On the trail of mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Rwanda & Uganda.

In 2022 I began planning a safari with my cousins. Two of their daughters were graduating from college and one had asked for safari for her graduation present. We talked about a combination of various countries and activities, one of which was gorilla trekking. Ultimately, we decided on a more traditional safari in Kenya and Tanzania, but the idea of gorilla trekking stuck with me.

I ended up spending three weeks in Rwanda in June of 2023. I’d long been curious about the country having heard and read so much about it while growing up. I was also interested in traveling to Volcanoes National Park for the opportunity to visit with a family of mountain gorillas.

The experience of being in such close proximity to a species that exists in such close proximity to ourselves was incredible. So much so that I resolved to visit the gorillas again, this time in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. Each encounter was unique; the forests themselves proved to offer very different experiences and I was happy to have been able not only to compare the two, but also to be able to double the amount of time I spent with these awesome families of individuals.

To read about my encounters, click on the chapters below.