Mountain Gorillas in Uganda.
Mgahinga national park is the best destination for gorilla trekking. The park hosts only one gorilla family called Nyakagezi. Besides gorillas, the park inhabits various primates including golden monkeys, baboons, black and white monkey, H’oest monkey, red tailed monkey and many more. Mgahinga national park is the home of various bird species like long horned billed bird, handsome franklin, blue turacos, kingfishers, Grey craned bird, ring necked, sparrow, and many more.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in south western part of Uganda neighbouring Rwanda, Congo and Rwanda. The park is a tropical forest which inhabits endangered mountain gorillas, various bird species, and many more. The park is a home of 24 gorilla families which are located in four sectors that is buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. Bwindi hosts about 450 individuals which is half of gorilla population in the world.
Mgahinga and bwindi can be accessed by either private or public vehicles passing via Masaka –Mbarara –Kabale route taking about 9-10 hours depending on which sector you’re heading too. Although the journey seems to be long, t is worthy it due to beautiful sceneries spotted along the wa like Lake Mburo national park, beautiful terraces of Kabale, mountains, Equator, and many more. However bwindi and mgahinga can be also be accessed via Rwanda which takes about 5-6 hours.
Rwanda Mountain gorillas.
Volcano national park is located in southern part of Rwanda in virunga conservation area neighboring Uganda and Congo. The park is a home of endangered mountain gorillas and bird species including handsome franklin, Ruwenzori turaco, Ruwenzori batis, strange weaver, Ruwenzori double-collared sunbird, dusky crimson-wing, red-faced woodland warbler, collard apalis and many more. Visitors are briefed to pack comfortable hiking boots, cameras, binoculars, long trousers, long t-shirts, hiking sticks, rain coat, water &snacks and many more.
The park can be accessed by private or public vehicles from Kigali airport to the park taking about 4-5 hours which is worthy the journey. The park headquarters are located in kinigi which lies 12km north of musanze and visitors are advised to be at the headquarters at exactly 7:00am for briefing before gorilla trekking.
Congo mountain Gorillas.
Virunga national park is located democratic Republic of Congo largely along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east. The park covers an area of 8,090 km2 (3,120 sq mi) above the sea level. The national park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its rich diversity of habitats, exceptional biodiversity and endemism, and its protection of rare mountain gorilla habitat.
Despite Congo being the home of mountain gorillas, it has been recorded that since 1994, it has been affected by civil wars which affected the tourism industry in Congo.
What to pack for gorilla trekking?
- camera
- binocular
- Comfortable hiking boots.
- Long trousers. Long t-shirts
- Water & snacks.
- Hiking sticks.
- Rain coat
What are the dos and don’ts of Gorilla trekking?
Visitors are first briefed to know dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking including,
- Upon meeting the endangered mountain gorillas, you are allowed to spend a maximum of one hour with them to prevent over-stressing them
- Visitors are grouped in 8 individuals to visit different gorilla families to avoid congestion.
- Visitors are advised to lower their voices while they are in the forest and when they are with mountain gorillas.
- During the gorilla trekking experience, trekkers must maintain a minimum distance of 7 meters (about 21 feet) from the gorillas. This reduces the risk of disease transmission and stress to the animals.
- Visitors under 15 years age are allowed to track however the under age children are not allowed.
- Visitors are allowed to use cameras but without the flash lights which may terrify the gorillas.
- Visitors are given one hour visit while they are with mountain gorillas.
- Illed visitors are not allowed to trek mountain gorillas because gorillas may be affected.
.How to access parks in virunga conservation area?
Mgahinga national park
Mgahinga national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda in kisoro district. The park can be accessed by either road transport of air transport. By road transport, visitors may use either private or public vehicles taking about 9=10 hours from Kampala using Masaka-Mbarara- Kabale route. However the park can be accessed via Rwanda which takes about 5 hours.
However by air transport, visitors may fly from Kajjassi or Entebbe International airport to kisoro airstrip. By flight, the journey takes about one and half hours to kisoro airstrip where visitors will have few drives to the park.
Virunga national park
Virunga national park is located in eastern part of Congo in the Albertine Rift valley. The park can be accessed by either road or air transport. Visitors may fly into Kigali International Airport in Rwanda, then drive to the Rwanda-Congo border at Gisenyi. From there, you will cross into Goma, DR Congo, and continue to the park’s headquarters, which is approximately two hours by car.
Volcano national park.
The easiest to reach Volcanoes National Park is to use Musanze which was called Ruhengeri which can be basically reached by using a public transport from Gisenyi, and Kigali on the very day you track (you need to be present at the ORTPN office in Kinigi, along the park entrance, by 07.00), however this is not a dependable choice of using public transport. From Kigali, the park can also be accessed through Tumba and Ruhondo taking about 106 kilometers (2-3 hours’ drive) from Kigali city.
