Compare Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park And Mgahinga National Park.
Even though Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park are well-known for gorilla trekking in Uganda, comparing the two parks highlights the benefits that each offers on the subject. It should be mentioned that gorilla trekking is only possible in three nations worldwide: Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Because of their nature and strong ties to family groupings, mountain gorillas have not been successfully relocated to other parts of the globe, despite the fact that other wild animals have. Their complete vegetarianism may make it difficult for them to sustain themselves elsewhere. To sustain their massive bulk throughout the day and night, mountain gorillas may consume up to 300 pounds of leaves per day.
Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are two other locations in Africa that provide gorilla trekking opportunities, in addition to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.
You may choose to go gorilla trekking in Uganda from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park because of your other interests. Every park has a unique set of advantages and disadvantages.
You must persuade yourself that you made the proper choice if you want to be completely happy after gorilla trekking in Uganda. We are contrasting gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks because of this.
The quantity of mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Situated in the districts of Kisoro, Kanungu, and Kabale in southwestern Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than 400 of the endangered mountain gorillas call it home. Because of this figure, Bwindi Impenetrable National place is now the only place in the world with almost half of all mountain gorillas.
In contrast, Mgahinga National Park is situated in the Kisoro region on Uganda’s far southwest coast. This national park is one of three that are situated in the Virunga mountains, which divide or unite the nations of Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda. The number of mountain gorilla families in Mgahinga is much lower than that in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. As a result, it is now at a disadvantage when it comes to gorilla trekking.
The number of habituated families of gorillas
There are now more than 18 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, but Mgahinga National Park only has one habituated gorilla family.
Please be aware that the Nyakagezi family, which is sometimes movable but has recently been seen to have established in Uganda, will be present if you choose to walk in Mgahinga National Park.
Buhoma, Ruhijah, Rushaga, and Nkuringo are the four gorilla trekking areas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, should you choose to follow gorillas there. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was divided because to its enormous size, which made management and oversight challenging.
Gorilla trekking families in each location.
Among them are the following: Mubare (the oldest and first family to be habituated in Bwindi), Habinyanja, and Rushegura are among the families that are accessible to you in the Buhoma region, which is the northern sector. The Kyaguriro, Oruzongo, and Bitukura gorilla families were housed in the Ruhijah region, which is located in the eastern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
There are two gorilla trekking areas in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Nkuringo and Rushaga. Each has its own family, and gorilla habituation in Uganda is carried out in the southern region. The practice of acclimating wild gorillas to human presence without changing their character is known as “gorilla habituation.”
The Nkuringo or Busingye family, the Nshongi family, the Kahungye family, the Bweza family, the Christmas family, and others are among the families available for gorilla trekking in the southern region.
Primate and other animal species in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The only one of the four gorilla trekking parks in the world where mountain gorillas and chimpanzees coexist is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Chimpanzees exist in the wild despite not having been used to human presence. If you’re lucky, you may be able to see them, but this is uncommon since they reside in the park’s more remote areas and are afraid of people.
When climbing the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, keeping an open mind may allow you to see chimpanzees and other primates in the wild rather than concentrating only on locating the gorillas. This might be one of the motivations for your decision to base yourself in Bwindi and undertake gorilla trekking.
Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a sanctuary for birdwatchers. There are more over 350 bird species in the park, including around 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine unique species. One of Africa’s best places to go birdwatching is Bwindi Forest. To name a few, you may be able to see birds like Shelley’s Crimsonwing, African Green Broadbill, Rwenzori Batis, African Hill Babbler, and Mountain and Yellow-streaked Greenbuls.
As one of Uganda’s fewer visited parks, Mgahinga National Park continues to expand its birding list. There are now more than 115 known bird species in this wooded area. Among these are the Mountane Double-collared Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird, Alpine Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, and others.
Golden monkeys and mountain gorillas live together in Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. What amazing opportunity to hike beside mountain gorillas and golden monkeys.
Accessibility
It is possible to reach Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks via air or vehicle. Daily domestic flights or charter services offered by Fly Uganda or Aerolink to Kisoro Airstrip may get you to Mgahinga.
After the flight, which lasts for at least an hour, you may go by car to your lodging. Mgahinga and the southern region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are both served by Kisoro Airstrip.
Conversely, Kihihi Airstrip provides air access to the northern and southern regions of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Buhoma and Ruhija, respectively), which are then connected by road to the corresponding lodges.
