The pearl of Africa
Many of us are sceptical of venturing into deep, dark Africa to explore, but in the face of the declining numbers of eastern mountain gorillas – and because it has been a lifelong dream of ours to see them in their natural habitat – we decided to be brave! Little did we know that the trip to Uganda would involve so much more than just the endangered gorillas!
After plenty of research, we decided to fly to Uganda and rent a 4x4 vehicle there with a guide – and after our tour, we can confirm it was the best decision. The option is not necessarily cheaper, but when you need to squeeze a tour that usually takes three weeks into twelve days, it helps to have a local guide who knows where everything is.
When deposits (in US dollars!) are paid, you can only hope everything goes smoothly. At times, you lie awake worrying, but at the same time begin to count down the days to this adventure. However, our concern was unfounded – our guide, Emmy Gongo, booked everything, arranged permits for the gorillas, selected, and paid for accommodation, rented the 4x4 and even sorted out the diesel. What a relief! However, it is important to take extra cash with you as its always a good idea to have some money in
