Famous people who have trekked gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Some quite several famous people have trekked the mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. These range from Hollywood celebrities to high-profile businesspeople. All these have found excitement in locating the critically endangered mountain gorillas and spending time observing their charming behaviors. Below are some of the famous people who have tracked mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Akon

His full name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Akon. He is an American-born Senegalese who visited Uganda in April of 2021. He tracked the mountain gorillas and spent time observing the wonderful primates in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. He was with his wife, Rozina Negusei, during the gorilla trek in the forested park. They took some photos that would remind them of the memorable experience.

Simon Curtis

He is a filmmaker from England who has had some critically and financially successful films, including ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin.’ Simon Curtis, together with Corey Gibson and Ugandan celebrities, including Maurice Kirya, tracked the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This was also a promotional tour aimed at enhancing the visibility of mountain gorillas to many American students. This would enhance their conservation.

Other notable people who have tracked mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include Natalie E. Brown. She was the US Ambassador to Uganda at the time who tracked the mountain gorillas in 2023. Another famous person is actually a Ugandan. He is the Omukama of Tooro Kingdom, known as Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. He tracked the mountain gorillas in 2025.

How are mountain gorillas trekked in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Every visitor, including the famous people all follows the same procedure during a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The first thing to do on the day of the trek is to ensure that you arrive at the park early enough. Arrival time is around 7:00 am, where you will be taken to the trailhead. There will be a briefing moment where a ranger guide will offer all the necessary dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking.

At around 8:00 am, you will start the gorilla trek, where you will locate a habituated gorilla family in the forest. Leading the way will be an experienced tracker from the park and an armed ranger. After a hike through the forest, you will find the gorillas. Then you will spend an hour watching them. After this, you will be led back to the starting point. With the gorilla trek expected to last a duration of 2 to 6 hours, you will finish your trip with unforgettable memories.

Best time to trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The dry season will always be the best time to trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. But this might appear misleading because Bwindi gorilla treks are exciting in both the dry and wet seasons. What makes gorilla treks in the dry season perfect is that the forest floor is quite dry and passable. This is definitely because dry seasons cause little rainfall to ensure that trail conditions are not muddy or slippery.

Most dry seasons in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park occur between June to August, with another between December to February. Another advantage of this period is the clear views of the mountain gorillas in the forest. The vegetation tends to be less dense during this time of the year. This helps to reduce cover and enhance visibility of the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

How to reach Bwindi?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in Uganda’s southwestern part near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Traveling from Kampala city to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by road takes 10-11 hours over a distance of 501.6 km. Traveling there by air is done on a scheduled flight from Entebbe International Airport to either Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip. This takes only 1 hour and 15 minutes to either airstrip.

The rest of the journey to the park is done by road transport. You can also start your journey from Kigali City. This is a 164.8 km scenic journey which takes between 4 to 6 hours. Standard Safaris offers the best car hire services to make all road trips. A seasoned guide is offered for each vehicle in our fleet. These vehicles are composed of 4X4 safari land cruisers, minivans, sedans, and coaster buses, etc.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.

Famous people who have trekked gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

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