How To spend 6 days In Mgahinga National Park.
Discover how you may spend six days at Mgahinga National Park. Though there is much to do outside of Mgahinga National Park, the centerpiece of the park is gorilla walking. Comprising 33 sq km of territory situated by mountain Muhabura, Mgahinga, and Sabyinyo, Mgahinga National Park is the smallest National Park in Uganda.
Trekking to the summit of one of the mountains provides a great perspective of wild surroundings. Rare Albertine endemics among other birds spend the day prowling the woodland.
Mostly Bafumbira, who are farmers, and Batwa, whose survival relied on the forest until 1990s when they were expelled, local villages around Mgahinga national park.
Six Day Safari Plans for Mgahinga National Park Highlights
Drive to Mgahinga National Park on day one
Day 2 Gorilla hiking in Mgahinga National Park
Day three Golden Monkey Trekking
Day 4 Trekking in the Muhavura Mountains
Day 5: Visit Batwa and Garama Cave
Day 6 Depart from Entebbe Airport
Details of the six-day safari in Mgahinga National Park Day 1 Drive To Mgahinga National Park
Rising early to get to Mgahinga National Park spares you from congested city center traffic during peak hours. From Kampala, the capital city center, this is a 540 kilometer trip that takes around 8 hours without stops. Stretch and relax throughout breaks to help you travel. Keep your cameras nearby to capture images of several sceneries like plateaus, Equator point, magnificent valley and hill slope gardens, birds, olive baboons and so much more that appeals to your eye.
You start to dip in height as you get near the Mgahinga National Park and see a thick canopy. Arriving the park late evening, expect to check in.
There are a variety of lodging options from Luxury to Midrange to Modest buildings. Your budget will determine where you sleep. The most of these lodging provide complete Board services.
Among the lodging facilities in Mgahinga National Park are Traveler’s Inn, Volcanoes Camp, Kisoro Tourist Hotel
Day Two Gorilla Trekking inside Mgahinga National Park
Walk to Ntebeko Visitor Center for orientation after breakfast. Remember to take the appropriate gorilla trekking gear as well as lunch as return time is unclear. The ranger guides walk you through all the guidelines of gorilla trekking, including not feeding the mountain gorillas; in case you have a communicative illness, volunteer to remain behind as gorillas are rather vulnerable to human infections and so much more.
The only known habituated gorilla family in Mgahinga national park available for visitors is Nyakigezi gorilla trekking family. Usually, the ranger guide follows the path going to the location where the gorillas were last seen yesterday.
Among other primates, look for black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, blue monkeys, pottos monkeys, L’hoest to name but a few.
Along with members of the IUCN red list the Albertine endemics that can cross your path, an assortment of birds makes the journey vibrant. Among the species found in Mgahinga National Park are Handsome Francolin, Malachite Sunbird, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Rwenzori Turaco, Kivu Ground Thrush.
Your ranger guide will advise on changing into a cleaner mask to meet the gorillas once you find them. Gorilla guidelines were strengthened after the COVID-19 epidemic to stop any communicative disease from spreading to them.
Try not to encircle the gorilla family as this may lead them to feel ambushed; stand at least eight meters away. As memento of this amazing gorilla trip in Uganda, take pictures using a sound proof flash less camera.
Gorillas observe the regulations as they are acclimated to be in human proximity for just one hour. This gives mountain gorillas time free from human intervention to search for the daily food. Retrace your steps to your lodging in peace.
Day three Golden Monkey Trekking inside Mgahinga National Park
Golden monkey trekking starts early in morning with a ranger guide briefing. Remember to take your binoculars, camera, and hiking tools like these. insect repellants, tracking boots to name just a few.
Their incredibly busy lifestyle makes them among the most fascinating monkeys to observe. They keep you on your heels all through the walk. The physical size of this monkey exceeds that of the others in the jungle. They covered, particularly the lower back, with light brown fur.
Despite their shy yet energetic temperament, some Golden monkey troupes have been used to live with people. This process of habituation has also benefited by frequent visitor trips.
