4 Days Gorillas Batwa Experience

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Tour Details

For many tourists, gorilla tracking is the highlight of their trip and often a reason to travel to Uganda. In Uganda, you can visit the Gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP and Mgahinga Gorilla NP. Bwindi is Africa’s oldest rainforest and has beautiful ridges, steep valleys, and waterfalls. Be prepared for some steep hikes though. Buhoma is the most accessible track, whereas in Rushaga you can find the largest number of primates. Mgahinga is the path less traveled. Occasionally the gorillas cross to Rwanda but don’t worry as you will get a replacement ticket for Bwindi.

The Batwa Experience in Buhoma (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park) is the original Batwa cultural walk. The Batwa Trail and the Buniga Forest Walk are heavily inspired by its success, attempting to replicate it with Batwa communities from other parts of the Gorilla Highlands region.

The Batwa Experience happens in a forest bordering the national park, an area that can be relatively steep. A path in excellent condition leads from one station to another, showcasing traditional herbalist knowledge, hunting techniques, forest shelters, and more. The crescendo is reached at a spacious purposely-built hut that acts as a dance floor and dining area. The dancing includes an elaborately and impressively costumed deity that is quite a scary sight. The food served has little to do with the Batwa forest diet; it is instead a tasty example of what rural Ugandans usually eat: matooke (plantains), goat stew, and fruits.

The activity lasts about 5 hours and can be started any time from early morning to early afternoon. Up to 12 visitors can go at once; two groups per day can be served.

Trip Highlights

Batwa Experience
Uganda Cultural Safaris
Gorilla Tracking
Bwindi Impenetrable N.P
Mgahinga Gorilla NP
Wild Expeditions Uganda

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Bwindi National Park

After breakfast, a Wild Expeditions Uganda safari guide will pick you up from your hotel and you proceed to Bwindi impenetrable forest in the southern part of Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants. More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects an estimated 320 mountain gorillas roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. You will have a stopover at the equator for photos and later have lunch in Mbarara town before proceeding with your journey to your final destination. Dinner and overnight at silver back lodge.

Day 2: Gorilla Tracking

The highlight of your safari: a meeting with the gentle giants of Bwindi! Especially hikers will love the tracking in the beautiful ecosystem of the park. Expect to walk a long distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. But it will definitely be worthwhile as you observe them closely while they eat, play, and rest. A unique and unforgettable experience!

Those who prefer not to participate in the gorilla tracking can go for a guided forest walk or explore the surroundings with the Buhoma Village Walk. Dinner and overnight at Silver Back lodge

Day 3: Batwa Experience

After breakfast, you will head out with your guide for the Batwa experience. As the original dwellers of this ancient jungle, the Batwa were known as “The Keepers of the Forest.” The history of these small-statured people is long and rich. The Batwa survived by hunting small game using arrows or nets and gathering plants and fruit in the rainforest. They lived in huts constructed of leaves and branches, moving frequently in search of fresh supplies of food. The Batwa lived in harmony with the forest and its creatures, including the mountain gorillas, for millennia. Some anthropologists estimate that pygmy tribes such as the Batwa have existed in the equatorial forests of Africa for 60,000 years or more. You will spend the whole day with them learning from them and also having lunch with them. Dinner and overnight at Silver back lodge.

Day 4: End of Safari

After early breakfast, leave for Entebbe passing through the southern sector called Ishasha where you may have a chance of spotting the tree-climbing lions. You will have lunch in Mbarara before continuing with your journey to Entebbe.

Tour Guide

Mugisha Henry

Uganda-Rwanda Senior Safari Guide: We understand that a professional and knowledgeable guide is part and parcel of any successful safari. We have a team of a professional, well-trained, motivated team of driver guides who have been with us for the last 10 years as guides and tour leaders of international groups. Our guides are knowledgeable in the flora, fauna, and history of all destinations we offer and have trained with the Uganda Safari Guides Association, Uganda Wildlife Authority, and Uganda Bird guides Club. They have trained in defensive driving to make sure that their driving skills improve.