Top Things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Top things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park; Mgahinga gorilla national park is the smallest national park located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district bordering with Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic republic of Congo. Mgahinga gorilla national park covers a total area of 33.7 square kilometers and is a home of different wildlife species including the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, variety of bird species, mammals and the three Virunga volcanoes namely mount Muhabura, mount Gahinga and mount Sabinyo. There are a number of things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park including,
Top things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Gorilla trekking is the major activity in Mgahinga gorilla national park that involves moving into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated gorilla family and once found spend one hour with them in their natural environment. Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of one habituated gorilla family Nyakagezi and trekking starts with a briefing about the rules and regulations at the park headquarters. After the briefing you will start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide who is conversant with gorilla trails. Trekking of the mountain gorillas in Mgahinga gorilla national park takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located. Once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be able to learn about their behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, take photos and record videos.
Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Golden monkey trekking is an active and the second best done activity in Mgahinga gorilla national park. Just like gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking starts with a briefing at the park headquarters where after you will start trekking in the jungle in search of the golden monkeys. Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where they nested the previous night. During trekking you will follow trails of left over bamboo leaves, shoots, fruits among others and once the golden monkeys are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to watch them jump up in tree branches, watch them play, feed, take photos and record the beautiful moments to show people back home after the safari.
Batwa cultural trail in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Batwa cultural experience is an interesting activity in Mgahinga gorilla national park where tourists get an opportunity to interact with the Batwa or pygmies who used to live in the forest before it was gazetted into a national park. Batwa cultural experience takes place inside the park and tourists will be led by Batwa guides. During the cultural experience, you will be able to learn how the Batwa used to live in the forest, demonstrate their hunting and gathering skills, demonstrate how to make bamboo cups, make fire by friction using sticks, point out medicinal plants that were used to cure different diseases, visit the sacred Garama cave which was once a home to the Batwa king, hiding place during battles and food store, listen to the sorrowful cultural songs and dance from Batwa women among others.
Bird watching in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of over 250 bird recorded bird species including Albertine rift endemics, migratory birds among others which makes it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. Bird watching in Mgahinga gorilla national park is done in the gorge between mount Gahinga and Sabinyo, through the bamboo forest and in the montane forest. During bird watching, you will be accompanied by an experienced park guide who will help you to spot different bird species such as the Rwenzori turaco, regal sunbird, dusky turtle dove, cape robin chat, Kivu ground thrush, Rwenzori batis, streaky seedeater, blue headed sunbird, brown crowned Tchagra, red faced woodland warbler, chubbs cisticola, banded prinia, olive woodpecker, archers robin chat, olive pigeon, yellow vented bulbus, grey capped warbler, double collared sunbird, pin tailed whydah, black kite, paradise flycatcher, white necked raven among others.
Hiking/ Volcano climbing in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park has three Virunga volcanoes namely mount Muhabura which is 4,127 meters above the sea level, mount Sabinyo which is 3,669 meters above the sea level and mount Gahinga which 3,474 meters above the sea level. Hiking mount Gahinga takes about 6 hours round trip and once you reach on top, you will be able to view a crater filled swamp and giant lobelia, hiking mount Sabinyo takes about 8 hours round trip and once you reach on top you will be standing in three countries that is Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Hiking mount Muhabura takes about 8 hours round trip and once you reach on top you will enjoy great views of the Virunga volcanoes, Bwindi impenetrable national park, views of Lake Edward, Rwenzori peaks among others.
Best time to visit Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park can be visited all year round though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season there is less rainfall in the park therefore gorilla trekking trails and hiking trails will be dry and passable which make trekking easy.
Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be visited in the rainy season also known as the low season in the months of March to May and November because that’s the best time for bird watching where bird lovers will get a chance to view migratory bird species.
Where to stay in Mgahinga gorilla national park
There are a number of accommodation facilities where you can stay during your safari in Mgahinga gorilla national park. The accommodations range from luxury, midrange and budget including Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mutanda Island Lodge, Kisoro Travelers Rest, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mucha Hotel Kisoro, Muhabura Motel, Kisoro Travelers Lodge, 3 Way Gorilla Resort, Montana Guest House, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Mubano Hotel, Landmark Guest House, Mutanda Lake Resort, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp among others.
How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala or Entebbe through Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive in a 4WD safari vehicle.
Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book scheduled or charter domestic flights with Aero link Uganda from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips. Domestic flights to Mgahinga gorilla national park can be booked by your tour operator.
Mgahinga gorilla national park offers interesting activities like gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, volcano climbing, Batwa trail experience, bird watching among others which can be combined with wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth national park. For more information about the top things to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park, kindly reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for affordable safari packages in Mgahinga gorilla national park.
