Category: Experiences

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is that one most dramatic primate adventures and undoubtedly a unique wildlife experience in Uganda. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers visitors on African safari a chance to get up close to a group of mountain gorillas while they are in their natural habitat. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park straddles in southwestern Uganda at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) about 8-9 hours’ drive from Kampala city center.

It is one of the 4 most pristine national parks in the world where visitors can go for gorilla treks in the world. The park hosts a family of mountain gorillas that resides on the high slopes of the volcanoes. This national park spans up to about 33.7 square kilometers making Uganda’s smallest national park.

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is done the same way as it is in the other Virunga Volcanoes but most importantly; each gorilla destination offers a distinct experience. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park starts with an early morning breakfast at the visitor’s respective safari lodge.

After, visitors gather at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park headquarters at Ntebeko Entrance Gate where they will be briefed on the set rules and regulations to be observed while on a gorilla trek. Visitors are put in a group of 8 visitors to trek the only one habituated gorilla family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Nyakagezi family) and you are accompanied by an experienced park ranger guide. Later, you hit the jungles to look out for a group of rare mountain gorillas which may take you about 2 to 6 hours depending on your hiking speed, nature of the habitat, and location of these primates.

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park like it is in Bwindi National Park or Volcanoes National Park allows you to spend only 1 hour on a face to face encounter with these unique creatures in the wild, photography and opportunity to explore their behaviors and body gestures among others. But trackers are always sent to the field to ascertain the whereabouts of these creatures and this means, fewer hours of trek. After magical encounters, you return to the lodge to have a rest.

Gorilla trekking rules and regulations in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park requires all visitors to observe the set rules and regulations or rather the safety measures while on a trek. The set rules and regulations to follow while on gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park include among others-maintaining a distance of about 7 meters away from mountain gorillas at all times, keep your voices low at all times, only 8 visitors are allowed to trek 1 habituated family, no flashlight camera is allowed, only 1 hour is given to you to have a face to face encounter with mountain gorillas, don’t trek gorillas if you are sick, don’t eat, smoke or drink in the presence of gorillas, in case you are sneezing, please cover your nose and mouth when coughing.

Getting to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park takes you to extreme southwestern Uganda where this pristine national park straddles. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is reachable by road or by air. By road, visitors on gorilla trekking safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park will spend about 8-9 hours but depends on the route you take. Road trip to Mgahinga National Park starts from Kampala or Entebbe through Masaka to Mbarara through Kabale then to Kisoro which may take you about 8 hours and a 4 wheel drive safari vehicle is ideal for you to navigate through the remote routes in this particular part of Uganda.

Alternatively, you can take a flight from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield and then land at Kisoro or Kihihi airstrip where you can easily connect to Mgahinga National Park by road using a 4 wheel drive safari vehicle.

Gorilla permits for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is limited to 8 visitors which means only 8 gorilla permits are always available for purchase. This also means that you have to book one in advance. The cost for gorilla permits in Mgahinga National Park goes at $600 per person just like it is in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Where to stay in Mgahinga National Park

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is ideal as there are many accommodation options for visitors to overnight stay before and after taking part in this thrilling primate experience. Visitors on gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can choose to spend a night in nearby hotels/lodges in Ntebeko, Lake Mutanda, and Kisoro. The accommodation options in Mgahinga National Park include Amajambere Iwacu Camp, Lake Mutanda Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Kisoro Traveler’s Rest Hotel, River Mucha Hotel, Gahinga Safari Lodge a mention but a few.

In conclusion, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the most rewarding safari experiences that shouldn’t miss out on your bucket list. Visit Mgahinga National Park and have the best of magical encounters with the rare mountain gorillas while in their natural habitat.

There is no place in the world where one can enjoy a wildlife safari other than Africa. Africa has vast of unhampered natural environments with wonderful exotic animals, birds and flora.

Rwanda is one of the most popular countries in Africa that are endowed with natural biodiversity thus making one of the places to visit to experience a safari. Safari trips have become so popular in the world due to the fruits and enjoyment yielded out of them. These African safaris are educative, leisurely, relaxing, and explorative and make one discover new credible creatures in the world.

Come to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and experience the greatness of the safari. Rwanda has lots of attractions starting from its rich history, people, climates, architecture and to the natural resources. If we start explaining and giving details about all Rwanda’s attractions we are never going to stop, so we shall look at the main attractions that can make one yearn for a safari in Rwanda.

First and more most Rwanda has the mountain gorillas. These animals are Rwanda’s greatest tourism export. Mountain gorillas have made Rwanda one of the most visited countries in Africa. Mountain gorillas are rare species of primates that are not easily found anywhere in the world in their natural setting apart from Rwanda, Uganda and DR.Congo.  Despite of being rare animals they are very special animals to watch as they have very intelligent social artistry, they display as they relate to each other. These animals have similar social behavior like that of man. They have 98% of human DNA and it is only through taking a Rwanda gorilla safari one can meet his/her closest cousins in the animal kingdom. These gorillas in Rwanda are found in the Virunga region in the north eastern part of Rwanda.

