Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: The Virunga mountains’ summits comprise the stunning Mgahinga National Park, which is situated in the southwest of Uganda. Farmers had encroached on the mountain gorillas’ habitat, which this national park has successfully restored. Notably, the locals share ancestry with the Batwa “pygmies,” who have traditionally preserved this area as a source of traditional medicine and their aquatic primary diet. Due to this reality, the majority of tourists are curious to visit the Cardissa Gorge and Falls in order to experience the Batwa culture, which includes the Batwa medical walk as well as the hunting and gathering walk. Locals permit visitors to explore Lake Mutanda by using their canoes as solar-powered vessels. Travelers like the Batwa music and dance, which tells their cultural stories and is a significant part of this unique resource.
Because tourism revenue is distributed fairly to the local inhabitants, improving their standard of living, the majority of travel agencies value working with this park. The northern slopes of the three northern Virunga volcanoes—Sabinyo (3,645m), Gahinga (3,474m), and Muhavura (4,127m)—are all included in Mgahinga. The Bakiga, a Bantu-speaking indigenous group, have long resided in tiny farming communities close to the summits of these volcanoes. Mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, the dangerous golden monkey, and mountain reedbuck all live in the park naturally. In addition to the standard gorilla safari, Mgahinga offers unique golden monkey tracking that is unmatched in Uganda. This is followed by the Batwa culture tour and the hiking adventure in Sabinyo.
The breathtaking views from the summit of Sabinyo, which is exquisitely sculpted by the deep valleys and jagged ridges of the volcanoes, highlight the greater wonders of the meeting point of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers mountain gorilla trekking.
The Nyakagezi gorilla group is the only habituated gorilla group in Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. The fact that the gorillas are shared by Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda makes hiking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park unique. In addition, travelers may find the gorillas with ease.
In Mgahinga, visitors trekking with the Nyakagezi gorilla troop should be aware that there are nine members in the group: two silverbacks, three adult females, two juveniles, and two infants.
At precisely 8 a.m., gorilla trekking operations in Mgahinga National Park begin at the park’s headquarters in Ntebeko. When going gorilla trekking at Ntebeko Park, it is crucial that guests stay on schedule and be at the entrance gate by 7am.
Before, during, and after tracking, visitors are typically briefed by the park’s head ranger on the rules and regulations governing gorilla trekking.
Mountain gorilla trekking at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park requires that visitors travel in groups of no more than eight. The tracking process often lasts four to six hours, including an hour spent in close proximity to the gorillas.
Finding the gorillas in the park’s forest is significantly simpler and less time-consuming in Mgahinga than in Bwindi National Park, making mountain gorilla trekking there easier. In order to locate the gorillas, the gorilla trekking activity in the park entails traveling through the wooded undergrowth and spotting fresh gorilla droppings.
Guidelines for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s gorilla trekking.
In order to trek these magnificent mountain gorillas, visitors to Mgahinga should be aware of and abide by certain rules. For example:
Prior to entering the park, each visitor must get a gorilla trekking permit.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months, and you must have a valid Ugandan or East African tourist visa.
Anyone over the age of 15 can go gorilla trekking.
Only one hour is allotted for tourists to engage with gorillas.
Each group may only have a maximum of eight guests per day.
Camera flashes should not be used when photographing gorillas since they can quickly become confused.
Maintaining a safe distance of seven meters between tourists and gorillas is recommended.
To lessen the possibility of illness transmission between humans and gorillas, only healthy tourists are allowed to hike with gorillas.
It is recommended that visitors speak more quietly in the forest and when near the gorillas.
When among gorillas, avoid eating, drinking, and smoking.
When among gorillas, avoid making unneeded movements and avoid making eye contact, especially with silverbacks.
Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s prime season for gorilla trekking.
In Mgahinga National Park, gorilla trekking is possible all year long. However, the two dry seasons—June to October and mid-December to February—are the ideal times for tourists to trek gorillas in the park. Since the roads leading to these gorillas are much more navigable and easy to travel, it is much easier for people to hike through the trees and follow the route paths in the national park during this time.
The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park travel route.
Both air and vehicle access are available to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. It takes around 8 hours to drive to the park’s headquarters from Kampala City, which is 494 kilometers away via Kabale-Kisoro.
Visitors who would rather save time and get there more quickly, however, can take an hour-long flight from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip. Because it is near Mgahinga National Park, the Kisoro Airstrip is a convenient way to go about.
A visitor to Uganda should not miss the thrilling and daring activity of mountain gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park.
