Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s number one choice as far as life time mountain gorilla trekking safaris if not Bwindi Impenetrable National Park because of its spontaneous and indigenous touristic features and sceneries associated with the trekking of these shy endangered herbivorous apes in its jungles.
This park is located very deep in the South Western part of Uganda as you are cruising from Kampala via Masaka – Mbarara highway with en-route stop over at the equator for some briefing about the equator by the park officials, photographs and snacks, then continue with your journey reaching Kabale town is your way to reach Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is characterized with tropical rain forests, Savannah grasslands and Woodlands, thick bamboo forests where golden monkeys are residents plus some parts covered with fertile swampy areas.
In Uganda only two destinations are known for hosting the shy endangered mountain gorillas which include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the very Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which is also known to be the only golden monkey hosting destination in Uganda.
Mgahinga is also known to be hosting the least number of Gorillas in its Jungles with Bwindi impenetrable National Park dominating the league; it has only one gorilla family for trekking named “Nyakagezi Gorilla family”.
Trekking gorillas in the jungles of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is an exciting moment you will never forget in your lifetime because of its associated enticing sessions experienced while in their presence, usually the activity where you engage with these apes in the jungle is called gorilla trekking and it involves moving in a group with maximum number of eight people starting from the park offices following the well-established routes heading into the jungle in search of these apes, this is usually done after a simple briefing about the dos and don’ts while in the presence of these apes in the jungle by the park officials, after that park ranger guide is assigned to you for guidance through the journey and while in the jungle since for them are usually informed of where these apes spent their last night plus communicating with their colleagues via radio calls who usually track the location of these apes in the morning before a group is set off.
After locating these apes in the jungle, you are offered a one-hour session while in the presence of these apes seeing them playing with their young ones, feeding, laughing, taking photos of them and videos for memories and reference, after that one-hour next step is descending back to the park offices for gorilla trekking certificate award.
Since these gorillas are rarely seen getting an opportunity of meeting your real eyes with these apes is not free so in this way, I mean that for issuance of permission for gorilla visit you are required to buy a gorilla trekking permit from the responsible authorities which costs $700 USD per person which is usually booked in advance before your trekking dates such that it’s processed in time and avoid missing out due to high demand.
While in the jungles of Mgahinga you will not only be excited by these gorillas but you have opportunities of meeting your eyes with other touristic features included in its diversity which include the popular and sensitive Golden Monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Red tailed Monkeys, Blue Monkeys, Vervets, Baboons, Reptiles like Snakes (Python, Gabon Viper, Black Cobra and more), Insects like Butter flies, tsetse flies and more plus different bird species recorded sightable.
While in the presence of these apes you have to ensure some points such that successful of the trekking is sealed correctly and these include; –
- Move slowly while in the Jungle.
- Keep your voice at low tone while in the Jungle.
- Keep a distance of about seven meters from these apes
- Do not run after these apes.
- Do not touch on these apes without permission.
- Do not eat in the presence of these apes.
- If you are suspected to be with any signs of infectious diseases you are not eligible to go for the trekking.
- Lastly is that do not use flush cameras when taking photos and videos of these apes as you may scare them.
Do not forget to bring yourself strong hiking shoes, insect repellents, Sun glasses, capes, long sleeved shirts and trouser, water proof jackets and bags to protect yourself from thorns and hooks, mud, biting insects like tsetse flies, sunshine, scratches and rainfall water respectively while in the Jungle.
