Direct fly-in safaris from Masai Mara to Mgahinga for gorilla trekking

Direct fly-in safari from Masai Mara in Kenya to Mgahinga can easily be arranged. It can cost between $5000 and $10,000 depending on the days you plan to spend in Kenya and Uganda and the type of accommodation chosen. After exploring Masai Mara, you will fly directly to Mgahinga after clearing immigration at Kisumu and Entebbe International Airport on this safari. Two airstrips are used to get to Mgahinga: the Kihihi and Kisoro airstrips, which are closest to the national park. You can fly directly from Entebbe or charter a flight from Kajjansi airstrip, but all this must be done in advance to make the planes available on your travel dates.

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Gorilla trekking is one of the top activities that are carried out in Uganda, and Mgahinga is one of the two safari destinations where gorilla trekking takes place. You can spot the mountain gorillas, which are endangered after poachers almost made them extinct. Mgahinga National Park has one gorilla family known as the Nyakagezi gorilla family, and it is the only one available for trekking. There are only eight gorilla permits printed per day in Mgahinga, and tourists need to book early enough to trek these primates.

A Kenya safari to Masai Mara is an authentic African experience where you see a variety of wildlife, including rhinos, wildebeests, leopards, and zebras, among others. It is also the best place to see the wildebeest migration, where over a million wildebeests cross the Grumeti and Mara Rivers from Serengeti National Park to Masai Mara and then back to Serengeti in Kenya.

Start with a Masai Mara safari where you will participate in numerous activities, including game drives through the plains, cultural trips to the Masai people with a rich and exciting culture, bird watching, and watching the wildebeest migration. After leaving Masai Mara, you will connect to Uganda through Kisumu, where a chartered plane will be waiting after clearing customs to Mgahinga.

How do I combine a Masai Mara and gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga?

There are so many options that you can look at when it comes to combining a gorilla safari in Mgahinga with Masai Mara, the first being you can decide to start with visiting Uganda for a gorilla safari to Mgahinga and, after that, fly to Kenya for the Masai Mara experience, or you can start with Masai Mara and end with Mgahinga gorilla trekking. Either option is okay as long as you book everything in advance. You can use many flights to connect Uganda and Rwanda; some include Rwanda Air, Kenya Airways, and Air Link, among others.

How to book a direct flight in Masai Mara and gorilla trekking in Uganda

You need to purchase a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda if you wish to combine the two safaris, and this needs to be done at least six months before the trek date or planned safari. Gorilla trekking permits in Mgahinga are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and the cost is a bit different depending on the category of tourist you belong to. The prices are $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and 300, 000 UGX for East African Citizens. The process of purchasing the permits involves you contacting us with the dates, your name, and your passport, and after confirmation of the availability of the trek dates, you will be asked to make payments because no permit will be booked if you do not pay full payment. After spending, the permit will be purchased, and a copy will be sent to you.

You must ensure that the permits booked coincide with the travel dates you wish to use for the Masai Mara safari. The two must be in sync so you do not experience the best safari in Kenya and Uganda.

Mgahinga gorilla trekking rules and regulations

For every tourist planning a gorilla trek safari to Mgahinga National Park, you need to know the rules and regulations that were put in place to protect the gorillas. The rules are to be followed by all tourists, and the local guides ensure that no one breaks them. The rules and regulations are to be followed during the trek and after finding the gorillas, and these include:

• During the trek, you must keep silent or use low tones when communicating. Gorillas like their quiet maturity, and any other type of noise disrupts them.
• When needing a toilet, ask for a machete and dig a 30cm hole in the bushes, and after doing your business (number two), cover it up sufficiently to avoid infecting the gorillas.
• Mgahinga has only one gorilla family, and a group of 8 people are allowed to trek the gorillas per day. Tourists are advised to book their gorilla permits for the gorilla trek safari in Mgahinga.
• After locating the gorillas, each group spent an hour with them. The limited time was set so that the gorillas remained in their natural habitat and acted usually without disturbance from humans, and it also protected the gorillas from disease transmission.
• There is a general rule of leaving the national park the way you found it, and this means you have to take all the rubbish you have with you back and not litter the national park.
• Flash photography scares the primates since they are not used to it, which is why it has been prohibited. It is better to turn off your flash during the briefing to avoid forgetting to remember when taking the photos.
• Avoid staring at the gorillas, especially in the eye. The silverback perceives this as a challenge, and you do not want to fight an angry gorilla.
• Avoid wearing sunglasses when observing the gorillas because the moment they see their reflection, they assume they are being attacked by another gorilla intending to take over the family.

Gorillas are calm primates, but in case you are approached by one, listen closely to the instructions that the guides give you:

• Do not turn your back on the gorillas. Don't gorillas don't.
• Don't run, but walk slowly backward.
• Lower yourself in a submissive posture until the gorilla either retreats or passes by.

