Encounter Africa safaris organizes gorilla treks to Mgahinga National Park for the elderly, people with disabilities or with special needs. One of the ways to enable such elderly or people with special needs to trek mountain gorillas is by use of Mgahinga sedan chairs. Mgahinga National Park is one of the four national parks in the whole world where one can see or trek mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The other national parks that are home to mountain gorillas are Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Virunga National Park.

Why use Mgahinga Sedan chairs

Even when fit, gorilla trekking can be sometimes strenuous. It requires a lot of energy to make it to a given habituated gorilla family most especially if it is very far and also because of the nature of the terrain. Gorilla trekking has been a dream for many including old people as well as people with disabilities. By using Mgahinga sedan chairs, all these hindrances are solved since the elders or people with special needs will be lifted and carried to where mountain gorillas will be on that day.

Explain more about Mgahinga Sedan Chairs

In order to solve issues to do with Elder gorilla treks, people around Mgahinga and other gorilla national parks devised means of carrying people with disabilities from the starting point up to the gorillas. A sedan chair carries one person and is lifted by about four people or call them porters. They will make sure that you are comfortably carried up to the gorillas and then back from gorillas to the park headquarters.

Cost of Mgahinga Sedan Chairs

The cost of Mgahinga sedan chairs range from USD300 to USD500 depending on the quality of each. Local sedan chairs normally cost USD300 while original Sedan chairs cost from USD500 and above. This cost includes porters or man power that will lift you up to the gorillas and nothing else.

Things to do with Mgahinga Sedan Chairs

While in Mgahinga, you can do gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking is the main activity in Mgahinga National Park. There is only one resident and habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi. Nyakagezi gorilla group used to move from Rwanda to Uganda and then back but for the last two years, this family looks to have finally settled on the Uganda side making it possible to be trekked from Uganda. Eight gorilla permits are available daily and can be booked from Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters through Encounter Africa safaris. For more information about Mgahinga gorilla safaris please click here.

Golden monkey trekking is another activity one can do with his her Mgahinga sedan chair. Habituated families of golden monkeys do exist in Mgahinga and one is free to book a golden monkey trekkingor habituation experience with Encounter Africa safaris

Other to do activities in Mgahinga include volcano hiking where three volcanoes can be hiked. These include, Mgahinga, Sabinyo and Muhavura. You can also go for the Batwa walk and discover more about the life of the Batwa before and after. For more details about activities in Mgahinga National Park, do not hesitate to Contact Encounter Africa safaris.

Excluded in the cost of Mgahinga Sedan Chairs

The cost of Mgahinga sedan chairs includes the sedan chair itself as well as people or porters who will carry you from the gorilla starting point, to the gorillas and then back to the park headquarters where you will be rewarded a gorilla trekking certificate in recognition of your contribution to the conservation of mountain gorillas by visiting them. The cost however excludes a gorilla permit for either one hour gorilla trek or gorilla habituation permit which gives you up to four hours with mountain gorillas. It is this gorilla permits that gives permission to visit mountain gorillas. Without a gorilla permit, you will not be allowed to see gorillas. Before booking Mgahinga sedan chairs, you need to first reserve, book and secure your gorilla permit for Mgahinga National Park.

Excluded from the cost of Mgahinga Sedan chairs is you’re accommodation. You will need at least two nights in Mgahinga or closer town of Kisoro. Mgahinga National Park has very few lodges and as such we need to book them in advance. The closet Lodge is Gahinga Lodge and is a luxury or high end property that if you want to spend your nights here should be booked in advance. If you fail to get space in this Lodge, the best budget option is Kisoro Travellers Inn located in Kisoro town. From here,you can drive 45-one hour to Mgahinga National Park.

Excluded from the cost of Mgahinga Sedan chairs is transport to and from Mgahinga National Park. You can access Mgahinga National Park by road from Entebbe to Kisoro and then to the Park or from Kigali via Chanika board post. The Kigali road option is better since it helps you reduce on the long drives involved if you use the Entebbe-Kisoro-Mgahinga route. For those interested in flying in, there both charter and scheduled flights that land in Kisoro airstrip from where you can be transferred to your Lodge.

When to book Mgahinga Sedan chairs

Organizing a gorilla trekking holiday for the elderly and people with special needs requires enough time. Everything must be done in advance to avoid any obstacles that may affect the experience. At Encounter Africa safaris, we request all those interested in Mgahinga Sedan chairs to trek Mgahinga gorillas to do so even a year in advance. This will allow us ample time to organize and fix everything including your accommodation, transport as well as your gorilla permit.

What to see with Mgahinga Sedan Chairs

Mgahinga national park is a very small park which is almost an extension of Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda since it’s on the boarder of Uganda and Rwanda. While in Mgahinga, you trek the Nyakagezi gorilla family which has 14 members. These numbers keep changing and Encounter Africa safaris will always update you accordingly.

Encounter Africa safaris remains one of the leading gorilla and primate safari company for Uganda and Rwanda. Our success story has been shared by our past clients. You can visit our Trip advisor and Safari bookings pages to check out what our happy clients say about our service. Contact Encounter Africa safaris for tailor made tours, group tours as well as private tours to Uganda and Rwanda. We offer top notch safari advice and affordable safari packages to destinations we offer.