How to book a safari to Mgahinga National Park

Booking a safari in Mgahinga National Park is preceded by booking a gorilla permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. At the moment, Mgahinga National Park is hosting one gorilla family called Nyakagezi. This gorilla family has a history of wandering into Rwanda, as it was noted for being adventurous. This made it hard to pre-book the gorilla permits for Nyakagezi in the past. However, this gorilla family is steadily living in Uganda, and Mgahinga permits are available for pre-booking.

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Besides the mountain gorillas, you can do golden monkey safaris in Mgahinga National Park. Golden monkeys are a special primate species with golden brown fur at the lower part. Their body structure is larger than that of other primate species.

Birding in Mgahinga National Park is amazing, with about 115 bird species registered, and the list is still expanding, according to ornithologists. 

Excursion mountaineering is also possible in Mgahinga National Park on Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, and Mountain Sabyinyo. You need to have an escorting ranger guide to engage in this adventure.

The Batwa and Garama community visit immerses you in the life of the Batwa. They know most of the secrets of the mountain gorillas, having existed with them since time, but they were evicted in the 1990s for conservation purposes. The forest was the sole provider of the Batwa people. The Garama cave was their retreat point after they rained the Bafumbira farmers.

When you enquire from us about your safari to Mgahinga National Park, our safari consultant can tailor an itinerary inclusive of safari activities in this park and beyond. When you enquire about your safari to Mgahinga National Park, we need details of your time on the Uganda safari.

From the activities in Mgahinga National Park, you have to select what you wish to engage in while on safari and avail the number of days you hope to be on Uganda safari for better planning.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, our tour consultants are always ready to work with you to tailor the best Mgahinga National Park safari itinerary and offer free advice.

How do you book a gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga National Park?

If you go gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park, you must secure a gorilla permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. When booking the gorilla permit for Mgahinga National Park, select the date and number of gorilla permits you wish to reserve. The maximum number of gorilla permits you can book for Mgahinga National Park is eight permits.

When you enquire about the gorilla safari in Mgahinga National Park, our safari consultant checks availability from the Uganda Wildlife Authority list. Encounter Africa Safaris is one of Uganda's few companies accredited to access the list of gorilla permits.

Upon receiving availability, our tour consultant will get back to you, but we advise clients to book their gorilla permits as soon as possible. This is because the status of the gorilla permits changes at any time without warning. During the peak season, which is June, July, August, September, December, and January, demand for gorilla permits is high, causing scarcity as the peak tourism season opens.

Avail some personal details to add to your gorilla permit card: your full name as presented on the passport, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiration date. These details are used for identification and data collection.

What Accommodation To Book For Mgahinga National Park?

Mgahinga National Park accommodations are booked according to luxury, Mid-range, and Budget. Mgahinga National Park accommodation options are limited, so booking is required as soon as you secure the gorilla permit because they can be booked by tourists heading for activities in this park other than gorilla trekking.

Mgahinga National Park accommodations: Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga gorilla Triangle, Majambere Iwachu, Community Camp, Mutanda Lake Resort.

How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking In Mgahinga National Park

The topography of Mgahinga National Park is generally steep as it is influenced by three mountains: Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, and Mountain Sabyinyo. During the gorilla trek, expect to hike, especially when the mountain gorillas spend their day on the slopes of these highlands.

One needs to have some level of fitness to go through with the search to find the mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park.

Sometimes, the creepers may obstruct your way to find the mountain gorillas, but the ranger guide with a machete trims them down to create a path.

The trails are also soggy and boggy, mainly from the regular rains that fall and the dense river network, yet less sunlight is let into the ground through the thick canopy. 

Is Mgahinga National Park safe for a Uganda safari?

Mgahinga National Park is safe for a safari because the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the body responsible for caretaking and giving for all National Parks in the country, has well-trained ranger guides in Place. These rangers often patrol the forest to watch out for any unlawful behaviors imposed by intruders like poachers who set snares and other bad groups.

Other Uganda security agencies participate in the security of the Mgahinga forest to keep law and order in and around the forest.

Tourists must attend a briefing before walking in the Mgahinga forest for any activity, whether gorilla trekking, golden monkey searching, birding, mountaineering, or other adventures. This is to equip them with information about how to behave while searching for mountain gorillas and other forest dwellers.

On an individual basis, you must only walk in Mgahinga National Park with an escorting ranger guide because you are unsure of what you may come across. Besides the mountain gorillas and other primates, the forest also hosts duikers, forest hogs, forest elephants, and other animals that may not be friendly to your presence.

How to Get To Mgahinga National Park for A Safari?

