Having done Safari Gorillas on
several occasions with friends and family (my first was back in September), I
had shield safaris also arrange trips throughout Uganda. Shield safaris
arranged an excellent local guide to take us on a five day trip out to the West,
including Bwindi for Mountain Gorilla Trekking, and Lake Bunyonyi. The trip was
top notch - our driver had a great Land Cruiser that was very comfortable and
even had its own plug in for our MP3 players and computer. The driver was
always happy to go the extra mile to make our trip enjoyable and had lots of
local knowledge. We were very happy with the price, which was much lower than
any local companies offered. I highly recommend using Rashidah to organize any
trips of this kind - she'll be able to organize a top notch trip for very
competitive prices.
If you like the outdoors, don't mind
sweating and getting a bit dirty, and have an interest in seeing one of the
most magnificent animals on the planet, read on. Seeing the gorillas in the
wild is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I wouldn't mind doing again.
On the recommendation of a friend's parents (who at a 60+ years young had a great time - although to be fair they are big bicyclers and generally very active/in shape), 3 friends and I traveled to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to see the famous (and endangered) mountain gorillas. For a number of reasons, this was one of the most amazing and surreal experiences of my life.
We were met at the airport in Entebbe by Mastula. Tour consultant at Shield safaris Uganda, Mike was to be our driver, guide, comedian, and all around good sport for the next 3 days. He put up with our bad jokes, incessant American chatter, diverse musical choices and post-trekking stench like a champ. We booked the whole trip through Shield Safaris and were very happy.
We stayed at the Gorilla Resort in Bwindi - it was quite nice and Fred, the manager, took care of us well. The food was excellent, beers cold, beds comfortable, and showers hot, and view stunning. The rooms (well, they're tents actually) reminded me of something straight from "Out of Africa", although instead of Meryl Streep I was stuck with my buddy Greg...
In what can only be described as breathtaking (both in terms of the scenery and what it did to me physically), our hike on day 1 lasted a little over 2 hours. I don't think I will ever forget first seeing one of these big boys in the wild. A bit shy with massive bellies and deep red eyes, they were magnificent, each unique in his or her own way. I won't say too much more because I don't want to ruin it for you.
The hike on day 2 was, in my humble opinion, a bit more strenuous than the previous day. I recommend doing 2 days of trekking if you can afford it (permits are US$500/day) - the first day we only saw 4 gorillas and the second day we saw many more, including young ones. Day 2 saw more machete hacking, more mud, and more thorny bushes. Maybe this is a good time to mention that gorilla trekking, while an undeniably amazing experience, is best suited for those that are in decent (preferably good) shape. For the less mobile, apparently there is a '991 Program' whereby you can be carried by 4-8 people (depending on how many big Macs you've eaten in the past 6 months) in a stretcher to see the gorillas...
On the flip side, if you are a serious or semi-serious hiker, this is your Mecca. One to tell the grand kids about Next year, instead of going back to Yosemite, go to Bwindi with Shield safaris Uganda.
On the recommendation of a friend's parents (who at a 60+ years young had a great time - although to be fair they are big bicyclers and generally very active/in shape), 3 friends and I traveled to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to see the famous (and endangered) mountain gorillas. For a number of reasons, this was one of the most amazing and surreal experiences of my life.
We were met at the airport in Entebbe by Mastula. Tour consultant at Shield safaris Uganda, Mike was to be our driver, guide, comedian, and all around good sport for the next 3 days. He put up with our bad jokes, incessant American chatter, diverse musical choices and post-trekking stench like a champ. We booked the whole trip through Shield Safaris and were very happy.
We stayed at the Gorilla Resort in Bwindi - it was quite nice and Fred, the manager, took care of us well. The food was excellent, beers cold, beds comfortable, and showers hot, and view stunning. The rooms (well, they're tents actually) reminded me of something straight from "Out of Africa", although instead of Meryl Streep I was stuck with my buddy Greg...
In what can only be described as breathtaking (both in terms of the scenery and what it did to me physically), our hike on day 1 lasted a little over 2 hours. I don't think I will ever forget first seeing one of these big boys in the wild. A bit shy with massive bellies and deep red eyes, they were magnificent, each unique in his or her own way. I won't say too much more because I don't want to ruin it for you.
The hike on day 2 was, in my humble opinion, a bit more strenuous than the previous day. I recommend doing 2 days of trekking if you can afford it (permits are US$500/day) - the first day we only saw 4 gorillas and the second day we saw many more, including young ones. Day 2 saw more machete hacking, more mud, and more thorny bushes. Maybe this is a good time to mention that gorilla trekking, while an undeniably amazing experience, is best suited for those that are in decent (preferably good) shape. For the less mobile, apparently there is a '991 Program' whereby you can be carried by 4-8 people (depending on how many big Macs you've eaten in the past 6 months) in a stretcher to see the gorillas...
On the flip side, if you are a serious or semi-serious hiker, this is your Mecca. One to tell the grand kids about Next year, instead of going back to Yosemite, go to Bwindi with Shield safaris Uganda.
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