You will go via Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro, and finally Mgahinga National Park if you are traveling from Kampala. Trackers in the southern region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park also use this path. Gorilla trekking in the north and east of Bwindi may take you from Ntungamo to Kagaba, then to Rukungiri, Kihihi, and finally to
Buhoma followed by Butogota. You may also go via Kabale for ruhija. You may leave Mbarara and go down the Kasese Road if you don’t mind. Turn left before Katunguru and go down the Ishasha road to continue your trip. As mentioned above, this route will lead you to Kihihi and finally to Buhoma.
You can always utilize a private vehicle or public transportation, however the issue with public transportation is that time management is an issue. If a transfer vehicle is not scheduled in advance, it might be difficult to catch one to and from the bus parks. As a result, we strongly advise against using public transportation.
It is possible to lose your goods when using public transportation, but it can take a long time or never be found. Because of these concerns, we do not advise our customers to take public transportation while on safari.
Options for Accommodation There are several lodging alternatives available throughout the forest in both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. You may choose from a variety of lodge alternatives, including affordable, mid-range, and upscale ones.
Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Engage Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Gorilla Resort, Bwindi View Bandas, Buhoma Lodge, and Clouds Lodge are just a few of the lodging options in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
However, in order to secure lodging in Bwindi National Park, you must be aware about the location of your gorilla permit reservation. This is because the forest is so large that it takes a long time to drive from one location to another for a briefing.
Occasionally, the roads become unusable due to slick conditions or logs blocking the route. These factors are some of the obstacles to trekking gorillas in one area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park while spending the night in another. Without a briefing, no one is permitted to accompany the gorilla trekker.
However, there aren’t many possibilities in Mgahinga National Park since the Gahinga Lodge is the sole upscale lodging option. Kisoro town has other alternatives.
Getting to Other National Parks in Uganda
Due to its proximity to other national parks, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers a unique experience. Northern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Buhoma) is within two hours’ driving from Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Between these two national parks, visitors may go on game drives to find the tree-climbing lions in Ishasha or take a well-liked boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, which is home to the greatest number of hippos in the world.
Chimpanzee trekking at Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Kyambura Gorge is another option for those who like primates. The Kyambura River, which empties into the Kazinga Channel, eroded the gorge, which is located on the bottom of the rift valley.
Continue on to Kibale National Park, which has been called the world’s finest spot to hike habituated chimpanzees. With more than 1500 chimpanzees, Kibale National Park is a tropical forest park. Additional primates found in the forest include, but are not limited to, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, and pottos.
One good alternative to take into account while choosing African birding sites is birding in Kibale National Park. Black-crowned waxbills, Green-backed Twin Spots, and Grey-headed olivebacks are just a few of the more than 335 bird species found in the rain forest.
Experience of Batwa Culture
The Batwa are the best people to ask if you want to learn the mountain gorillas’ secret. They have always relied on forest assistance, but when mountain gorilla conservation took over in 1991, they lost this advantage.
The finest location for the Batwa Pygmies to exhibit their former existence is Mgahinga National Park. One of the most remarkable activities in Mgahinga National Park is the Batwa Cultural and Garama cave trek. With the help of a Mutwa guide, you may spend some time in the Batwa forest, see performers, particularly dancers, and hear their folktales.
After the Batwa raided the Bafumbira farmers, they retreated to the Garama cave, which is located around 324 meters below a plateau at the northern boundary of Mgahinga National Park. Additionally, this cave used as a council room. At the end of the Batwa route, this cave is now utilized for performances.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park does not have such intricate cultural performances. notwithstanding the existence of the Nkuringo and Buhoma community paths. These are not specifically performed by Batwa Pygmies, but rather by members of other tribes. You could get the opportunity to see traditional healers, blacksmiths, beer brewers, rural homesteads, and more on Bwindi community walks.
Services for Day Mountaineering
Of the two parks, Mgahinga National Park is the best option if you want to see Uganda, Rwanda, and the D.R.C. from the same location and test your fitness. With proper planning, it is possible to trek Mount Muhavura, Mountain Gahinga, and Mountain Sabyinyo in a single day. A ranger guide is required to accompany you.
Despite being a part of the Virunga region, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lacks any standing mountains on which to trek.
For further information on gorilla trekking in Bwindi, get in touch with us. Don’t forget to consult our tour adviser.
