Bwindi National Park

The crazy courtyard cockerel has got his timing totally wrong. It's just gone 4am in Kabale, still three hours until sunrise, but this demented chicken already thinks it's daybreak. He seems intent on waking the entire town with his ear-shattering call. In the distance, a fellow fowl cock-a-doodles back and it's clear that any further sleep is now out of the question. Cursing, I make a mental note to have chicken for dinner tonight.

Situated in the south western corner of the country at 2000m above sea level, Kabale is Uganda's highest town. Surrounded by majestic mountains and tea-growing estates, Kabale falls into the Kigeza area, often referred to as 'the Switzerland of Africa'.

It makes a good base for some superb hiking with spectacular views of the Virunga volcanoes, lakes, forests and fertile terraced fields. It's also a good starting point for an experience that no nature lover or wildlife enthusiast would want to miss - a trip to the famous Mountain Gorillas at Bwindi National Park.

A thick mountain mist has descended on Kabale's dusty streets and a few early risers pedal their bicycles in the eerie predawn light. I've spent the past few days relaxing at a nearby lake, chatting to the friendly locals and browsing around the colourful shops. Now it's time to pack my bags for the journey out to Bwindi, home to half of the surviving Mountain Gorillas in the world.

If you're travelling through Uganda without your own transport, one way of covering the 120 kilometres from Kabale to Bwindi is on the back of an open transport truck. But these are invariably crowded to capacity and the road is long and bumpy. So if you are accustomed to some semblance of safety and comfort, rather splurge and hire a private taxi for the four hour trip.

The scenic drive from Kabale heads up a steep pass and the view below is astounding. I look down on mist-shrouded valleys, fertile fields and tea plantations. The rutted road twists and turns through the mountainous rainforest and green terraced hillsides. It's turned into a beautiful day and we drive past women and children who smile and wave as they walk to work with hoes slung over their shoulders.

After a short stop to buy sweet yellow bananas from a thatched clay hut, we approach the small town of Butogota. From here onward, the road really falls apart. It's a steep and rocky 17km to the park's headquarters at Buhoma but somehow the taxi makes it in one piece.

There are several types of accomodation available in the Buhoma area, ranging from luxury tented camps to basic camping sites. I'm on a budget so I book into the Buhoma Community Campground where accomodation is in comfortable four-bed bandas.

Bwindi National Park, formerly known as Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, has been proclaimed as a World Heritage site. The park covers 331 sq km and is one of the last remaining habitats in the world for the endangered Mountain Gorilla. After the 1999 kidnapping and murder of eight tourists, Gorilla bookings at Bwindi slumped and the visitors stayed away. But since then, security has been significantly upgraded and every group is now accompanied by members of the Ugandan army equipped with AK 47's. The Gorilla trips are now more popular than ever and it is important to book in advance.

At Bwindi, there are two Gorilla families that are habituated to humans. Once you join a tracking group, the chances of sighting the Gorillas are excellent, although it may take up to several hours to find them in the rainforest. The Gorillas are very prone to catching human sicknesses so children under 15 years old and anyone with a cold or illness is not allowed to join a tracking group.