"Just getting to Bwindi can be half the adventure. In the small, bustling town of Kabale the pavement ends. The rutted road winds up into the highlands where water cascades across the track and precipitous drops flank narrow passes. The thick curtain of vegetation that has given Bwindi its reputation as the impenetrable forest rises abruptly from the patchwork of farms that dominate nearby hillsides. Three groups of six visitors depart from park headquarters each day to visit three different groups of gorillas that are used to visitors. According to the park’s guides, the trip can be a quick 10-minute stroll or an all-day trek up and down jungle-choked slopes. Regardless of the hike’s length, though, the result is usually awe inspiring. A face-to-face encounter with a baby gorilla somersaulting down a hillock or the earthshaking force of a 350-pound silverback’s mock charge is never forgotten."