Trekking Mountain Gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: Mgahinga gorilla trekking is not as popular as Bwindi forest gorilla trekking, but Mgahinga has an intriguing gorilla group and other perks that we shall explore momentarily. The park lies in southern Uganda, close to the borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

About Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

 Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwestern Uganda is home to a variety of animals, but it is well renowned for its mountain gorillas. Mgahinga is home to only one habituated gorilla family, Nyakagezi. Nyakagezi is a section of the park where the primates spend the most of their time living and feeding.

The Nyakagezi people dwell near the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They used to travel into the other two countries, but the Uganda Wildlife Authority now keeps them on Ugandan soil.

With four silverbacks, the Nyakagezi family is one of the largest habituated mountain gorilla groups. Because they are constantly available and traveling is less difficult, the group has become a favorite among trackers.

It is Uganda’s smallest national park, with a total surface area of 33.9km2. The Uganda Wildlife Authority declared Mgahinga a national park in 1991, primarily to safeguard the critically endangered mountain gorillas.

Mount Gahinga, Muhavura, and Sabyinyo are the three dormant volcanoes that make up Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The vegetation of the three volcanoes is divided into four types: Albertine, montane forests, bamboo forests, and semi-alpine forests.

Mgahinga’s mountain ranges rise at an average altitude of 7,000 to 13,000 feet, giving it an ideal habitat for mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and several bird species. It is also one of the original Batwa pygmy settlements.

Mgahinga National Park is around 490 kilometers (9 hours) from Kampala. The park is accessible by both road and air. The tour begins in Kampala and continues through Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

A traveler can also take a charter flight with Aerolink to Kisoro or Kihihi Airstrips and then take ground transportation to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. It is preferable to land at Kihihi airstrip since the weather is more suitable to air travel than Kisoro, which can be disturbed by excessive fog in the sky.

Because the trekkers get the same experience, the gorilla trekking permits cost the same as those for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest ($700). Because there is just one family to track, Mgahinga National Park has only 8 gorilla permits available.

Comparing Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks.

Uganda is the world’s only country with two mountain gorilla habitats. The primates may be found in Mgahinga Gorilla and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks. Because they are of the same subspecies, the gorillas in both parks appear the same.

The norms and procedures for gorilla trekking are the same. When you include in lodging and transportation, the overall cost of gorilla trekking is the same. It is also worth noting that the gorilla trekking experience is same in both national parks.

Indeed, the odds of sighting mountain gorillas in Uganda are quite high (almost 100%), and as previously said, gorilla permits in both parks cost the same. The primary distinctions are as follows: –

Mgahinga National Park is made up of bamboo and montane forests, whereas Bwindi is made up of tropical rain forests. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, on the other hand, contains fewer mountain gorillas than Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Mgahinga Gorilla national park has only one gorilla group, whereas Bwindi Impenetrable National Park contains about half of the world’s mountain gorilla population (around 420 individuals) with 20 habituated groups. This means that Bwindi gorilla trekking is more diverse.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a surface size of 331km2, but Mgahinga has a surface area of just 33.9km2. Bwindi also has four gorilla tracking sectors: Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, and Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south. Mgahinga has only one gorilla trekking location, which is Ntebeko.

What else can I do aside from Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

Other than gorilla trekking, Mgahinga National Park offers a variety of activities such as the more thorough Batwa trail experience, mountain hiking, nature walks, and birdwatching, but Bwindi offers fewer alternative activities (birding, nature walks, and community walks). Mgahinga Gorilla national park is Uganda’s only park where visitors may track both golden monkeys and gorillas.

Golden Monkey Trekking: Everyone like monkeys because of their fun character, but golden monkeys add a spark with their eye-catching hue. They’re also quite adorable and popular with tourists. Blue monkeys are subspecies of golden monkeys. Mgahinga National Park is one of the few areas in the world where the golden monkey may be seen. Mgahinga National Park is home to around 5000, and tracking them requires a $60 permit excluding park entry fees of $40 per person per day.

Guided Nature Walks: The Mgahinga National Park is covered in bamboo and montane forests, which are home to a variety of animals. You may witness gorillas, golden monkeys, jungle creatures, rare tree species, birds, flowers, and reptiles, as we already know. A guided tour of the park is always enjoyable and rewarding. The Sabyinyo trail, Mgahinga gorge walk path, and border trail are the primary walking trails.

The Batwa Trail: The Batwa Trail in Mgahinga is one of Uganda’s most popular cultural experiences. The trip brings you to the Batwa pygmies, one of Uganda’s most disadvantaged indigenous communities. The Batwa originally inhabited in Mgahinga, Volcanoes, Bwindi, and Virunga National Parks’ woods. For thousands of years, they lived as hunters and gatherers.

Unfortunately, most have been forced out of the forests and into new settings, where they must engage with tribal groups they have avoided for years. The Batwa Trail allows tourists to explore the forest and learn about the Batwa way of life.

The Batwa themselves lead it. The journey concludes with a visit to the holy Garama caves. Following a journey to the woodlands, guests are delighted with storytelling, traditional dances, theater, and music.

Cave exploration: Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park contains several caverns that were formerly home to the Batwa tribe. A thorough examination of the caverns in Garamba and Muhavura is quite rewarding. By touring the caverns, one may learn more about the Batwa culture. These strange tunnels are quite extensive and teeming with bats.

Mountain Climbing in Mgahinga: The three volcanoes inside Mgahinga National Park provide strenuous one-day hikes. Mount Muhavura is the most well-known volcano. It is the highest of the three volcanoes, standing at 4,100 meters. It is a steep peak, and hikers are advised to bring a trekking stick and boots before ascending it. Hikers can see the other Virunga volcanoes, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and the mountains of the moon from the peak. Mount Sabyinyo, on the other hand, is shared by Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It is 13,540 feet tall, and at its height, you can cross three nations’ borders. It takes roughly 8 hours to get up and down Mount Sabyinyo. Mount Gahinga is the shortest of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s three volcanoes. It has a height of 3,474 meters above sea level and takes only seven hours to climb.

Birdwatching: National Park is a birder’s paradise, home to over 76 different bird species. Mgahinga National Park’s greatest birding locations are on the slopes of Mount Gahinga and Sabyinyo. Birds adore the alpine and bamboo forests that thrive on the mountain slopes. To name a few, the Rwenzori turaco, beautiful francolin, common cuckoo, royal sunbird, fire finch, olive pigeon, woodpeckers, Dusky Turtle Dove, Rwenzori nightjar, and red throated Alethe may be found at Mgahinga National Park.