MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK.

The park is located in Southwestern Uganda. It is one of the luckiest and smallest National Parks in Uganda where the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas are found and it happens to be part of the Virunga massif where more than 480 mountain Gorillas are known to be living.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME

The park originates its name from Gahinga which is a local word used to refer to piles of Volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes.

HISTORY

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was created to protect Mountain Gorillas that roam freely in the Virunga region. The park is bordered by Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda. It was declared a game sanctuary by the British administration in 1930 and was gazetted as a National Park in 1991.

JOURNEY DURATION

The drive is an 8-10 hours drive from Kampala Uganda and a 6-hour drive from Kigali Rwanda

ACCESS

The park can be accessed by both road and air. It has one main entrance for visitors which is the Ntebeko entrance gate which is a 30 minutes drive from Kisoro town.

WHICH ANIMALS TO FIND

Although Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys are the main animals that attract tourists to the park, several other animals have also been recorded within such as Bush pigs, Forest Elephants, Forest Buffaloes, Bushbuck, South African Porcupines, Golden Cats among others

WHAT TO DO

Mountain Gorilla Trekking: This happens to be the main activity in the park because it is home to more than half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas justifying the formation of the park

Golden monkey trekking: This is the only park where silver meets gold. Besides the park being home to Mountain Gorillas, it also protects Golden monkeys which are an ancient group of monkeys that are found in the Virunga region.

Volcano Hiking/Mountain Climbing: There is something in the landscape of Mgahinga gorilla National Park that your eyes will not miss; the volcanoes. The three volcanoes form part of the Virunga ranges that are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and as well as Uganda.

Batwa cultural experience: This activity will take you through their history and transition over time. The Garama cave a very sacred piece of the Batwa history is a good place to start.

Birding for Albertine rift endemics: During birding, birds like Bronze Sunbird, Black Headed Waxbill, The Dusky Turtle Dove, Cape Robin, White Starred Robin, and Stripped Breasted Tit among others will be seen. You will enjoy a good rift of Albertine rift endemics, especially on the gorge trail.

GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW WHILE TREKKING GORILLAS.

v  Always wash your hands before you head out to the gorillas

v  8 should be the maximum number of people per group that is to visit the habituated gorilla families

v  Do not leave rubbish in the park, whatever you bring must be carried back with you

v  Keep your voice low at all times

v  You must stay in a tight group when you are near mountain gorillas

v  Keep a minimum of 7 meters(21feet) from the mountain gorillas

v  Do not drink or eat while you are near mountain gorillas

v  Do not touch them they are wild animals

v  Flash photography is not allowed. You should move more slowly and carefully when snapping

v  The maximum number of hours spent with gorillas should be 1 hour

v  After the visit, keep your voice low until you are 200meters away from the Mountain Gorillas.

 

WHERE TO STAY

The park has several campgrounds, hotels, and lodges around Kisoro and the Lake Mutanda area. There are no developed lodging facilities inside the park. There are various lodging options near Ntebeko entrances

Depending on the season, you will have to reserve hotels and campgrounds before the actual date of travel.

WHEN TO GO

Most tourists go to the Gorilla Safari during the dry months of June-October and December-March. October is the wettest month and July is the driest month throughout the park. The rainy seasons are from March-May and September- November.