Not a word was spoken as I settled into a cozy spot on the outdoor terrace just outside the main lodge at Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge in Uganda. The air was so still the ice in my single malt seemed to echo off the distant forest as it clanked against the glass. I sat with a handful of fellow travelers beneath the night sky, all of us silent with one shared expectation. Moments earlier we had learned that a troop of mountain gorillas had come down the mountain near the lodge, so we left our meals and waited, eager to hear the deep, guttural calls of the primates below. The hairs on my arms stayed raised that night as I made my way up a stone pathway to my private banda (guestroom). Thankfully sleep came quickly, and I dreamed about the next day’s trek.
© ANDREW DOYLE
| DREAMSTIME
Like many who travel to this remote southwestern village, I was in Bwindi to see the elusive mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. I had long imagined what it would feel like to sit eye-to-eye with one of these extraordinary, intelligent animals, and finally I was trekking through Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest hoping to make that vision real. Early that morning I joined a small group of seven other hikers, we strapped on ankle gaiters and confirmed our gorilla trekking permits—each permit costs $700 and should be purchased in advance from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or an authorized tour operator. These permits support gorilla conservation and allow a limited number of visitors to spend one hour with a single gorilla family.
With permits in hand, we entered the impenetrable forest, unsure whether finding our gorilla family would take half an hour or several hours. My guide encouraged me to hire a local porter to assist on the hike; although I insisted I could manage, I welcomed Danny when I learned the roughly $20 fee supported local employment. He handed me trekking poles I thought I wouldn’t need, and we made small talk as we slogged along a muddy trail at the forest edge. Thirty minutes into the hike I realized Danny was right about the poles, and my guide had been right about Danny. He guided me away from a nest of giant biting safari ants, hauled me up steep rocks and helped me cross dense brush that later proved to be fallen treetops.
Excitement built as we approached a clearing where the gorillas were expected to be, and the same quiet that had filled the lodge terrace settled over us again as the crunch of fallen leaves marked the final hour of the hike. Danny was the one who first pointed out a gorilla hidden in a tangle of vines: a silverback whose kind amber eyes peeked from behind fern fronds. He lingered for a few minutes before slipping further into the forest. My heart raced from that initial encounter as we pushed deeper into the greenery.
© KRISTY ALPERT
We soon found a young mother with two juveniles playfully feeding in a small clearing. I sat quietly in an open patch to watch the youngsters tease and tussle, so absorbed that I didn’t notice another family member slip up and sit beside me. I was no more than four feet from this magnificent animal, who mirrored my posture. My heart thudded until our eyes met, and in that instant a surprising calm washed over me as I looked into his deep amber gaze. We studied one another—curious and cautious—then after a few minutes he exhaled through his nostrils and returned to his family. When I finally looked up, the rest of the group was staring in awe, jaws dropped.
That moment stays with me. I often look back at the photos my fellow hikers took and relive that incredible hour in the forest. Spending time with that gorilla family was one of the most profound experiences of my life. I remain grateful to have witnessed the sounds, scents and quiet magnificence of Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest in person.
INFO TO GO
Reaching Bwindi requires planning. I traveled by car—about three hours from Queen Elizabeth National Park, where I’d been photographing tree-climbing lions. A common alternative is to fly into Entebbe International Airport and then take a domestic or charter flight to Kihihi Airport (north of Bwindi) or Kisoro Airport (south of Bwindi). Many tour operators provide airport pickup, transfer to your lodge and guidance on what to bring for the trek.