 By Road

Mgahinga National Park can be reached by road from Kampala or Entebbe, which takes about 8 to 9 hours, excluding stopovers. You need to use a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition because this area has winding roads that may get slippery during the severe rainy season.

The distance you cover from Kampala or Entebbe to Mgahinga National Park is about 540 kilometers. The route you take is Kampala to Kabale to Kisoro to Mgahinga National Park ( Ntebeko visitor center)

Daily domestic flights are available too from Kajjansi Airstrip or Mgahinga National Park to Kisoro Airstrip, but you need to book a transfer vehicle. Charter flight services are also available at Kajjansi or Entebbe airport to Kisoro airstrip.

How long is Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park?

The time of doing gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park is hard to determine because it is influenced by factors prevailing in the wilderness like proximity of the mountain gorilla food, death of a gorilla family member, weather conditions prevailing in the day and other factors.

Having some level of fitness helps you move in this generously steep area of Mgahinga forest in case the mountain gorillas are lounging or feeding from the slopes or valley of the highlands.

During gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park, only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas. This is for conservation reasons and reduces the effects of human presence in the wilderness.

As you get away from the mountain gorillas, get away without causing any suspension because mountain gorillas are susceptible to intruders in their presence.

Are mountain gorillas or golden monkeys dangerous in Mgahinga National Park?

Mountain gorillas are not aggressive primates, and neither are the golden monkeys. These primates are first habituated before allowing the public to view them. Gorilla or golden monkey habituation is a process conducted by researchers for some time on a wild gorilla family or golden monkey community to get them used to human presence without altering their nature. 

Mountain gorillas have a scary outlook on nature, but they are serene and calm in reality. You can notice this when you are with them because they are even shy and timid. 

Despite the calm nature of the mountain gorillas and the habituated golden monkeys, do not provoke them because they can charge too when over-pressed.

When angry, the mountain gorillas may react by hooting, thumping their chests hard, pulling grass around them, and so much more drama. Such signs that cause you to panic or run are not always seen because you may escalate the situation.

Wait for the ranger to find the cause of the mountain gorilla or golden monkey's reaction. Sometimes, it is just gorilla family issues, an attack from a wild mountain gorilla, and much more. You need to show signs of obedience to the gorilla family, especially the dominant silverback, so they don't get at you.

Are Safaris In Mgahinga National Park Easy?

Safaris in Mgahinga National Park is not easy because, at times, you must hike to find the mountain gorillas or golden monkeys. As for the golden monkeys, although they are habituated, they keep you on your toes. When the mountain gorillas are agitated by human presence, they move into hiding, challenging the time to be with them. 

Sometimes, the mountain gorillas feed far or closer to the trailhead, prolonging or reducing the time you take to find the mountain gorillas. Even the golden monkeys may move very far in the forest, delaying the time of finding them.

Finding the mountain gorillas is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, giving you the chance to be just meters away from the only leftover mountain gorillas in the world. You may forget what you have gone through to locate these adorable primates for a while as you enjoy the moment.

How can I see the mountain Gorillas or golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park?

Finding the mountain gorillas or golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park is a guarantee because early risers watch these primates the ranger guides on a daily. The ranger guides leading the tourists also follow the trail where the mountain gorillas or golden monkeys were last seen the previous day.

They use some clues provided by the ranger guides that followed these primates early in the morning to trace them, too. The mountain gorillas or golden monkeys rarely differ from where they were noticed to be feeding or lounging.

When you find the mountain gorillas or golden monkeys, only one hour is allowed with these primates during the trek, and four hours is allowed for the habituation experience.

What To Pack For A Safari In Mgahinga National Park?

• Garden gloves to protect your palms from touching stinging nettles and other rough surfaces.
• A pair of Binoculars to bring a closer view of far-ranging objects.
• Sunscreen to smear your entire body and protect your skin from sun rays 
• A foldable hat to protect your hair from dripping water off the tree leaves
• Extra fully charged batteries to exchange with in case one runs low.
• A fleece or sweater because it gets cold during the morning and late evenings. 
• Travel An adapter and charger in case you need them for your electronic equipment.
• A torch to use in the nights when lights go out.
• Raincoat in case it rains during gorilla habituation experience 
• Comfortable shoes to use when searching in the jungle and for the safety of your feet while in the wilderness.  
• Sunglasses to use for protecting your eyes from dripping water from the leaves and buzzing insects
• Medicated Insect repellant for covering your skin from stinging insects 
• Bug spray to use in case bugs invade you
• Safari convertible trousers and shirt for protecting your body against rough jungle surfaces like biting nettles.
• The camera to use when taking photos of the gorilla habituation experience and other activities you combine with. 
•  First aid kit with emergency medication in case you need it.

Contact our team to help you plan your safari today.