David Gandy Reveals Why Trekking Uganda’s Gorillas Surpasses Any Fashion Shoot
David Gandy, the British model renowned for his dashing looks and timeless style, isn’t just about white D&G sluggos and glossy magazine covers.
At 45, the star of countless campaigns, including Burberry, is equally drawn to untamed landscapes and heart-pounding adventures.
Away from the catwalk and his eponymous brand, David Gandy Wellwear, the model recently shared a transformative experience: a trek through Uganda’s jungle to witness its majestic gorillas.
“I was really fortunate that we always travelled as a family, on a big annual trip. Dad didn’t have loads of money, but he’d save, and traveling was his thing.
I actually say Dad was a frustrated David Attenborough, because we were lucky to go on these adventures, and they were always based around some sort of animal. It meant Africa or Alaska and the Amazon rainforest, South America too.”
Gandy recalls the early family trips with fondness. Adventures were non-stop, often exhausting, yet unforgettable. “At the time I was young, from about 10 and through my teens, and I didn’t fully appreciate everything.
I remember being about 17 and I said to Dad, ‘These trips you save up to do are expensive.
And the old Fiesta out front is looking a bit knackered, can I stay home this year and have the money towards a new car?’ And he’s like, ‘David, you’re not getting a new f…ing car so make the decision, you can sit on your own and be bored and drive around in your 10-year-old Fiesta or you can come to Alaska.’”
These trips became a family tradition. By 2009, Gandy, exhausted from global campaigns, sought a break and decided to reconnect with his roots.
“From there, we jumped in an indestructible Land Cruiser and headed out to the jungle. En route, we actually had an accident, but it wasn’t like you just got out and swapped insurance details.
The whole local settlement became involved, and the local mayor came as he was the man who needed to settle it. The other driver was found to be at fault by this committee, and then we are allowed to go on our way. I remember it vividly to this day.”
The drive itself revealed Uganda’s stunning beauty. Children, often barefoot and carrying the simplest of school supplies, greeted them with smiles and laughter.
“It puts a lot of things in perspective for me, Africa does in general. So many people go to Italy or Greece or wherever, but are they really seeing and feeling the culture? That’s what Africa offers.”
Gandy stayed at Travellers Rest, a humble yet historic hotel connected to the legendary primatologist Dian Fossey. Pre-dawn, the family met rangers to hike into the dense jungle.
“It was just the three of us, and then my dad also paid our driver to come with us as he’d mentioned that he’d never seen the gorillas, even though he’d driven thousands of tourists to the jungle over the years.
And we were lucky that day, usually it’s groups of around 10 or more but that day it was just us and the rangers.”
The moment Gandy encountered the gorillas was profound. “It’s literally like you see with Attenborough. You sit there, in silence, and remain still.
If they come to you, then that’s OK, but you don’t approach or interact with them. If the babies come up to you, then that’s OK.
Although then you see the mum and then you see the silverback, wow! The size is just incredible, the lats! I remember watching one of the males just snap this really large branch like a twig, the power.
And the babies are there and they’re banging their chests and you sit and watch and they watch you.”
The ranger’s gentle reminder left a lasting impression: “I remember getting out my SLR and shooting for about 10 minutes to try and get that ‘magical’ shot, and the ranger came over and gently pushed the camera down and said, ‘enjoy the moment, and not through your camera’. And that stuck with me, to this day, in fact.”
Gandy described the hassle as humbling, a rare occasion to witness nature’s raw power and serenity.
After spending nearly an hour with the hoods, he returned to the hostel to sit in quiet reflection over a mug of tea, recycling the extraordinary experience.
“And now I can’t wait to take my girls to Africa and see things through their eyes.”
For Gandy, the adventure corroborated a verity frequently overlooked amid luxury and fame; occasionally, the most profound gestures lie far from fashion runways, deep in the heart of nature.
