National Park0 ToursBwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda is a dense mountain forest and one of the two best places in the world to see mountain gorillas. It suits fit walkers who want a close wildlife meeting on foot, and travellers who want a day on foot that is very different from a drive safari. A trek starts early with a briefing and a guide. You walk through thick forest on steep paths to find a gorilla family, which can take from a couple of hours to most of a day. Once you find them, you spend one hour with them, from a safe distance. Porters can carry your bag. The honest trade-off is effort and rules. The walk can be hard, wet and muddy. Visitors must be at least 15 years old and healthy, with no cold or flu, because gorillas can catch human illness. Permits are limited, cost a lot and must be booked well ahead [ADD: current UWA permit price]. Bwindi is usually combined with Queen Elizabeth National Park or a flight to the lake region, and the whole trip can be followed by a week on the beach in Zanzibar (Uganda Airlines flies direct, about 1 hour 50 minutes, on selected days of the week).