Please turn off the phones or put them in silence to minimize the noise and avoid making abrupt movements.

Stay with the group at all times when trekking because other animals are found in the park, and you should be cautious around them. Always follow the guide because they have been trekking through Mgahinga for a long time and know the proper routes.

What to pack for the gorilla safari

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga is carried out in a jungle, and you will be in unfamiliar territory, so you need to pack right to have a good gorilla safari. Some of the things that you need to bring for the safari include:

• Hike boots are a big necessity for gorilla trekking. These should be ankle-length, sturdy, waterproof, and comfortable because you will be trekking for an unknown period.
• Clothes and the type of clothes you bring should not be too bright since this attracts a lot of attention from the wildlife, do not bring blue as it attracts tsetse flies and black is oaky although it absorbs a lot of heat. 
• Neutral-colored clothes are the best, coming in shades of brown, khaki, or green. Long-sleeved shirts and light trousers are the best for a gorilla trek safari to Mgahinga.
• A camera and all the necessary camera equipment. A point-and-shoot camera is the best option for taking photos since it is easy to operate, but you can carry any camera you feel comfortable using. A camera has other equipment, including extra storage, batteries, a tripod, and lenses.
• Adjustable gaiters are necessary; these protect your legs from rain, mud, and during the dry season from dust.
• When trekking, garden gloves protect your hands from blisters, splinters, thorns, and scratches from the bushes and trees.
• Snacks and a refillable water bottle. Although you are not allowed to eat and drink when close to the gorillas, you need to carry snacks and water because you are still determining how long the trek will take, and the guides will make stopovers in case you feel hungry and need to rest.
• Sunscreen, a sunhat, and insect repellent.
• Thick socks. These are used to tuck in trousers during the trek and prevent insects from crawling up your leg.

What to pack for a Masai National Park safari

Your packing list to Masai Mara should include essential items like a camera, binoculars, insect repellent, sunscreen, comfortable hike boots, a sunhat, prescribed medication, neutral-colored clothes, toiletries, sanitizers, sanitary products, snacks, a rain jacket and warm sweater.

Accommodation during the Masai Mara and Mgahinga gorilla trek safari

Accommodation is an important aspect when it comes to safaris, and getting the best accommodation that you can afford makes a big difference as to whether you are going to enjoy your safari or not. You need to get secure accommodation so that you do not have to worry about the safety of your property.

Mgahinga National Park: Mgahinga is the country's smallest national park and has no accommodation within. However, there are several lodges and hotels in the nearby villages that you can use, and these range from luxury to mid-range to budget facilities. Some accommodation facilities include Mount Gahinga Lodge, Traveller's Rest Hotel in Kisoro, Mutanda Lake Resort, Mucha Hotel Kisoro, Amajambere Iwacu community camp, and Mgahinga Rest Camp.

Masai Mara Reserve: Masai Mara accommodation comes in different categories, including luxury, mid-range, and budget-friendly accommodation facilities, ensuring that all tourists are catered to, regardless of the budget that they have traveled with. The different accommodation facilities that are found within Masai Mara include the following:

Luxury accommodation in Masai Mara includes Little Governors Camp, Porini Mara Camp, Elewana Sand River Camp, Olare Mara Kempinski &Beyond Kichwa Tembo, Sanctuary Olonana Camp, &Beyond Bateleur Camp, Olarro, Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Ilkeliani Camp, Mara Bushtops Luxury Camp, Entim camp, Sentinel Mara camp and Governors Camp among others.

Mid-range accommodation in Masai Mara includes Mara Crossings Camp, Tipilkwani Mara Camp, Sarova Mara Camp, Ashnil Mara Camp, Fig Tree Camp, and Mara Bush Camp, among others.

Budget accommodation includes Mara Fisi Camp, Ol Moran Camp, and Julia's Camp, among others.

What is the best time for a direct fly-in safari from Masai Mara to Mgahinga?

The best time for the Masai Mara and gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga is from January to February, June to the early weeks of September, and December. The dry routes make it easy to trek the gorillas in Mgahinga National Park, and this is the best time to spot the wildlife in Masai Mara because the animals can easily be spotted, unlike during the wet months of March to May and October to November when there is too much vegetation hindering clear views.

Direct fly-in safaris from Masai Mara to Mgahinga for gorilla trekking can be organized with our intelligent and ever-ready team, which has enough knowledge and experience in planning and organizing tailor-made safaris. Our staff will answer all queries that you might have about the safari.

As you plan to manage your Kenya and Uganda gorilla trek safari, you must ensure that all bookings are made in advance to avoid inconveniences. Contact us through our website about planning your direct Masai Mara and gorilla trek safari.