Trekking through the jungle-clad mountains for a face-to-face encounter with a troop of gorillas is one of the most incredible wildlife experiences on earth. Spending an hour with these magnificent animals – so like ourselves – as they play and feed is as humbling as it is and unforgettable.

In an effort to protect the meager number of endangered mountain gorillas, park officials allow just 96 tourists a day to see them—divided into groups of eight, plus guides, trackers and optional porters—and restrict the human-ape rendezvous to an hour.