Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park in December
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park in December: Mgahinga national park in December is beautiful with short green pastures, minimal dust levels, and drier trekking trails. December is a month a high number of tourists visit the park for mountain gorilla trekking. This national park is home t a few mountain gorillas with only 1 habituated mountain gorilla family.
Ngainga national park was gazetted in 1991 to protect mountain gorillas, other wildlife species, and vegetation. At the time of gazetting the national park, a mountain gorilla family named Nyakagezi was habituated and it completed the activity in 1993. Every day of the year Nyakagezi is open for trekking activities including the days of December
For any tourists to go gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park during December or any other month, they need a gorilla permit. A gorilla permit is a document issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority allowing tourists to be part of the team to encounter a mountain gorilla family. Only one mountain gorilla family named Nyakagezi is found in Mgahinga national park and 8 permits are up for sale on a day.
What is the cost of a gorilla trekking permit in the month of December?
The gorilla trekking permit price is always the same every month of the year. Tourists who want to carry out gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park during the month of December can always get permits at $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East African member states.
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park in December
During the month of December, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park gives out the best experience. This is because there is little or no rainfall expected, the trekking trails are dry and easier to navigate, and the roads leading to the park are in good condition. Trekking during the month of December starts very early in the morning like in any month. The trekking starts with a briefing at the park head offices where rangers teach the rules and regulations of the activity.
Mountain gorilla trekking is done by a maximum of 8 people and these are led by rangers with firearms. The rangers take trekkers into the jungle using different trekking trails where they start searching for where the mountain gorillas could be. The search lasts for 2 to 7 hours and trekkers always get opportunities of meeting different wildlife species which live in the park.
When the mountain gorilla family is spotted which is Nyakagezi, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be around them. This time enables trekkers to learn about the gorilla habits, take photos and watch the members carry out day to day activities which include nesting, coupling, eating, breastfeeding, hunting, and grooming among others. After spending time with mountain gorillas, the trekkers trek out of the jungle and move to Ntebeko where they pick up their trekking certificates.
What to pack for Mgahinga gorilla trekking in December?
To have the best of gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park during the month of December, you must pack the right essentials. Tourists going for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park during December need to pack waterproof hiking shoes, a pair of gaiters, long cotton stocks, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shorts, a hat, a sweater, a rain jacket, insect repellents, sunscreen, light backpack, a camera, a pair of binoculars, energy giving snacks, and a drinking water bottle among others.
Where to stay on your gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga national park in December?
There are not so many accommodation facilities in Mgahinga national park being that it’s a small national park. The accommodation facilities are f Budget, mid-range, and luxury options therefore since December is a busy month tourists need to book early in advance to get the lodges of their choice. The lodges include Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Musasa Mountain Triangle Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Tiloreza Volcanoes Lodge, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mount Gahinga Lodge, and Mutanda Safari Lodge among others.
Accessing Mgahinga national park in December
Mgahinga national park can be accessed by either road transport or air transport in a single day. Tourists choose the mode of transport to while visiting Mgahinga national park based on their travel budget and choices.
Accessing Mgahinga national park by air transport, it takes 1 hour and 25 minutes to get to Kisoro airstrip and about one hour to get to Mgahinga national park. Air transport is done by different airline companies like Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda with advance flight bookings.
Accessing Mgahinga national park by road transport, tourists can access Mgahinga national park from either Kigali or Entebbe/Kampala. From Kigali it takes 4 to 5 hours to get to Mgahinga national park including the border crossing time at Cyanika. From Entebbe/Kampala tourists need 9 to 10 hours to get to Mgahinga national park by going through Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kable, and Kisoro to the park.
During the month of December getting to Mgahinga national park has no challenges because the weather is always good. The skies are so clear favoring air transport to the park. The road to Mgahinga national park from Entebbe to Kisoro is well constructed and from the main road in Kisoro to the park it’s marram however, during December it can be dusty but not slippery to increase the time taken to access the park which means that tourists will always reach the park in time without any difficulty.