Rwanda also has some other exotic animals like the other primates like chimpanzees, L’hoest, Rwenzori colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and these are found in Nyungwe forest national park which is the home of 13 different species of primates. This park also has beautiful butterflies, bird species and tree species. It also has a canopy walk where one can ably see the park and its beauties at the aerial of view of about 50 meters above the ground.

The other exotic animals are found in Akagera national park, this has 800 big mammals that include the giraffes, elephants, zebras, eland and the lion was recently introduced. The park has also a wonderful tourism program called “the behind scenes”. It is all about narrations of how the park was established, the efforts made to conserve and preserve it and also how the other animals that were not in the park introduced.

While taking a Rwanda safari one cannot forget the epitome city of Kigali, this is one of the cleanest cities in Africa with great historical and traditional sites like Rwanda genocide memorial, the parliament, Amahoro stadium, the hotel Rwanda where some people took refugee during the genocide and also the market place where the tourists  can buy craft commodities.

With the above attractions it is where one bases to organize his/her safari tour to experience the greatness. These safari tours are also organized by the local tour agencies in Rwanda at very competitive prices.

No trip is amazing and complete without a visit to Virunga National Park to trek the famous mountain gorillas of this extraordinarily diverse ecosystem and an opportunity to hike up the Nyiragongo Volcano. The Virunga National Park is the largest park and Africa’s oldest, covering 3,000 square miles on the border with Uganda and Rwanda. It is home to about one quarter of the world’s mountain gorilla population as well as elephants, and lions.

Founded in 1925 by Belgium’s King Albert I, a visit to Virunga is a-once-in-a-lifetime experience, with its forests, savannahs, lava plains, swamps, erosion valleys, active volcanoes, and the glaciated peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains. The Park contains over 218 mammal species, 706 bird species, 109 reptile species and 78 amphibian species.

It also serves as refuge to 22 primate species of which three are the great ape – mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), the western lowland gorilla and the eastern chimpanzee. The park hosts nearly a third of the world population of mountain gorillas that are left in the world.

Although mountain gorillas are the park’s flagship attraction, they are just a tiny part of Virunga’s immense biodiversity. Despite decades of political volatility and civil war, and sporadic killing of mountain gorillas by poachers and militias, the total population of Earth’s biggest apes has actually increased to more than 900 in the region. Because of their low numbers, they remain critically endangered.

Gorilla trekking Experience in Virunga National Park 

Gorilla trekking is done in Virunga National Park a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The gorilla safari experience commences at Bukima patrol post. Visitors gather at the headquarters for a short briefing about the dos and don’ts of the gorillas. Following the briefing, visitors are split into groups according to fitness level, age as well as the location of the gorilla family at the same time.

The trek usually takes from 1 to 2 hours searching for the great apes with trained and armed park rangers depending where the mountain gorillas spent their previous night. The time allowed to spend with mountain gorillas is limited to one hour with opportunities for taking photos and videos shoots while watching them the way they speed their daily life.

Nyiragongo Volcano Trek

A gorilla safari in Congo also gives you an opportunity to hike the Nyiragongo Volcano. The largest lava lake in the world is at the bottom of Mount Nyiragongo, one of two active volcanoes in the southern sector of Virunga, where another six dormant volcanoes rise above the forests.

Visitors can pay US$300 to trek to the top, and spend a night at the edge of the crater. In 2002, the lava lake erupted through the side of the mountain, and the molten rock carved a path of destruction through the forests all the way into Goma, destroying several thousand buildings and leaving 120,000 people destitute.

Trekkers to the summit of Nyiragongo volcano always commences at Kibati patrol post. 30 minutes by car from Goma and 1 hour from Rumangabo. The Park rangers lead all treks and porters are always available for hire. The fitness for each group determines on the average time required to reach the summit usually takes 6 -7 hours depending on one’s physical fitness and one night is spent on the Nyiragongo volcano shelters which is included in the park hiking fee.

The beautiful active volcano Nyiragongo can be seen clear at night. This also makes it possible to see the boiling lava by night, when it appears to be even brighter. The shortest Nyiragongo Hike in Virunga National Park is 2 days and one day is always climbing and the second day is coming back.

We advise you to bring cold weather and full rain gear such as moisture wicking base layer, sweater of fleece, jacket, rain resistant pants, a hat, sunscreen glasses, and insect repellent, warm socks. Porters are available at $24 per person and a walking stick costs $5 per stick. Visitors who do not stay at Mikeno lodge should book a Mikeno package at $100 USD per person.

Guests will leave early in the morning and start the descent back to Kibati. Average descent time is four hours and once at the bottom, guests will be transported back to Goma with drop –off at the Grande Barriere.