Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Europe

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Europe: The most done activity in Mgahinga national park by tourists from different parts of the world is gorilla trekking. Mgahinga national park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district harboring endangered species of primates which can’t be seen in most places in the world. Mgahinga national park harbors some of the remaining species of mountain gorillas left surviving in the wild.

Europe is the second smallest continent in the world with over 45 countries. Among these countries are tourists who love to meet mountain gorillas that are said to be close relatives to human beings with a human DNA of 98%, Mountain gorillas are not in any of the protected areas in Europe but there are in a few places in East Africa. One of those few places to meet the gorillas is Mgahinga national park located in the southwestern part of Uganda.

Mgahinga national park is the smallest national park in Uganda with a population of over 100 mountain gorillas. Some of the mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park have been habituated meaning tourists can encounter them in their natural habitat. The mountain gorilla family habituated was named Nyakagezi and tourists including those from Europe can see it only if they have gorilla permits.

How much are gorilla trekking permits of Mgahinga national park from Europe

It doesn’t matter the country you are coming from because UWA sells gorilla permits to tourists of categories. A single gorilla trekking permit is sold at $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 members of East African states. If you are in Europe and would love to have a gorilla permit to spend time with the mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park then you need to buy one from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or a local tour operator.

Tourists coming in from European countries need to know that there are only 8 gorilla trekking permits in Mgahinga national park because of the one gorilla family so far habituated there. To avoid last-minute booking disappointments, tourists are advised to do gorilla permit booking 3 to 4 months or more in advance.

The gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga national park from Europe

A maximum number of 8 people does trek a mountain gorilla family in Mgahinga national park every day. Tourists from Europe will join a group of trekkers at Ntebeko Visitors Centre early in the morning. Here is where the briefing is conducted and it involves trekkers learning the rules and regulations of trekking before heading into the jungle.

Rangers with firearms lead trekkers into the jungle where they use different routes to search for where the apes could be. The search for mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park comes with opportunities of meeting different animals, birds, and vegetation covers. The search goes from 1 hour to 6 hours and the trekking time taken to locate the gorilla family depends on the location of the mountain gorillas as well as the speed of the trekkers.

The moment the mountain gorillas of Nyakagezi family are located, trekkers are given 1 hour to be around them. This enables the trekkers to learn about the gorilla habits, take photos and watch members do daily activities among which include nesting, hunting, coupling, eating, breastfeeding, and paling among others. After seeing the mountain gorillas, trekkers will drive back to the briefing point where they will collect their gorilla trekking certificates.

What to pack for your gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga national park from Europe?

To have the best of gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Europe you need a packing list for gorilla trekking activity. Some of the items that shouldn’t miss on this trekking list include long-sleeved shorts, long-sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, a hat, a sweater, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, waterproof hiking shoes, a camera, a pair of binoculars, a light backpack, drinking water bottle and energy giving snacks among others.

Accommodation on a gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga national park from Europe

Tourists from Europe to Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking that would love to spend a night or more within the park have alit of accommodation facilities where they will stay. The accommodation facilities vary from budget to mid-range to luxury options for example Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Musasa Mountain Triangle Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Lodge, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Mount Gahinga Lodge, and Mutanda Safari Lodge to mention but a few.

Getting to Mgahinga national park from Europe

Tourists from Europe that are coming for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park will have to first fly to Kigali or Entebbe international airport. From Kigali to Mgahinga national ark tourists do use road transport while Entebbe to Mgahinga national park tourists can either use road transport or air transport.

By road transport, tourists who use Kigali international airport will connect to Mgahinga national park in 4 to 5 hours once they use Cyanika border in Kisoro. Tourists from Europe that use Entebbe international airport will go through Kampala, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, and finally Kisoro to the park. The road transport journey from Entebbe international airport is 9 to 10 hours and includes different stopovers along the way.

When is the best time to go gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Europe?

Tourists that are coming in from European countries need to know that Mgahinga national park experiences two rainy seasons and two dry seasons. The two dry seasons are the best to visit Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking from Europe because this is when the park is experience little or no rainfall. During the dry season, the roads leading to the park are passable, trekking trails are dry and easier to navigate, and vegetation is short and scattered with good views of wildlife.

Tourists from Europe can still visit Mgahinga national park during the rainy season since the park is always open. A few tourists visit Mgahinga national park during the rainy season because of the too much rainfall received with the park. The rainfall makes trekking trails muddy and slippery which slows down the speed of trekkers, roads leading to the park are impassable, and the vegetation is tall giving unclear views of wildlife.