5 Things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park
5 Things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park; Mgahinga gorilla national park is one of the smallest national park located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district bordering with Volcanoes national park and Virunga national park. Mgahinga gorilla national park is famously known for harboring the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, other animals like forest elephants, buffaloes, duikers, bushbucks and variety of bird species. Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of three volcanic mountains namely Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga and Mount Muhabura. Mgahinga gorilla national park offers top 5 interesting activities that visitors can engage in during the Uganda safari including,
5 things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park
- Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Gorilla trekking is one of the top activities in Mgahinga gorilla national park and attracts big numbers of tourist in Uganda. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people and start trekking in the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas. Trekking of gorillas in Mgahinga gorilla national park takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where they are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, view different bird species, tree and plant species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
- Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Golden monkey trekking is the second best done activity in Mgahinga gorilla national park after gorilla trekking. Golden monkey trekking starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters just like gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide in search of the habituated golden monkeys. During trekking which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours, you will follow trails of left over bamboo leaves and shoots. Once the golden monkeys are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment which gives you a chance to watch them feed, breastfeed, play, jump up in tree branches, take photos and record videos.
- Bird watching in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of over 115 recorded bird species including 14 of the 24 Albertine rift endemics and 39 afro-tropical highland biome. During bird watching, you will be accompanied by an experienced bird guide who will help you to spot different bird species including black kite, paradise flycatcher, white necked raven, speckled mouse bird, double-collared sunbird, archers robin chat, dusky crimson wing, kivu ground thrush, yellow vented bulbul, grey capped warbler, olive pigeon, Ruwenzori turaco, Ruwenzori batis among others.
- Mountain climbing in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mountain climbing is another interesting activity in Mgahinga gorilla national park that visitors can engage in during the Uganda safari. Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of three dormant volcanoes namely Mount Muhavura which is 4,127 meters high and takes about 8 to 10 hours to reach the summit, Mount Gahinga which is 3,474 meters and takes about 6 to 8 hours to reach the summit and Mount Sabinyo which is 3,669 meters and takes about 8 to 10 hours to reach the summit.
- Batwa cultural experience in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Batwa cultural experience is an exciting activity in Mgahinga gorilla national park which gives you an opportunity to interact with the Batwa or pygmies who used to live in Mgahinga forest before it was gazetted into a national park in 1991. During the Batwa cultural experience, you will be able to learn about their culture, way of living, learn about their hunting, gathering and building practices, visit Ngarama caves which used to act as the granary and palace for the king, visit the forest where the Batwa used to live, enjoy their traditional entertainment among others.
Best time to visit Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park can be visited all year round though the best period is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June to September and December to February. During the dry season, there is less rainfall in the national park therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable hence making trekking easy compared to the wet or rainy season when the trekking trails are muddy and slippery which make trekking difficult.
How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book charter or scheduled flights with bar aviation or Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road, 5 Things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park .
Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive.
You can also access Mgahinga gorilla national park from Kigali Rwanda whereby visitors will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to the park headquarters via Cyanika border which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.
Where to stay in Mgahinga gorilla national park
There are a number of accommodation facilities in Mgahinga gorilla national park where you can stay during your safari. The accommodations range from budget, midrange and budget including Mount Gahinga lodge, travelers rest hotel, Mutanda lake resort, Kisoro tourist hotel, Mgahinga rest camp, Mount Gahinga rest camp, Muhabura motel, Montana guest house, Kisoro travelers lodge, Mubano hotel, Mgahinga safari lodge among others.
For breathtaking experiences, you can combine Mgahinga gorilla national park with chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park.
