What to do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

What to do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park covers an area of 33.9 square kilometers, making it the smallest national park in Uganda. What to do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Mgahinga national park lies in the southwestern region of the country, in Kisoro District. Besides its tiny size, however, the Park comprises numerous attractions that it harbors and it is evidently one of the most popular Parks in-country. Due to the numerous attractions that the Park has, there are so many safari activities to engage in, among them include:

Mountain Gorilla Trekking;

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park  one of the three Parks in the famous Virunga Massif,  known for inhabiting the largest population of mountain gorillas on earth. Mountain gorillas still exist only in the Virunga Massif and in the impenetrable forests of Bwindi – in southwestern Uganda. The Virunga Massif includes Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, DR Congo’s Virunga National Park, and then Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park, of which the chief attraction and activity in all the three Parks are trekking the mountain gorillas.

Trekking the mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is such an indelible experience that you won’t ever experience anywhere else in the world. Trekking the mountain gorillas is a very strenuous activity that calls for physicality! Mgahinga Gorilla National Parksituated within close proximity to the prime mountain gorilla destination in Uganda, Bwindi,  also nestled in the same location as Mgahinga. A mountain gorilla permit in Uganda costs US$ 700 but all the visitors who have gone to this Park for the gorilla excursions say that the gorilla permit is really worth its price!!

Hiking the Virunga Mountains;

Mgahinga resides in three of the eight Virunga volcanoes and thus besides the fantastic and indelible gorilla excursions, visitors can also opt to hike the top of any Volcano which rewards them with spectacular views of the surrounding area, which is all breathtaking!! The three volcanoes in the Park include; Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo, and Mount Muhabura.
Golden Monkey Trekking;
A golden monkey trekking permit costs US$ 90 (US$ 50 for the permit and US$ 40 for the park entrance), and it is an ideal option activity to tourists who could not afford a mountain gorilla permit. Golden monkey trekking is one of the most popular activities, next to gorilla trekking, in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which attract millions of visitors into this jungle.

Golden monkeys are mesmerizing creatures which every visitor should not miss out on his/her trip in Uganda. It is only in this Park and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park that one can trek and see the golden monkeys in their natural habitats. In these two Parks you can therefore trek both the endangered mountain gorillas and also the fascinating golden monkeys.

The Batwa Cultural Trail;

The Batwa Cultural Trail an activity always combined with gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. It leads from the base of Muhavura Cave. The walk is a living museum where you can learn about the Batwa People, a Pygmies tribe that used to live in the forests of Mgahinga before it was gazetted as a national park.

The Batwa were hunter-gatherers and fierce warriors who fully depended on the forest for shelter, food and medicine. The inaugural of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, these people  forced out of the park and rehabilitated in the villages that surround the park. The Batwa Cultural Trail is conducted by Batwa guides who offer insights into their traditional forest life and culture.

The Batwa demonstrate their past hunting techniques; ways of gathering honey. The guides  point out the medicinal plants used and demonstrate how to make bamboo cups. Guestsfinally invited to the sacred Ngarama Cave, once home to the Batwa King. The women of the community perform a cultural dance and you can participate in their dance if and only if you’re interested.

The Batwa cultural trail is a very special experience that you can indulge in during your visit in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. In engaging in the memorable Batwa Cultural Trail you will not only be having fun but also you will be supporting a community and improving their standard of living.

Meanwhile, there are so many other amazing activities in the Park like bird watching, and so many others.