Gorilla Trekking Guide to Bwindi and Mgahinga national park Uganda

African is the only destination for gorilla trekking in the world, when many travelers think of gorilla safaris, the next step is which place to visit the mountain gorillas in as they are only found in four national parks where by Uganda is the only one with two national parks, Congo with one and Rwanda also with one. Always it takes travelers more time to find out which destination will be the best for their Mountain gorilla safari in Africa.

Gorilla trekking takes place in two national parks in Uganda. These two national parks are Bwindi and Mgahinga. Other places that provide an opportunity for gorilla trekking are Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda as well as Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo. So before you decide to book a gorilla tour in Uganda, you need to convince yourself that you have made the right decision on where to trek these gorillas.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is UNESCO world heritage Centre located in south western Uganda in the districts of Kisoro, Kanungu and Kabale. It is best known for its Mountain Gorilla populations and gorilla tracking although, it also offers some of the finest montane forest birding in Africa and is a key destination for any birder doing a Safari to Uganda. Amongst the numerous possibilities are no fewer than 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics, including spectacular, globally threatened species such as Shelley’s Crimson wing and the African Green Broadbill. Bwindi is one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age and it is home to roughly half of the world’s mountain gorillas.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is best known for its outstanding gorilla tracking, but it also provides refuge to wild elephants, chimpanzee, monkeys and various small antelope and bird species. When you a book a Uganda safari without Gorilla trekking then you will have missed an opportunity to see these rare and threatened gorillas, the variant biodiversity is supported by the fact that Bwindi is extremely old and also its slopes extend over a broad altitudinal range of 1447m above sea level.

Mgahinga Gorilla national park is located in the southwestern Uganda on the border with Congo and Rwanda. Covering an area of about 33.7 sq. kilometers, the park is a habitat for man’s closest, the mountain gorillas which roam about the whole forest in search for food. This park is one of the few places in the world where the endangered mountain gorillas live and it attracts people from different countries to come on Uganda’s Gorillas. The park has one habituated gorilla group, although this group sometimes crosses the border into Rwanda, which means Mgahinga is not a reliable spot for viewing gorillas. There is no doubt that Mgahinga Gorilla national park is one of the leading tourism sites in Uganda since it harbors these rare primates. The national park also covers three of the eight Virunga volcanoes: Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabyinyo, all of which lie on the Uganda/Rwanda border. Any of these can be climbed in one day from the park headquarters.

One may wonder why gorilla Safari should be done in Mgahinga and Bwindi and no other places but the secret behind it is that these parks have a thick rain forest with a wide variety of tree species and gorillas are known to be vegetarians. There is enough food for them in the park and this is the reason why some even migrate from Congo and Rwanda to this place. Though not in large numbers, gorillas of Mgahinga are easily seen in their natural habitats and this makes tracking more easy compared to other parks.

How to get there

Both Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be accessed by road or Air. You can assess Mgahinga using services of fly Uganda or Aerolink scheduled flights to Kisoro Airstrip. The flight is about an hour or so from where you can then transfer by road to your accommodation facility. Kisoro Airstrip severs both Mgahinga and the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On the other side the north and southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Buhoma and Ruhija respectively) can be assessed by air through Kihiihi Airstrip followed by road transfers to respective lodges. If driving from Kampala, you will pass through Mbarara, Kabale to Kisoro and then to Mgahinga National park. This is the same route used by those tracking in the southern side of Bwindi Impenetrable National park as well. Should you be trekking gorillas in the north and east of Bwindi, then you can branch off from Ntungamo then to Kagaba to Rukungiri.

When to Go To See the Mountain Gorillas in Uganda

Although tracking mountain gorillas can be conducted all year round in these two national parks, due to the somewhat damp seasons experienced by the national parks in which these gorillas stay, the majority of tourists prefer visiting from June to September as well as from December up to February. You can visit Bwindi and Mgahinga at any time of the year, the low season calls for cheaper gorilla permit price.

How to Get a Gorilla Trekking Permit in Uganda

Within Uganda, Gorilla trekking is conducted in Bwindi National Park or in Mgahinga National Park. But because of the inconsistency of gorillas in Mgahinga, majority of the sold permits are for Bwindi NP. In Uganda, every gorilla permit goes for US $ 600 while in April, May and November 2016 they will go for US $ 450. On a single day, nearly 72 people travel into Bwindi to see gorillas and only 8 people are allowed to see a gorilla family. We strongly encourage you to book your gorilla permit with a safari agents the most prominent mistake is to book a gorilla family which is far away from your choice of accommodation. The routes to Bwindi and its various regions are often tricky; this is a remote area. If you would like to do the gorilla trek on your own so as to save costs, you might end up incurring more. Safari guides have been trained to help you with this.

What to Wear?  Choosing the right Clothing

Gorilla Trekking gear guide, Good quality walking boots if trying any hikes or even climbs, warm layers of cloth for the cold evenings and clothing for wet weather remember it becomes cold and wet at this high altitude.

Accommodation

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park provides several accommodation options in all sides of the forest. You will find budget, mid-range or up market lodges options and then you decide accordingly. In Mgahinga, there few options to choose from as the only up market lodge is the Gahinga Lodge only. Other options are located in Kisoro town.