Location

Big Beyond Uganda volunteers will live within the Great Rift Valley at the edge of a mountain rainforest called Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, in South-west Uganda in East Africa. It’s an incredible place where families of one of the world’s most endangered primates - the incredible Mountain Gorillas will become your neighbours. Green, lush, mountainous and remote, it’s not the dry dusty Africa some know and you’ll be travelling away from the masses to somewhere you’ll really enjoy living. We’re in a beautiful small town on the southern borders of one of Africa’s most impressive national parks, surrounded by rolling hills, majestic lakes, tropical rain forest, extinct volcano chains - it’s an awesome landscape with immense biodiversity.

Big Beyond Uganda volunteer projects are based in and around town (which is more like a big village) and may sometimes involve a bit of a walk to reach the people you’re working with, particularly if it’s the Batwa Pygmy tribe who live right on the edges of the forest where there’s no road. It’s a place where you’ll keep very fit (if you like that sort of thing), but for those that don’t nothing is very far away. In your free time you can borrow one of our bicycles or jump on a scooter to take you to some of the amazing views. The hiking is brilliant, the wildlife is surreal, you’re surrounded by nature and you get to volunteer and live with a fun and interesting bunch of local people.

People

The local people are fantastic and will welcome you with open arms. You’ll make friends for life. Many locals speak a good level of English, but the main local language is Rukiga. There’s a mixing pot of tribes and cultures in this area. The Pygmy Batwa Tribe are the indigenous forest peoples and are absolutely fascinating to meet. Their culture and intimate knowledge of the forest will completely blow you away.

Climate

You can visit Uganda at any time of year. This is virgin rainforest and with its tropical climate it can be quite wet but the temperature is lovely, usually cool in the night (jumpers will do) and warm in the day. The hottest months are December-February, whereas the rainy season comes twice a year in April/May and November/December. The sun still shines in the rainy season and the rain may come in the dry - it’s why it’s so beautiful, green and fertile. Being almost bang on the equator and up in the mountains, Big Beyond Uganda volunteers will definitely need to pack lots of sunscreen!