Gorilla Forest Camp: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
The view from our room at Gorilla Forest Camp inside Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Gorilla Forest Camp was our favorite property during our visit to Uganda. One of the only properties located inside the national park, you are surrounded by ancient rainforest on all sides. We thought our room, Shoebill, offered the best views.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a primeval forest located in southwestern Uganda. It is home to approximately half of the world’s mountain gorilla population and along with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, is the most popular place in Africa for gorilla trekking. The Mubare family was the first gorilla family to be habituated in Bwindi in 1992. There are now 21 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi that are visited via four different sectors of the park. As there are few roads inside the park, gorilla trekking is mostly done by foot.
Gorilla Forest Camp is located in the Buhoma Sector of Bwindi and is accessed by a long drive from Entebbe or by air and a shorter road transfer from Kihihi Airstrip. As you approach the mountain landscape of Bwindi Impenetrable, the weather cools off and your surroundings become lush and green. Drive through the park gate and wind along a dirt road through the forest until you reach the parking area below the camp. The camp is located on the mountainside, and staff will greet you and carry your luggage up the mountain to the camp.
The camp itself is situated overlooking a densely-forested valley, and you are surrounded by the sounds of turacos, hornbills and sunbirds as you watch the clouds move in and out of the forest. Our room, Shoebill, was situated near the top of the property, offering sweeping views of the valley and forest. Each room has a full bathroom, complete with a free-standing bathtub for a post-trek soak.
In the evenings, enjoy drinks around the fire and listen to a musician play the Goje (a one-string fiddle originally from West Africa) and sing traditional songs about life in Uganda. Gorilla Forest Camp has a warm and friendly atmosphere and is an extremely peaceful place to spend a few days. We highly recommend at least three nights here, but if you can only spend two nights, it is well worth a two-night stay as well.
In addition to gorilla trekking, activities available in and around Bwindi include forest walks, bird walks, Batwa cultural tours, village walks and visits to traditional herbalists. As almost all visitors to Bwindi trek the gorillas at least once during their stay, it is important to know how to prepare for gorilla trekking. For longer visits to Uganda, we recommend combining Kibale National Park for chimp trekking, Queen Elizabeth National Park for a boat safari and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for the gorillas over a six to eight day itinerary.
Contact us for more information about a visit to Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Gorilla Forest Camp!
As we sat around the fire at Gorilla Forest Camp, we listened to this musician play peaceful music on the Goje (a one-string fiddle originating from West Africa).
