Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mountain Gorilla and Golden Monkey Safaris!

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s second mountain gorilla trekking destination. It is located in southwestern Uganda in Kisoro district. The park covers a land area of 33.7 square kilometers making it the smallest national park in Uganda.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was named after Mount Gahinga, one of the Volcanic mountains in the Virunga Massif. Apart from Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Muhabura are the two other Volcanic mountains that the park encompasses.

The park was first declared a game reserve in the 1930’s and in 1991 fully elevated to the capacity of a national park. It’s one of the most exclusive national parks in Uganda offering an opportunity for various wildlife adventures. The elevation of Mgahinga Gorilla Park ranges between 2,227 to 4,127 meters above sea level with the highest point at Mount Muhabura.

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Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Wildlife in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mountain gorillas are the key wildlife attractions in Mgahinga Gorilla Park. Mountain gorillas are endangered primate species that are endemic to the forested mountains of East Africa. They can only be found in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo with Mgahinga Gorilla Park being one of the habitats.

There is 1 habituated mountain gorilla family in Mgahinga gorilla National Park called Nyakagezi. Before this mountain gorilla family would move across the border to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park but now it stabilized in Mgahinga. It’s open for tourism and those interested in gorilla trekking here have to ensure they book the permits in advance. Only 8 gorilla permits are available in Mgahinga gorilla park making it the least crowded gorilla trekking destination.

Golden Monkeys are other rare primates that inhabit the forested mountains of Mgahinga Gorilla Park. They are also endemic to the Virunga massif and the park is one of the few places on the planet to see them. Other wildlife in the park includes birds (over 180 bird species), giant forest hogs, forest elephants, and buffaloes among others.

Mountain Gorilla Trekking

Mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Mgahinga gorilla park are very exclusive given the park has only one habituated gorilla family. The park is covered in a light bamboo forest giving one great chance for spotting the mountain gorillas and Photography.

Just like in Bwindi impenetrable National Park, the gorilla trekking adventure starts with a briefing at the park headquarters. Here you are told about the gorilla trekking rules and regulations for one’s safety while in the park. The trek takes 2 to 4 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas.

Given that Mgahinga Gorilla Park has a variety of wildlife, gorilla trekking adventures here will reward you with other wildlife viewing, especially birds. By the end of the gorilla trek, one would have at least spotted a number of other wildlife species in the park.

Golden Monkey Trekking

Enjoy golden monkey trekking adventures in Mgahinga gorilla park where gold meets silver. The park is Among the only 3 major national parks in the region that are home to golden monkeys. Just like their names, golden monkeys are covered with golden fur. They also live in families or groups ranging up to 20 or 30 individuals.

Golden Monkeys also prefer the forest mountains and are often restricted near the bamboo forests. The golden monkey’s diet mainly consists of bamboo shoots, leaves, and fruits and occasionally eats some small insects.

They are very social primates and offer unforgettable primate trekking adventures.

Birding

Mgahinga Gorilla Park having over 180 bird species makes it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. 14 species of the 180 bird species here are endemic to the Albertine Rift. There are also a number of migratory birds that are spotted in the park especially from November to April.

Some of the commonly seen birds here include the Black Kite, Speckled Mousebird, and African Paradise Flycatcher among others. Other Notable birds in the park include the Alpine Swift, Rwenzori Turaco, Kivu Ground thrush, olive woodpecker, and African Olive pigeons to mention but a few.

The best birding safaris in Mgahinga National Park can be enjoyed from April to May and from October to November. With the migratory birds visiting at the moment, it increases more chances for bird viewing.

Cultural Experiences

For one of the most authentic cultural experiences in Uganda, Mgahinga Gorilla Park got you covered. The park is adjacent to the Batwa pygmy communities which were initial forest dwellers. The Batwa entirely depended on the forest for survival by hunting some mammals and gathering wild fruits.

This however continuously threatened the wildlife in the forest, especially mountain gorillas. In order to foster wildlife conservation, the Batwa were relocated to the edge of the forest where they now live. Their lives were greatly affected by this as they now had to adapt to farming like other indigenous communities around (Bakiga and Bafumbira)

A visit to one of the Batwa homesteads is very humbling, giving you a glimpse into their ways of life. They also organised a Batwa trail experience where they led cultural trips back to the forest demonstrating their hunting and gathering skills.

The Batwa Trail experience is very iconic as the hike leads you to the Garama cave and to the sacred places of the Batwa. They also perform some folk dances and dances for entertainment.

Accommodation

Mgahinga Gorilla Park is served by a number of accommodation facilities in the area. These range from Budget to High-end accommodation options. Gahinga Lodge is the most up-market lodge strategically located at the foothills of the mountain. It offers an all-inclusive service with a number of amenities that keep you wanting more. Chameleon Hill Lodge, Lake Mutanda Lodge, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, and Traveler’s Rest Kisoro are among other options you can look at.

Getting To Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

The park can be accessed by both road and air transport. It takes a 9 to 10 hours drive from Kampala Uganda’s Capital to Kisoro district. The drive might be long but it features en route stopovers for photography at the Equator and other places of interest.

In case one wants to avoid this long drive there is an option of driving from Kigali Rwanda’s capital city. It takes a 4 to 5 hours drive from Kigali offering great scenic views of the Rwandan and Ugandan countryside.

There is also an option of flying from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro Airstrip. This is the most convenient means as flights only take about an hour and a half.

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