Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park during November
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park during November: Mgahinga national park is one of the areas where mountain gorillas still live. The national park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district. Gorilla trekking is the main activity carried out in Mgahunga national park and it’s done every day of the year. One of the months of gorilla trekking is November and this is a rainy season month in the park.
Things tourists need to know about gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park in November
The roads to the park are muddy and slippery. November is a rainy month in Mgahinga national park therefore tourists should expect a lot of rainfall while on the safari. The rainfall makes the marram roads from Kisoro to Mgahinga national park be muddy and slippery. There are possibilities of the safari vehicle getting stuck on the roads and tourists will need to help the driver and push it.
The vegetation in the park is very tall. Seeing mountain gorillas is every traveler’s dream come true. Seeing mountain gorillas through tall and thick vegetation cover which is always in the park during the rainy season won’t give the vest gorilla trekking experience. Too much rainfall and less sunshine support the quick growth of vegetation inside the park which creates unclear views of mountain gorillas and also leads to bad photography even though the vegetation is so green
The trekking trails in the park are muddy and slippery. During November there is a lot of rainfall in the park almost every day and this can’t leave the trekking trails to dry up. They are always slippery and muddy which makes trekking shoes and clothes very dirty. Locating a mountain gorilla family in case it’s far does take longer hours because the slippery trekking trails slow down the speed of trekkers.
There are chances of seeing mountain gorillas very quick. During the rainy seasons, most of the parts of Mgahinga national park are having a fruiting season and the vegetation is always growing day by day. This means that the mountain gorillas have enough food for themselves. On the day when the mountain gorillas slept near the starting point, the trekkers will take a few hours to meet them because they don’t move so fast when food is everywhere in the park.
The gorilla permit price. The gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga national park in November cost the same money like any other month. Tourists will get the permit at $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East African Member states. Travelers can always purchase their gorilla trekking permits directly from UWA or local tour operators can always help.
The gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga during November
Just like any other month, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park starts very early in the morning at Ntebeko Visitors Center. The activity does start with a briefing where trekkers are taught about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity before heading into the jungle. Only one mountain gorilla family is found in the park which means that only one group not exceeding 8 people does visit the mountain gorillas.
The group of trekkers is led by ranger guides who have firearms into the jungle where they start looking for where the mountain gorillas could be. Searching goes through different trekking trails tracing where the mountain gorillas could have passed or where they could have eaten from. Trekkers during the search get opportunities to see some of the animals, birds, and vegetation within the jungle.
Searching and finding mountain gorillas takes 2 to 7 hours and when the mountain gorillas are spotted, one hour is given to be around the members. The time given to be around mountain gorillas of Nyakagezi family is enough to learn about the behaviors, take photos, watch members carry out daily activities like nesting, eating, playing, coupling, grooming, and much more.
After spending time with the mountain gorillas, armed ranger guides use the shortest trails to get out of the jungle and tourists drive to Ntebeko Visitors to get their gorilla trekking certificates. Tourists visiting Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking must know that there are over 90% of meeting the mountain gorilla family because the rangers keep monitoring them.
What to pack for Mgahinga gorilla trekking safari in November?
November is a rainy month in Mgahinga park therefore tourists need to come with the right essentials to have a successful walk in the jungle. Things needed for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park include waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shorts, a rain jacket, a sweater, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellents, a light backpack, a pair of binoculars, a camera, drinking water bottle, and energy giving snacks to mention but a few.
Accessing Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking in November
Mgahinga national park can be accessed using road transport or air transport and tourists get there in a single day.
Accessing Mgahinga national park by road transport, travelers can access Mgahinga in 9 to 10 hours by driving from Entebbe/Kampala via Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, and Kisoro to the park. Others can drive from Kigali and cross to Uganda using Cyanikia birder in Kisoro and then to the park taking 4 to 5 hours.
Accessing Mgahinga national park by air transport, tourists visiting Mgahinga national park during the month of November can book with the airline companies such as Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda to fly to the park. Flights are from Entebbe international airport and Kajjansi airstrip to Kisoro airstrip which is located not so far from the park. From Kisoro airstrip to Mgahinga national park, it takes a few hours to get to the park using road transport.
