// UGANDA SAFARI
Fascinated , I watch power struggles play out : the members of one group , competing for the attention of a female , are by turns aggressive — pounding on the buttresses of trees — and placatory — settling down to groom each other in a focused bout of male bonding . Later , at dusk , a chimp ambles down to a stream , selects a seed pod and scoops up mouthfuls of water . Silently watching this simple act , unique to the higher primates ( and humans ) is a moment of pure magic .
After Kibale , I head across the rippling grasslands of Queen Elizabeth National Park , passing buffalos and kob antelopes on the way . “ Welcome to The Lost World ,” says Nelson Natwijuka , my guide , as we begin our careful descent into Kyambura Gorge . It ’ s a dappled Eden , bright with birdsong and dense with heat . The busy Kyambura River rushes though , attracting hippos and elephants in large numbers . But my attention is focused on the trees .
This leafy , herb-scented pocket of green has a magnetic appeal for primatewatchers ; spend two or three hours hiking its winding paths , crossing its log bridges and negotiating its steep , thickly vegetated slopes , and there ’ s every chance you ’ ll see four or five species . But for the animals which dwell here , it ’ s a strange , limbo world , rich in food and water but confined , at just seven miles long , and surrounded by danger . Any primate that climbs out into the surrounding savannah is immediately vulnerable to lions and hyenas . Humans pose a threat , too . At the gorge ’ s southern tip , just outside the park , is an expanding village ; its smallholders have cleared swathes of forest and do everything in their power to keep wild animals from raiding their crops .
In the first hour of our hike , we hear gaggles of red-tailed monkeys whirring in alarm . Black and white colobus monkeys , which chimpanzees hunt for sport when they have energy to spare , leap through gaps in the canopy , their shaggy-tipped tails streaming behind them . It ’ s a sign that chimps may be near , and soon we see one : an impressive male , chewing on fruit in a jambura tree .
Below : Buffalo herd in Queen Elizabeth National Park
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Explore this unique destination for yourself . We can help you book a memorable journey such as the five-day premium , private Uganda Gorillas trek by Kensington Tours . You ’ ll explore Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and meet friendly locals . Departures available throughout 2022 . image : getty winter 2022 // 29