A visit with the mountain gorillas of Rwanda and Uganda has been celebrated as one of the very best wildlife experiences on the planet. Immersing ourselves for a day or two within the tangled montane forests that are home to these magnificent creatures is something that my guests and I count as an enduring privilege. The Virunga and Bwindi forests have also been a conservation success story with gorilla populations nearly triple what they were in the early 90s! Now with some of the most stylish boutique safari lodges in Africa, Rwanda has become one of my more popular – and favorite – safari destinations.

I’ve just returned from yet another visit to the famed mountain gorillas. Since 1994, visiting these gentle giants has been a great highlight of my safari lifetime. I’ve taken countless trips into this region that evokes everything from mythology of the King Kong years to the pioneering behavioral studies on gorillas by George Schaller. Delving into the entrancing mountains and valleys of the Albertine Rift Valley, we cover all corners, from the dark days of the Rwandan genocide, to tantalizing glimpses of the Congo jungles ready to soak up all that comes their way. And each day we have our own memorable time with the gorillas themselves.

Close to 50 visits in person with the gorillas has yet to dampen my enthusiasm for the intensely enjoyable moments. Both Uganda and Rwanda are completely safe to visit, and these countries also offer so much more than gorilla tourism. Cruising the mighty Nile River in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park and trekking to habituated chimpanzees amidst the highland forests of Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park are two of my own favorite destinations in this lush region.

And as a reminder of how the fortunes of these great apes and their habitat can rebound, and yet remain so volatile, there are some great insights in this story from National Geographic:

Inside the Fight to Save one of the World’s Most Dangerous Parks

Virunga National Park in the Congo was created in 1925. Known then as Albert National Park, it was Africa’s inaugural protected area, covering 3,000 square miles of one of the planet’s least known but most rich biodiversity hotspots. In recognition of this, the Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. However, the current conflict has made it at times a precarious place for visitors. I had the thrill of looking out across this evocative landscape back in 2002 when we scaled the Stanley plateau to Mt Margharita; Africa’s third highest peak atop the legendary Rwenzori Mountains.

A young male gives us a yawn…and a look at his already impressive teeth!

I was very happy to find this nice chameleon while we were gorilla trekking!

Two of my favorite things – a chameleon and a group of mountain gorillas.

Halina with a small family of elephants in the Masai Mara, Kenya.

I have just sent out a newsletter, and it’s all about the elephants! 

For me, across my many years leading safaris through the African bush, the stand-out animal to observe, photograph, and simply just be amongst is the elephant. 

Since Hannibal marched on Rome in the third century BC with a cavalry of these exceptional beasts, and the western world had its first taste of the their potential might, they have captured human imagination. Two thousand years ago there were most likely millions of elephants across the African continent…

Read more here! 

I take my guests to Murchison Falls National Park whenever I get the chance. Although this place in northwestern Uganda is not on many peoples’ radar, I find that a day on the Nile here is unlike any other day on safari.

We stay in a private mobile camp along a stretch of the Nile just upstream of Lake Albert, and below Murchison Falls – treacherous rapids and twin waterfalls of some 40 meters in height.

Murchison Falls

Our camp along the Nile

An early morning game drive on the north bank of the river can be spectacular. The park is a golden and green savanna full of honey-colored kob and oribi, dotted with buffalo, giraffe, ground hornbills, and patas monkeys. There are several prides of lions here, and leopards are often seen resting in the tree branches.

Murchison Falls National Park

Uganda kob

Ground hornbill

We spend the rest of the day on the water. Our boats are perfect for both fishing and cruising, as well as for getting close to the bottom of the falls. In the midday heat, we enjoy the river’s cool breeze as the wildlife come down to drink. We catch baitfish hiding along the water’s edge, and then put out serious lines with the hopes of catching a big Nile perch! We even fish at the bottom of the falls, and disembark for a hike up to the top to get a feeling for just how mighty the Nile really is.

Cruising the Albertine Nile

Colobus monkeys

Elephants along the edge of the Nile

A lone giraffe coming down for a drink

The bottom of Murchison Falls

Fishing for Nile perch at the bottom of Murchison Falls

Ollie with a nice catfish

Hauling in the Nile perch

Ollie with the 15kg (33 lb) Nile perch!

Solomon and Halina at the top of the falls – the first trip to Uganda for both of them!

Being on such big water means that the birding is exceptional here. Thousands of cormorants commute to the nearby lake each morning, kingfishers dive for food next to the boat, egrets pluck bugs from the backs of elephants as they graze on papyrus, and bee eaters feed their chicks nestled in holes in cliff banks. Drifting by these scenes closely, in silence, is incredibly relaxing.

Madagascar bee eaters

The giant kingfisher

A very relaxed croc!

We also have a very special viewing of one of nature’s most interesting species – the shoebill. On most birders’ bucket list of sightings, this huge bird can reach almost five feet in height and has the world’s largest bill. We were able to get quite close to one of these prehistoric-looking creatures, and even saw him successfully catch a fish!

The shoebill is hunting…

…he strikes…

…and he gets a fish!

We return to camp at dusk to enjoy drinks by the fire on the riverbank, followed by dinner in the open mess tent. We fall asleep surrounded by the sounds of the river’s nightlife, a unique chorus of hippos and frogs.

The end of the day