Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Jinja
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Jinja: Jinja is one of the most populated areas in Uganda with different adventurous activities. The area is full of people from different areas of the world and among these include tourists more so those that want to spend some time with the mountain gorillas in the jungle. Are you in Jinja and you would want to spend time with the mountain gorillas, well this article is for you because we are going to show you what it takes to make your dream come true?
Mountain gorillas are endangered species of mountain gorillas said to be close relatives to human beings. There are a lot of travelers who would want to spend some time with them and among these include those in very far countries of Europe, Canada, Australia, and America among others. If you are in Jinja you are very lucky because you are so close to Mgahinga national park.
Tourists from Jinja who would love to encounter mountain gorillas need to get the right local tour operator who will organize for them a very good safari. The main important thing needed on this safari is a gorilla trekking permit and which is obtained from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The cost of a gorilla trekking permit is $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East African member states.
With your gorilla trekking permit secured by Uganda Wildlife Authority, you will be left with moving to Mgahinga national park and carrying out gorilla trekking. Tourists that intend to go gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Jinja can fly to the park or use road transport but what that is used makes them access the park in just a single day.
When trekkers reach the park, they will check on their booked accommodation facilities and wait for mountain gorilla trekking the following day. Unlike chimpanzee trekking which is done twice a day in Kibale forest national park, gorilla trekking happens only once and that is early in the morning. Tourists from Jinja will reach Mgahinga and spend a night before going for gorilla trekking the following day.
The gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga national park from Jinja
On the day of gorilla trekking, tourists from Jinja will move to Ntebeko Visitors Centre where they will other trekkers for the day. Here is where briefing does take place to enable tourists to understand the rules and regulations of the trekking. After the briefing, a group of trekkers will be led into the jungle by armed ranger guides where they will start searching for the endangered mountain gorillas.
Searching for mountain gorillas goes through different trekking trails, visiting different areas where the mountain gorillas are, and the trekkers where they usually pick fruits. Searching takes 2 to 7 hours and the total time taken depends on the location of the apes as well as the speed of the trekkers. During the search, trekkers are able to encounter different wildlife species that live within the park for example mammals, primates, and birds.
When the trekkers see the mountain gorilla family they have been looking for, the armed ranger guides do give 1 hour to be around the apes. The 1 hour is enough for trekkers to watch mountain gorillas carry out daily activities, take photos and learn about their behaviors. When done with the mountain gorillas, trekkers do get out of the jungle and collect their trekking certificates at Ntebeko Visitors Centre.
What to pack for gorilla trekking from Jinja?
Tourists from Jinja coming for gorilla trekking need to pack the right essentials in order to have the best gorilla trekking activity. The essentials for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park include long-sleeved shorts, long-sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, a hat, a sweater, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, waterproof hiking shoes, sunscreen, insect repellents, a camera, a pair of binoculars, a light backpack, drinking water bottle and energy giving snacks among others.
Getting to Mgahinga national park from Jinja
From Jinja to Mgahinga national park tourists can either use road transport or air transport.
Getting to Mgahinga by air transport, tourists will first drive to Kampala or Entebbe where they will board from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip. The flights to Kisoro are organized by AeroLink Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda to enable tourists to access different tourism areas in a few hours.
Tourists from Jinja can still get to Mgahinga national park using road transport. They will drive through Mukono, Kampala, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, and Kisoro to the park. it’s a very long journey but dull of surprise attractions along the way. Tourists who use road transport from Jinja to Mgahinga will have stopovers at the equator, Igongo Cultural Center, and many areas.
When to visit Mgahinga national park from Jinja
Tourists can visit Mgahinga national park from Jinja at any time of the year however certain months are better than the rest. The dry months happening from December to February and June to September are the best to visit Mgahinga national park from Jinja because they have little and sometimes no rainfall. The trekking trails are dry and easily passable, vegetation is short with good views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are passable.
Travelers from Jinja can still visit Mgahinga national park during the rainy season but this favors only budget travelers because lodges and tour packages are discounted. The rainy season has a lot of rainfall which makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are in poor conditions.
