Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Stumbling through thick, dripping rainforest, you get the order to crouch and freeze; only metres ahead, calmly observing you through a stand of bamboo, is the oddly familiar face of a 200kg mountain gorilla.

Who is watching who? Find out for yourself in western Uganda's two premier gorilla reserves: the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park, where the chances of encountering the great apes are very high indeed.

A gorilla trek isn't just a gentle stroll through the woods to sit down in the middle of a family group. It involves a hard slog through wet, steep, unforgiving rainforest in which you'll find plenty of mud and bugs.

It also necessitates strict behavioural rules and a deep respect for the gorillas and their environment. But what wildlife experience can rival the chance to sit face to face with giant primates, with whom we share 97 percent of our biology?

After security issues in the late 1990s, gorilla trekking is back on track and the parks are running to capacity. Permits are limited, so book early, especially in peak season (December - January, July - August) - read more about the best time to visit on our 'When to Go to Uganda' section.

Somewhat controversial, usually expensive and tightly - almost obsessively - regulated, gorilla tourism represents perhaps the best chance of survival for these critically endangered primates: only 700 individuals are left in the world today.

Their western and eastern lowland cousins fare a little better in the West and Central African rainforests but the fate of the mountain gorilla is firmly in our hands.

Conservation organisations, including the famous Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation, work hard to promote the participation of locals in the conservation of gorillas, and ultimately make keeping gorillas alive more profitable than killing them or destroying their environment.

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