What is there to do in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

What is there to do in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park? Well, there are a lot of marvelous and amazing things to do while on a safari in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, from astonishing mountain gorilla trekking to outdoor activities. The park is home to a huge number of the remaining population of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas. These fascinating creators are only incredible to three destinations in the world: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda, the Volcanoes National Park in Wanda, and Virunga National Park in the democratic republic of Congo. Mgahinga National Park is located in southwestern Uganda, bordering volcanoes, in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The national park was established in 1991 mainly to protect the endangered mountain gorillas, and it covers a total area of 33.7 square kilometers, making it Uganda’s smallest national park, which is bordered by the Volcano National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bwindi Forest National Park. The park is home to three of the eight Virunga volcanoes, such as Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinaga, and Mount Muhabura. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park harbors the endangered mountain gorilla and golden monkeys. The park is a tropical rainforest composed of a lowland equatorial evergreen forest, tropical seasonal forest, mountain rainforests, and mountain bamboo that act as food for a variety of wildlife, including bird species and animal species, for example, buffaloes, bushbucks, elephants, giant forest hogs, golden monkeys, hyenas, and black-fronted duikers, among others.

What to do in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

 Mountain gorilla trekking Many tourists usually come to Mgahinga to trek with the mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are among the endangered apes found only in three countries on Planet Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Surprisingly, in Uganda, these fascinating apes are found in two national parks, such as Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to only one habituated gorilla family called the Nyakagezi Gorilla Group. Mountain gorilla trekking in Mgahinga involves walking on foot through the jungles of the dense forests in search of these fascinating apes in their natural habitat. During a Uganda gorilla trek in Mgahinga National Park, you will also get a chance to meet some remarkable features that make the park forests their home, such as different colorful birds, mammals, reptiles, the Batwa community, as well as astonishing vegetation cover. Once these fascinating apes are encountered, you’ll be allowed one hour of interaction with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat while observing how they carry out their daily activities, such as carrying young ones, breastfeeding, feeding, and taking pictures to showcase the home people, among others. Trekking these fascinating apes in their natural habitat in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park only costs $800 per person, with a minimum of 8 individuals of a minimum age of 15 years.

Birding

 Mgahinga National Park is one of the country’s best birding destinations. The park is home to 200 bird species, including several Albertine Rift Endemics. Birdwatching enthusiasts can enjoy guided birding walks in the park in search of colorful birds. During your birding tour in Mgahinga, you will get a chance to spot some of the colorful birds such as the white-tailed blue flycatcher, Ruwenzori Turaco, Chubb’s cisticola, Alpine chat, Doherty’s bush shrike, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Mackinnon fiscal, white-eyed slaty flycatcher, yellow-crowned canary, grassland pipit, wing-snapping cisticola, yellow-throated long claw, Grey-capped warbler, yellow-vented bulbul, speckled mousebird, firefinch bird, whydah, stonechat, Lagden’s bush shrike, scarlet tufted Machalite sunbird, black kite, crowned hornbill, Kivu ground thrush, montane double-collared sunbird, dusky turtle dove, crowned crane, among others. Birding in Maghinga also takes you to some of the stunning scenery in the gorge between Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabyinyo through the bamboo forest and in the Montane Forest, where colorful birds like the Rwenzori turaco can be seen.

Golden monkey tracking

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the only national park in Uganda, that offers visitors a chance to encounter the gold monkeys in their natural habitat. The park is home to over 4,000 golden monkeys, making it possible to track them. These playful primates are seen hanging from the bamboo forest of the park, and tracking them gives an awe-inspiring experience that will last in the mind of the nature lover. Tracking these fascinating primates in Mgahinga also involves a foot walk through the jungles of the bamboo forest in search of them in their natural habitat. During a Uganda golden monkey tracking trip, you will get a great opportunity to spot some of the exhilarating attractions that contribute to the park’s beauty, such as bird species like the Rwenzori turaco, bronze sunbirds, regal sunbirds, Ruwenzori nightjars, dusky crimson wing, as well as animals and fascinating vegetation. Golden monkey tracking permits are readily available and can be purchased on arrival at the park headquarters.

 Volcanoes climbing

 This is one of the most challenging but rewarding activities. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to three volcanoes; all of them can be hiked to the summit. Climbing these astonishing volcanoes can take one day to reach the summit. These remarkable volcanoes include Mount Muhabura at 4,127 m, Mount Gahinga at 3,474 m, and Mount Sabyinyo at 3,669 m. It takes about 8 hours to complete the hike. Once at the summit, hikers are offered amazing opportunities to sight-see a variety of incredible features, such as birds, primates, animals, lakes, wild vegetation, bamboo forests, and an astonishing view of the Virunga volcanoes, Lake Edward, the peaks of the Rwenzori ranges, as well as Bwindi impenetrable forests.

Nature walk

Travelers on a Uganda safari in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can also embark on a wildlife journey exploring the diverse ecosystems of the park on a guided forest walk, including the baboon forests, montane woodland, and swampy marshes. While on your nature walk, you’ll come to meet and learn about a variety of the park’s flora and fauna, as well as the conservation efforts. The nature walks in Mgahinga offer astonishing views of the surrounding Virunga mountains and their’ lush vegetation, as well as the opportunity to view a variety of birds and animals.

Cultural encounter

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is situated in an area inhabited by the Batwa pygmies, who are indigenous forest dwellers. During the cultural encounter, the visitors can meet the Batwa people who live in the Mgahinga’s dense forest. These indigenous communities were known as hunter-gatherers and fierce warriors, depending on the forest for food, medicine, and shelter. During the Batwa cultural trail experience, visitors will get to explore the magic of Batwa’s ancient home while enjoying the thrilling nature walks and learning about the cultural heritage of this thrilling community.

Accommodation safari in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has several beautiful accommodation facilities ranging from luxury level to mid-range and budget level to suit all levels of visitors, such as Mount Gahinga Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Mucha Hotel, Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Lodge, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Lake Chahafi Resort, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp, Mgahinga Rest Camp, Ntebeko River Camp, Golden Monkey Guesthouse, and Mutanda Eco-Community Centre, among other