Bwindi: Gorillas at Buhoma

The day starts early, with a briefing at the forest edge and a handful of fellow trekkers pulling on gaiters and gloves. Trackers have already gone ahead at first light to find where the gorilla family spent the night. Then your ranger leads you off the trail and into the green.

Bwindi is called Impenetrable for a reason. You climb, slide, duck under vines and hold on to whatever the slope offers. Some treks last under an hour, others most of the day. Then the guide goes quiet, a branch bends ahead, and a young gorilla is watching you back.

You are given about an hour with the family, and it passes in what feels like minutes: a silverback calmly chewing leaves, a mother carrying her baby, juveniles tumbling in the undergrowth. Nobody speaks above a whisper. Most people walk out saying very little at all.

Buhoma is Bwindi's classic starting point, with a lively village at the forest edge and community walks and cultural visits to fill the days around your trek.