackers used their pangas to help us get a clearer view, effortlessly chopping down anything that was in our way.
And then, just like that, it was over. Our time was up. Who knew an hour could go by that quickly? We reluctantly made our way back to the lodge, thankful we had another day of gorilla tracking ahead.
Silverbacks—The Muzika Family
Our second trek managed to outdo our first, in the sense that most of the family was on the ground, and in a group, versus leaping from the treetops. The Muzika group was lively and rambunctious that morning, and after two arduous hours of trekking, we were ready to sit and watch the primate show.
The highlight of that day was when the enormous silverback, Muzika, walked right past me, so close that if I had moved my arm at all, I would have felt his bristly hair on my skin. As per our guide’s instructions, I stayed frozen, allowing him to pass.
Under the dense canopy of the Bwindi forest, the world dimmed. Every so often, a streak of sunlight found its way to the understory, illuminating the foliage, or, if we were lucky, the profile of a gorilla’s face. As much as I wanted to stop taking photos and purely observe, it was a challenging task. The silverbacks are natural models and the clock was ticking.
Family Life in the Jungle
Being such familial animals, I witnessed intimate moments between the silverbacks and their young that felt all too human. Mothers cuddling babies up to their faces, juveniles pushing each other around, and human-like grooming, not unlike the Lice Patrol in the DC School System, I thought.
Silverbacks are distinguished by their nose prints, much in the way we are identified by our fingerprints. Apparently, no two are alike. Even after just an hour with the Muzika family, I could see how the trackers could begin to know one gorilla from another, both through their features, as well as their personalities. And then again, time ran out, and we began our long exit from the forest, happy and sad all at once.
Homeward-bound
Fast forward to three flights and 7,000 Ethiopian Airlines miles. I’m at home, curled up on my couch, searching Verizon FIOS for Gorillas in the Mist. The silverbacks, I imagine, are peacefully roaming the forest, thirty lucky visitors on deck to watch them. Looking back, I am grateful to my friend for sending the text that set this entire experience into motion. Time to look ahead.
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Love love love this, Jamie! Gorgeous pics and what an amazing adventure. Thank you for inspiring me, once again!
Thanks for the kind words, Gretchen! xo
Unreal!! What an amazing trip! Love this post.
Thank you Tracey! xoxo
Love the blog article good you enjoyed your time in MY country Uganda