we were anxious to get to the Sanctuary Gorilla Camp at Bwindi anyway. We weren’t disappointed. The 94 steps from the road to the camp were designed to get us in shape for the treks to come in search of the mountain gorillas. As usual the staff and accommodations were first rate but I do have to single out Elii. He is the epitome of Sanctuary staff. He was always there when we needed something from bringing us a cheese and fruit platter because we had missed lunch, which we mistakenly left on our deck and was promptly finished off by the local monkeys, to figuring out why Jan’s phone wouldn’t connect to the internet. He knew what we ate for breakfast and what wines we wanted with dinner. Then there were the gorillas. The trekking groups are limited to 8 and once the gorillas are found we are limited to one hour of picture taking etc. It took our group a little over an hour of climbing and slogging through the mud to find our “family”. There were 4 babies, one teenager, 2 females and a very large silverback. The experience was amazing we just about wore out our cameras and all but the silverback were more than willing to entertain us. The silverback, pretty much, was just laying in some bushes nearby until he decided he had had enough, he rose up, stared at us for a few nervous moments and sauntered off into the brush just feet from where we were standing. I don’t think anyone in our group was breathing. I had a bit of a life changing experience….Jan was videoing some babies climbing in a tree nearby and I was standing just behind her watching when the teenager (about the size of a chimpanzee) came running up to me and threw his “arms” around my leg and had my entire knee in his mouth. The ranger who was accompanying us ran over and chased him away and told me “he wasn’t biting you, he was just playing”….you could’ve fooled me. The entire days experience will be talked about for years to come. The following day Jan and I joined a young lady from the local village for a walking tour to visit a pygmy group that had lived in the mountains with the gorillas until it was turned into a National Park. The government relocated them and they seem content with their new environment. We also visited a medicine man who explained how all the leaves and berries were used for medicines. We visited the local hospital, a primary school filled with the most beautiful children and a woman’s craft shop and a man who makes gin out of bananas (not great). A wonderful day.!!

Great food and accommodation again. Of course the Gorilla tracking did not disappoint – but after hearing that a group had spent 10 hours trekking in the forest, the day before, we were a little apprehensive.
Would you believe after just 20min there they were? So the clock started and all too soon our visit with our family, the Rushegura group, was over. Nobody wanted to leave – we saw them up close and personal, the silverback Mwirima, refused to look at us, but all others lolled about, played and slept, climbed and one youngster even barged through the middle of our group, because he could! What an amazing experience. It showed us the difference in temperament between the chimps and the gorillas. But then the very next day – they walked, large as life, up the stairs and into our camp.

Elaine & Neil were in the bar area, and Terry & I were back in our tent. Neil did not have his camera with him but Elaine recorded it all with her Ipad. So funny- here is Neil & I with hundreds of dollars worth of camera gear and Elaine gets the best pictures on her Ipad. Fortunately, as soon as the first group wandered past, Neil ran up and yelled to us, so I could race down to see the next lot strut across the lawn. Wow! We were gobsmacked! Managed to click off a few hundred shots.

We asked Okech, what he would suggest for the next day, and he suggested the Buhema Community Village walk. It was fantastic, all the things we had seen passing by on the roads, we could now see on foot, and our guide answered all our queries. The highlight was the visit to the Orphanage school. We were treated to a class in the schoolroom, and then were presented with a singing and dancing concert by those wonderful children. Certainly brings you down to earth, so happy with nothing. They were a treat. Also, the visit to the Pygmy camp- those poor displaced people, treated us like royalty, showed us their dwellings, and also treated us to a song and dance. I will never forget them. We also visited the hospital and were very impressed

Gorilla Forest Camp and our trek was absolutely spectacular and as expected, a very big highlight of our time in Africa. Our room stewart, Michael, was spectacular and we became very fond of him instantly. What a treat to have a room stewart!

The two nights at Gorilla Forest camp was very enjoyable. Good accommodation, meals very good, good service , everything working. Gorilla tracking : we were able to join a ‘short track’ group with another same age couple: within an hour we were within a gorilla family where we encountered 14 out of the 17 family members. That one hour (on the minute) was one of the most amazing experiences that we have had in Africa so far.
Worth the entire journey. Rangers helpful and extremely friendly. Less demanding than Kibale , but perhaps this was luck.

The Gorilla Forest Camp was a wonderful experience. The staff, accommodations, the food all were exceptional. In addition, to our benefit there were very few guests there and we received very individual attention.

Gorilla Forest Lodge was just delightful. Great location, great facilities. It was very comfortable without the over-the-top feel that some camps get.

Gorilla Forest Lodge was just delightful. Great location, great facilities. It was very comfortable without the over-the-top feel that some camps get.

Gorilla Forest Lodge was just delightful. Great location, great facilities. It was very comfortable without the over-the-top feel that some camps get.

Of course, the highlight. I managed to survive the trek to see the Susa group and was never so happy to see a gorilla in my life! Who could imagine watching gorillas in their natural habitat? It was almost surreal.

Of course, the highlight. I managed to survive the trek to see the Susa group and was never so happy to see a gorilla in my life! Who could imagine watching gorillas in their natural habitat? It was almost surreal.

Of course, the highlight. I managed to survive the trek to see the Susa group and was never so happy to see a gorilla in my life! Who could imagine watching gorillas in their natural habitat? It was almost surreal.