What Time Does Gorilla Trekking Start in the Morning?

Okay, so here is the truth. I almost did not go. Not because I did not want to. But because I am really, really bad at waking up. Like, hit-snooze-four-times bad. And when I booked this trip to see the mountain gorillas, I did not think about the waking up part. I thought about the gorillas. I thought about the photos.

I did not think about 4:30 in the morning. So the night before my trek, I finally got up the nerve to ask my guide. I said, “Be honest with me. What time does gorilla trekking start in the morning? And he looked at me like I had just asked him what color the sky is. He said, “We meet at 5:45. We drive to the trailhead at 6:00. We start walking by 6:30. Do not be late.” I nodded. Then I went back to my room and set three alarms. Because I knew myself.

What It Is Actually Like Out There

Let me describe it for you. You wake up in the dark. It is cold. You put on the same pants you wore yesterday because you only brought two pairs and the other pair is still wet. You go to breakfast, and there are other people there, all wearing headlamps like a bunch of miners, all looking half asleep. Nobody is talking much.

Everyone is nervous. Then you drive to the park gate. Then you wait some more. Then they split you into groups. Then you meet your ranger. Our ranger was a short guy named Eric who had been doing this for eighteen years. He looked at our group—eight of us, all shapes and sizes—and said, “We go at the pace of the slowest person.

That is the rule. No one gets left behind.” I was the slowest person. I knew it. He probably knew it too. And then you start walking. At first, it is fine. A little uphill. Some nice paths. You think, “Oh, this is not so bad.” Then you hit the real forest. And everything changes. The path disappears. You are climbing over fallen trees. You are grabbing onto roots.

Your shoes are heavy with mud. Your face is dripping sweat. Eric stops every twenty minutes to let people catch their breath. I used every single stop. At one point, I sat on a rock and honestly thought, “I cannot do the rest of this.” But then Eric pointed ahead and said, “We are close now.” And somehow, that gave me just enough energy to keep going. And about twenty minutes later, we found them. A family of gorillas just sitting there. Eating. Playing. Being gorillas. And I forgot all about how tired I was.

The Other Animals Nobody Warned You About

Everyone talks about the gorillas. Nobody talks about the other stuff. On the hike in, I saw a snake. A green one. Eric said it was not poisonous. I still jumped about three feet in the air. Later, we saw a troop of baboons sitting on a ridge, watching us like we were the entertainment.

The big male had a face that looked like an old man who was tired of everyone’s nonsense. I also saw the most beautiful bird I have ever seen in my life. It was blue and purple and had a little crest on its head like a fancy hat. Eric said it was called a great blue turaco.

I just called it gorgeous. And on the hike back down, when I was so tired I was basically just putting one foot in front of the other, a tiny little antelope called a duiker crossed the trail right in front of me. It was no bigger than a medium dog. It stopped, looked at me, twitched its ears, and then disappeared into the bushes. That little moment made me smile for the rest of the walk.

Game Drives Are Like a Whole Different Vacation

After the gorillas, I thought I was done with early mornings. But then someone told me I should do a game drive in Lake Mburo National Park. And I am so glad I listened. The drive started at 6:00 AM. Again.

I know. But this time, it was worth it immediately. We drove for maybe ten minutes, and then we saw a group of zebras standing in the road. Just standing there. In the mist. With the sun rising behind them. It looked fake. Like someone had painted it. The driver stopped the car and turned off the engine. We just sat there and watched them.

Then we saw impalas jumping. Then we saw warthogs running with their tails straight up. Then we saw a hippo walking across a field, which I did not even know hippos did because I thought they just stayed in the water all day. The driver said, “He is going to a different pond. He does this every morning.” I loved that. The idea that this hippo had a routine. A schedule. Just like me, but with more mud and less email.

The People Are the Part I Did Not Expect

I thought the animals would be the best part. And they were amazing. But the people? They snuck up on me. I spent an afternoon with a Batwa family near Bwindi. A woman named Sarah showed me how they used to live in the forest before the park was created. She showed me a traditional bow and arrow.

She showed me how to start a fire with two sticks. She let me try. I rubbed those sticks for five minutes. Nothing happened. My hands hurt. She took them from me and had a fire going in about thirty seconds. Then she laughed. A big, loud, beautiful laugh. Then she taught me a few words in her language.

I have forgotten most of them. But I remember the word for “friend.” She said it, then pointed at me. Then she said it again and pointed at herself. Then she grabbed my hand and walked me around the village, introducing me to everyone as her friend. I am getting a little teary just writing this. But that is the truth of it. You go for the gorillas. You come home talking about the people.

When to Go? Just Go.

People always want to know the best time. I get it. You want to plan. You want to avoid rain. You want perfect conditions. Here is what I think. The dry season is easier. June through September. Also, December through February. Less mud. Less slipping. Better photos. That is true. But I went in October.

It rained almost every day. And honestly? It was fine. Better than fine. The rain made the forest so green it hurt to look at. The mist made everything feel like a dream. And the gorillas did not care about the rain. One morning, it was pouring. I mean, really coming down. And a baby gorilla found a puddle and just started splashing. Over and over.

His mom sat nearby, looking at him with this expression that I can only describe as “I love you, but you are exhausting.” I stood there in my cheap raincoat, soaking wet, laughing. So my advice is this. Do not stress about the season. Just go when you can. And the night before, ask your guide one question. Ask him, “Hey, seriously, what time does gorilla trekking start in the morning? He will tell you. Then you set your alarm. And you do not hit snooze.

Where You Sleep Does Not Have to Be Fancy

Look, you are going to be tired. Very tired. So you need a bed. That is really the main thing. I stayed at a place called Engagi Lodge. It was nice. Private bandas with hot water. The food was good. The staff was kind. But I also stayed at a much cheaper place called Bwindi View Guesthouse. The rooms were basic.

The shower was cold sometimes. But the view? You could sit on the porch and look out over the forest and see the mist rising every morning. That was free. That was perfect. And the family who runs the guesthouse? The mother cooked me dinner every night and always made sure I had enough. The father sat with me one evening and told me stories about the old days, before the tourists came, when the gorillas were more scared and so were the people.

I asked him, “What time does gorilla trekking start in the morning?” And he said, “Same as always. Early. The forest decides. Not me. Not you. The forest.” I liked that answer. I still like it. So go. Wake up early. Drink the bad coffee. Slip in the mud. Get tired. Get scared. Get amazed. And then come home and tell everyone about it. Because they will ask. They will ask about the gorillas. They will ask about the hike. And someone will finally ask you, “So really, what time does gorilla trekking start in the morning? “