Things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park.
Activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park The smallest national park in Uganda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is situated in the southwest of Kisoro district and has a border with Virunga National Park in Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Established in 1991, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is well-known for its endangered mountain gorillas, as well as other primates including golden and black colobus monkeys, forest elephants, buffaloes, bushbucks, and bush pigs, and more than 115 different kinds of birds. While on safari, visitors may partake in a variety of fascinating activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, such as
Activities at the Gorilla National Park in Mgahinga
Gorilla trekking
The most popular activity at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is gorilla trekking, which entails walking through the tropical rainforest to find habituated mountain gorillas and spending an hour with them in their natural habitat. One habituated gorilla family, the Nyakagezi, may be found at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Trekking is offered there every day, beginning early in the morning after a lecture on the park’s policies and expectations. Following the briefing, you will begin your jungle trip, which might take anywhere from two to six hours, depending on the gorillas’ location. This is because they are nocturnal and like to wander about in quest of food.
You will be able to see other wildlife while trekking, and after you locate the mountain gorillas, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural environment. This will allow you to observe how they feed, nurse, and groom their young, take pictures, and record videos, as well as learn about their habits and behaviors.
Golden monkey trekking
In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, golden monkey trekking is the second most popular activity. Similar to gorilla trekking, guests may go into the tropical rainforest to find golden monkeys and spend an hour with them in their natural environment.
A training about the guidelines for golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is given before the hike begins. Following the briefing, you will begin hiking into the forest with a knowledgeable park ranger. The hike may last anywhere from two to five hours, depending on where golden monkeys are located.
This is because these primates are energetic and like to wander about. After they are located, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, where you may see them playing, feeding, jumping from tree branches, taking pictures, and making movies to share back home.
volcano hiking
Three volcanoes can be found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: Mount Gahinga, which is 3,474 meters above sea level, Mount Sabyinyo, which is 3,669 meters above sea level, and Mount Muhavura, which is 4,127 meters above sea level.
Hiking to the summit of all three volcanic mountains is possible, and each mountain can be reached in a single day. As you ascend the mountains, you will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the crater lakes, swamps, various vegetation zones, the Virunga and Rwenzori ranges, Lake Edward, and the impenetrable national park of Bwindi, among other places.
Experience on the Batwa Trail
In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the Batwa Trail Experience is an intriguing excursion that allows you to engage with the Batwa people, who formerly inhabited the forest before it was gazetted as a national park.
The Batwa trail experience includes learning how to hunt and gather, making fire with sticks, identifying herbs used to treat various illnesses, visiting the Garamba cave to learn about the history of the Batwa people, the Garama cave serving as the king’s palace and food store, and seeing performances by the Batwa women, among other things.
Bird viewing
More than 115 bird species have been identified in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, including migratory birds, afro-tropical highland biomes, and 14 unique species of the Albertine Rift. Your knowledgeable guide will help you identify various bird species, such as the Paradise Flycatcher, Black Kite, Double-collared Sunbird, Speckled Mouse bird, White-necked Raven, Archers Robin Chat, Kivu Ground-thrush, Olive Pigeon, Blue-headed Coucal, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Olive Woodpecker, Rwenzori Turaco, Ruwenzori Batis, Regal Sunbird, Red Faced Woodland Warbler, African Hill Babbler, Western Green Tinker Bird, Handsome Francolin, Alpine Chat, and Yellow-billed Kite, among others.
Nature hikes
Another fascinating activity at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the nature walk, which gives guests the chance to explore the park on foot while being accompanied by an expert park guide and an armed park ranger.
You will get up close and personal with various creatures, monkeys, and tree species during the guided nature walk. You will also hear the lovely sounds of many bird species, see vibrant butterflies, and snap stunning photos, among other things.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s prime time to visit
The best time to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is during the dry season or peak season, which runs from June to September and December to February. This is because the park receives less or no rainfall during this time, making the access roads, nature walk, and gorilla trekking trails dry and passable, making hiking and trekking easier.
Because March through May and October through November are the ideal times of year for bird viewing, when visitors may see migratory and colorful bird species, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is also accessible throughout the rainy season.
The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park travel route
Located in the southwest of Uganda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is accessible by air. To get there, schedule or charter a domestic flight with Aero Link or Bar Aviation from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kisoro Airstrip, and then take a road connection to the park headquarters.
Road transportation is another way to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. From Kampala, you will travel via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro, and finally to the park headquarters, which takes between nine to ten years in a safari vehicle.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park may also be reached via Kigali, Rwanda, where you can fly to Kigali International Airport and then drive for about three to four hours to reach the park via the Cyanika border in Kisoro or the Katuna border in Kabale.
Accommodations in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for your safari
You may spend your safari at any of the many lodging options close to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mount Gahinga Lodge, Travelers Rest Hotel, Mucha hotel Kisoro, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Lake Chahafi Resort, Montana Guest House, and other lodging options range from low-cost to high-end.
