Maghinga National Park
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Maghinga National Park
Highlights
- Witness The Mighty Gorilla Kingdom.
- Be a Part of Heritage Route.
- Make Memories For Life Time.
This national park takes its name from Gahinga which is a local word for the piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes. it was declared a game sanctuary in 1930 and was gazette as a national park in 1991. The park has got one habituated trans boundary gorilla group. You can also have a visit to the Batwa and their way of life. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits so high in the clouds at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m and was created to protect the rare mountain gorillas that live it its dense forests and it’s an habitant for the golden monkeys.
The national park has a huge cultural significance in particular for the Batwa pygmies. The tribe of hunter gatherers was the forest’s first people and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unequalled. The park’s striking features are its three conical, extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga Range that lies along the border region of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Mgahinga forms part of the larger Virunga Conservation Area that includes adjacent parks in these countries. The Volcanoes slopes contain many ecosystems and are biologically diverse, and their peaks offer a striking backdrop to this great scenery.
Mgahinga Gorilla National park is situated in southwestern Uganda on the border with Congo and Rwanda. It covers an area of about 33.7 square kilometers, the park is a habitat for man’s closest relatives; the mountain gorillas which roam about the whole forest in search for food. The national park is one of the few places in the world where the endangered mountain gorillas live and it attracts people from different countries to come for gorilla safaris. Mountain gorilla live here because the park has got a thick rain forest with variety of tree species and gorillas that are known as vegetarians.
Gorilla Tracking at the Park
The moment you get to this park; the welcoming atmosphere is real evidence of adventure filled of natural beauty. A day trek through the forest with a well-trained guide who explains the gorilla’s behaviors along the way is a lifetime experience. Gorilla trekking starts from Ntebeko entrance gate at around 8:00am and it takes 2-4 hours. A visitor is expected to budget for his/her time well while with a gorilla family since the maximum time allowed to spend with the gorillas is one hour.
When to track mountain gorillas at Mgahinga Gorilla national park
The best time to visit this park is during the dry seasons when the park is easily accessed. It’s during this time that the thick forests can be penetrated easily and when the paths are not as muddy as it is in the rainy season. The two dry seasons best for gorilla safaris are Mid December to end of February and June to October. However, gorilla tourism is possible throughout the year.
How to get there
By road, one can access the park by use of a car from Kampala via Kabale to Kisoro, this journey takes about 8 hours.ir, one can board a plane from Entebbe to Kisoro Airstrip which is near the park. This is the quickest mode of access and it takes just 1 hour. There are daily schedules flights that must be booked long in advance with your local Uganda safari operator.
Mountain/ Volcanic climbing in Mgahinga National Park
All the three volcanoes in the park can be summited by taking a full day each. The views from the peaks are well worth the effort, taking in Rwanda, DR Congo, the Virungas, Rwenzoris, Bwindi impenetrable Forest and Lake Edward. All the three volcanoes in this park can be summited and it takes about 3 hours to cover the 14km round trip, following a steep ridge up to the peak.
It takes about 6 hours to ascend and descend Mt Gahinga, topped by a swamp filled crater as well as a giant Lobelia. The lucky climbers might spot golden monkeys on their way through the Bamboo forest. Mt Muhavura is the highest peak at 4,127m and this is 12km round trip that takes around 8 hours. Once on top, the hikers are rewarded on a clear day with views of the Virunga Volcanoes, Lake Edward, Bwindi impenetrable Forest and the peaks of the Rwenzoris.
Bird watching in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The best birding in Mgahinga takes in some of its most beautiful scenery in the gorge between Mt Gahinga and Sabinyo, through the Bamboo forest, and in the montane forest, where the beautiful Rwenzori Turaco may be seen. The 3to 4-hour Gorge trail between Gahinga and Sabinyo can offer a spectacular sightings of the Dusky Turtle Dove, Kivu Ground Thrush, Cape Robin chat, Brown crowned Tchagra, regal sun bird, bronze sunbird, blue headed sunbird, black headed waxbill, Rwenzori Batis as well as streaky seedeater.
The other bird areas are at the bamboo belt at about 2,500m above sea level and the tall montane forests at 2,660m. The Rwenzori Turaco is seen at around 2,700m. Along the Uganda- Congo border and the level ground, there are the chubb’s Cisticola, Banded Prinia, Red faced woodland Warbler, Doherty’s Bush shrike and many more.
Hiking and Nature walks in Mgahinga Gorilla
Hiking around the foothills of the Virunga Volcanoes offers the visitors the chance to see forest birds, The Rugezi swamp, bamboo forests, wild vegetation and the great views of the surrounding lakes and agricultural villages. You can have a hike through the forest to the deep sabinyo Gorge which is a massive gash in the flank of Mount Sabinyo and offers good birding opportunities and the chance to find the Rwenzori Turaco. This walk takes four hours and passes through the Rugezi swamp that is fantastic for bird watchers. The walk to the Congo border exceeds different vegetation zones. The Hikers can sight the calderas on top of the Gisozi hill, look out for Kisoro and Bunangana towns and can be captivated by Lake Mutanda. The golden Monkey track is a very gentle steep but an interesting two-hour trek through former farmland to the bamboo forest.
Golden monkey Tracking
A golden Monkey permit costs $ 50 per person for the foreign Nonresidents, $ 40 per person for the foreign residents and shs 20,000 for the East African residents. This cost includes the park entry, the guide fee and one hour you spend with the golden Monkeys. The permits can be booked on ground from the park headquarters in Ntebeko visitor center. The tourists who wish to spend more time and understand the detailed information regarding the golden monkeys can visit the park for the Golden Monkey Habituation experience that costs $100 per person.
Golden Monkey tracking starts with tourists arriving at the park headquarters by 7:30 am for pre tracking briefing about the dos and don’ts of tracking the golden monkeys. The actual trek starts at 8:00am. Hiking through the forest to see the golden monkeys is not so active like gorilla trekking because golden monkeys live in lower areas, so the tourists do not track for more than 3 hours. When the tourists meet with the golden monkey family, they are given 1 hour to spend with them as they take photos. With this activity, there is no minimum number of tourists who track each group and age limit is 12 years of age.