Bwindi Impenetrable Forest earns its name. It is a dense, ancient rainforest draped over steep ridges and deep ravines in south-western Uganda, rising from about a thousand metres to over two thousand, and it is one of the oldest and richest forests in Africa, a refuge that survived the ice ages when other forests shrank. Mist hangs in the valleys until mid-morning, and the sound is a constant chorus of birds, insects and distant water. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in the 1990s, and it holds a little under half of all the mountain gorillas left in the world.
The gorillas are why most people come. Trekking is organised by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and permits are limited, so they need to be booked well in advance. Small groups are led by trackers into the forest to find one of the habituated families, which can take an hour or most of a day, and then you get a strictly limited hour of watching. A motorbike is not allowed to do the trek, of course, but the ride to the park gates is an adventure in itself.
The roads near the park are mostly unsealed, red murram that is hard and fast in the dry season and treacherous after rain. They wind along the ridges with dramatic views over the forest canopy, and across neighbouring valleys farmed in terraces to the very edge of the trees. The last stretches in particular require care: steep, rutted, with hairpins and the odd stream crossing. Experienced off-road riders will enjoy it. Everyone else should take it slowly, and consider whether a four-wheel drive and a driver might be a more sensible choice.
The Batwa people, forest hunter-gatherers who lived in these woods for thousands of years, lost their homes when the park was created, and some community projects now offer visitors a chance to learn about their culture. As for fuel, there is nothing at the forest edge, so fill at Kabale or Kanungu, about fourteen kilometres from here, before you set out, and carry a spare if you can. Lodges near the gates offer meals and rooms, but they are few, so book ahead. Bring warm clothes, because the forest is cold and wet at dawn, and a good rain jacket is vital.