Rwanda
We are just back from a once in a lifetime experience tracking the endangered mountain gorillas of Uganda & Rwanda. Highlights of our safari included tracking chimps, spotting a leopard in Queen Elizabeth National Park, a mind blowing boat trip on the Kazinga channel where we were able to approach elephants playing in the water, crocs, hippos, and more...a trek to visit the indigenous Batwa pygmy tribe including a demonstration of their skills including medicinal plants and traditional hunting. The highlight was 3 separate days of very close encounters with the gorillas. There are only about 600 endangered mountain gorillas left in the wild and we were absolutely privileged to be able to share some time with them. Each experience was different. Our first group featured a silverback gorilla holding a 3 day old baby to his chest. We were able to approach safely within several meters of this gentle giant and his cute offspring. Soon we were surrounded by over 15 individuals who started to climb up into the forest canopy above our heads. Our next trek brought us to a group in the open where a huge silverback (the dominant male) sat perched on a leafy mound surveying his family spread out below. This group had 2 silverbacks and many juveniles whose mothers allowed us to approach and observe in peaceful bliss. Our last encounter was perhaps the most exciting as we were able to trek through a gorgeous bamboo forest to reach a large family group with 2 precocious toddlers playing a rough and tumble tag game as they raced around a tree just in front of us occasionally pounding their chests and strutting their stuff as if they were silverbacks themselves. Several times the youngsters approached our group and wanted to touch us but our veteran guide wisely and gently shooed them away. All of this took place only a few meters from the dominant silverback, a massive 400 pound giant whose high domes head was enormous (think mini-King Kong).
Our trip ended in the very clean and modern capital city of Kigali where we visited the amazing Genocide Museum. It is impressive how the country has come together peacefully to reconcile after the horrific events over 2 decades ago. We felt absolutely safe and welcomed in both Uganda and Rwanda. The scenery is spectacular from Lake Victoria at the start of our trip to the lush Virunga Volcanoes at the finale.
A trek to see the gorillas in one of the top wildlife experiences in the world. If you are interested we can arrange a trip as short as 5 days to a full 2 week safari depending on your time and interests. We have a wide range of superb 4x4 vehicles, the top guides in the industry, and the latest details on the best lodges and camps in the region.
