Uganda’s Real Treasure: More Than Just Gorillas
After two hours of steep hiking through eucalyptus groves and tea plantations at 6,200 feet, I was ready to collapse. But the gorillas had other plans. Inside Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, our group of 17 mountain gorillas was on the move—active, territorial, and completely indifferent to my aching legs. Guide Ngabirano Onesmus hacked a path through mahogany and strangler figs as the primates dashed past, climbed trees, and slid back down. One sat motionless, chin in hand, like Rodin’s The Thinker. I wanted to capture every moment, but I also wanted to simply watch—to marvel at them picking their noses and playing with their feet.
This was my first time tracking gorillas in Uganda. Most travelers associate these animals with Rwanda, but a 2018 census showed Uganda hosts nearly half the world’s mountain gorilla population—445 of 1,021. And the country is making a strong play for tourists. Permits cost roughly half of Rwanda’s, so you can track twice for the price of one. New lodges have opened in Bwindi, and the experience extends far beyond the primates.
My weeklong trip with Abercrombie & Kent began in Kampala, where guide Ivan Onyunga navigated traffic packed with boda bodas hauling eggs and potatoes. At Kasubi Tombs, a 101-year-old guard waved us into a former palace turned royal burial ground. Inside, we sat on palm mats beneath drawings of four kabakas, or kings, learning about Buganda’s 800-year reign. I was the only tourist there—a quiet moment that felt like a secret.
In Kibale National Park, naturalist Ivan Wamala showed me weaver nests and ant tunnels with infectious enthusiasm. We walked for an hour without seeing another person, surrounded by forest sounds. The next morning, we found chimpanzees within 45 minutes—one curled up for a nap, another sprawled in a tree like a tiny emperor.
Back in Bwindi, I hiked a 5.6-mile loop to a waterfall, scrambling over roots and wooden walkways. We didn’t see gorillas that day, but standing in the mist with no other hikers felt reward enough. At Gorilla Forest Lodge, I fell into a peaceful rhythm of coffee on my deck and fireside evenings.
After the gorilla trek, I was dazed. Everyone else carried on as if the world hadn’t shifted. But the greatest part wasn’t just the gorillas—it was the sunrise from a Land Rover, the enthusiastic naturalist, the silent tombs, and the sweet relief of reaching that waterfall. The gorillas are just the gateway.