Children fifteen years of age and above may also go Golden Monkey Trekking under adult supervision. Photographs help to retain memories with these unusual animals.
Day 4 Tour Batwa and Garama Cave
Spend this day in Batwa territory accompanied by a Mutwa guide. From the foot of Mountain Muhavura, follow the Batwa path to Garama cave. Discover the Batwa pygmies’ traditional way of life, which relied on the forest prior to eviction in 1990s for mountain gorilla preservation.
You will learn about Batwa old life and culture during this walk. The Batwa council chamber was the 342 meter long Garama cave near Mgahinga National Park’s boundary. After invading the Bafumbira, Batwa sought cover in this cave.
Recently the Garama caverns serve as a remembrance of life passing and the theater for traditional Batwa performances.
Day 5 Hike Mountains in National Park Mgahinga
Hike to either Muhavura Mountain, Gahinga Mountain, or Sabyinyo Mountain, which comprise the Mgahinga heights first thing in the morning. From the summit of any one of these mountains, you get a 360-degree perspective of Uganda, Rwanda, and the D.R. Congo border.
Staring from Ntebeko, hiking Gahinga Mountain takes around six hours throughout bamboo forest to reach a wetland buried in the crater.
The Sabyinyo mountain walk might take eight hours to and from. Peak 1 comes first, then Peak 2, on this mountain made of three peaks. Peak 2 atop a short peak overlooking picturesque falls down deep canyons on either side. Peak 3 negotiates a hard and muddy climb. From the top formed by these summits, you may simultaneously see Rwanda, D.R. Congo, and Uganda.
Day Six Leave Mgahinga National Park
Spend six days in Mgahinga National Park then travel to Entebbe Airport to join up with your return flight.
Book Gorilla Permit for Mgahinga National Park
Mgahinga gorilla permits are offered depending on available gorillas, unlike reserving gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Sometimes the Nyakigezi gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park crosses across to Rwanda Volcanoes National Park.
Every gorilla permit is $800 per person day on the hike.
Book Golden Monkey Permits for Mgahinga National Park
Every day the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) grants golden monkey trekking permission. One permit is $100 a day.
When Should One Plan Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park?
Gorilla trekking is available all year long depending on the members of Nyakagezi family attendance. While rain falls often without notice, the months March through May and November through December provide heavy rain that causes swampy land.
Finding gorillas by hiking the hillsides becomes somewhat difficult at this time as fewer sun rays reaches the thick canopy to dry the ground.
Drier with less undergrowth showing to the paths are June through September and January through February. Gorilla hiking safaris in Uganda have these best times.
How One Gets To Visit Mgahinga National Park
By means of roads Kampala leads one to Mgahinga National Park from Kabale to Kisoro. Apart from enroute breaks, this travel takes around eight hours. The murram route takes two hours to reach Ntebeko gate and goes around mountains.
Mgahinga National Park may be reached crossing via Kisoro from Rwanda Kigali airport then Cyanika border.
Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi air strip allows one to arrange charter and daily scheduled flights.
Items To Bring For Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park
A great gorilla trekking safari in Africa is one where one packs less and light with appropriate gear. You should create a list of clothes and gear that would make your safari fun.
Monitoring boots suitable for mountain climbing the Mgahinga slopes during gorilla treking.
Two binoculars can let one get a better view of the gorillas and other forest residents like falls, birds, and monkeys.
long sleeved shirts and pants in tones fit for the jungle. Political grounds forbid millitary camouflage in Uganda.
Insect repellants help protect your skin from potentially damaging stinging insects.
Some snacks to keep you going throughout the bush; make sure you discard no wrappers there as well.
Two garden gloves will help you to grab creepers tighter while sliding on a hill.
A light brim hat will shield your head from soaking dew on the broad leaf surfaces.
Hard money to convert into Uganda shills for local purchases include porter hire, souvenir shopping
a sparely charged battery for your camera to run low on.
Please contact KatlandSafaris and also check our out-of-trip Advisor page to learn more about how to spend six days in Mgahinga National Park and what our past customers have to say about our service.
