Therapeutic nature walk in Bwindi 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is synonymous with mountain gorillas. It is the only place in the country where mountain gorillas are to be found, harbouring the largest population of the endangered species. More than 50 per cent of the global population of mountain gorillas call this forest home. For this reason, most people think of gorilla trekking when they think of Bwindi but the steep gorilla trekking charges ($600 for foreigners and Shs250,000 for Ugandans) might frighten some visitors. 

Activities

There are other activities, a nature walk being one of many, that are as enthralling as gorilla trekking and incomparably cheaper. A nature walk in Bwindi costs Shs10,000 for Ugandans for instance yet it is worth hundreds of times more in value. 

You arrive at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) offices in the morning to register and pay for the walk. After, you are handed a pair of gumboots and a raincoat because rain is a constant in this mountain forest. 

You are also given a bamboo cane to help you keep on your feet in the more difficult sections of the trail, especially when it rains. 

You change into the gear and the guide tells you how long your walk will be, which is between one and eight hours, depending on the chosen destination. He briefs you on how much energy you will expend and warns about muscle fatigue as the journey is a treacherous one through ridges and valleys and crevices and steep climbs. 

And off  we went 

The first thing you notice when you enter the trail is the sheer power of nature over your soul. You feel this sense of reverence that you almost genuflect.

Why does soaking in nature make us feel so alive? Find yourself on the banks of a river or on the shores of a lake or in the middle of a vast savanna flatland and you feel spiritually strong. Why is this so, compared to how suffocated you feel in the presence of a multitude of people? 

Trees in Bwindi, as you pass them by, sloping one ridge or going up a steep climb, you cannot help but wonder how old some of them are. 

Then, the air. You can feel your skin pores breathing. It smells like a combination of earth and fern, tree bark and mushroom and gorilla pee. 

On this trail, you are one with nature. Your spirit is one with God’s and there is a deep conversation between your soul and your spirit. You would do well to move with a notebook because these are thoughts that only a walk in a place like Bwindi can evoke. 

You slope in valleys that seem to go deeper into the bowels of the earth, past cliffs and slippery rocks. When you reach the valleys, they are inundated with beautiful flowers and streams and brooks that make you wish you lived here. You envy the gorillas and elephants of Bwindi because they nature walk here every day. 

Her, e you see elephant footmarks to their watering holes. Footsteps so large you could fit a large dog in one. Some of the footsteps are so fresh you glance back to see if the armed guard is still there. 

You keep wishing to bump into a gorilla family. Because some people are so lucky that they pay for a nature walk that ends up being a gorilla trek. So, when you hear a silverback growling in the bushes ahead, you instantly walk faster hoping to catch a glimpse of the family. Even when the gorilla family proves elusive, you do not care because any nature walk in Bwindi is  more than you pay for. 

Destination

River  Omubwindi our destination, is a special place that lies in the heart of this impenetrable nature. This is the river after which the forest is named. It is a haven for birds and elephants. 

Many animals that live in Bwindi come here to drink water daily. Once in a while, you reach a clearing in the forest that allows you to see the Omubwindi swamp in the flat valley beyond the trees. The closer you get to the end of the trail, the more gigantic footsteps you see making a beeline.  If you are lucky, you get to see the elephants here. 

Upon reaching Omubwindi, you lean on trees and take a much needed rest. You gaze at the unviolated swamp in the flat valley and get glassy-eyed. 

You have not seen a single animal on your way here but you hope that on the way back you will be more fortunate. But even if you do not, it is okay. It is the best day you ever had. 

If you have some money on you, you get to sleep in some of the best lodges. But if you are on budget, there are pocket friendly options too. For instance Kiho Gorilla Safari lodge has a camping section for people that are touring on budget.

A nature walk through Bwindi is immemorable, uplifting and freeing in visceral ways. And when you re-emerge from the walk, exhausted and thirsty, ironically, you feel rested and fresh.