Honeymoon safaris in Mgahinga national park
Honeymoon safaris in Mgahinga national park: One of the best areas a couple that has always dreamt of seeing mountain gorillas should visit is Mgahinga national park. Honeymoon safaris in Mgahinga national park would make a couple’s dream come true. Mgahinga national park is one of the areas that harbor mountain gorillas in the world. The national park is found in southwestern Uganda near Rwanda and DR Congo borders.
Honeymoon safaris in Mgahinga national park can be organized at any time of the year as the national park is always open. On such a safari, mountain gorilla trekking is always the major activity however if time allows couples can always engage in other activities carried out inside and outside the national park.
Mountain gorilla trekking on honeymoon safaris in Mgahinga gorilla park is only possible for travelers that have gorilla trekking permits. One must have a gorilla trekking permit to be part of the gorilla trekking team in Mgahinga ngorilla park. A couple needs to set the dates of their honeymoon safaris and contact a local tour operator or Uganda Wildlife Authority for their gorilla trekking permits to be booked.
With gorilla trekking permits, a couple on a honeymoon safari will be allowed to go gorilla trekking which will allow them to see the endangered mountain gorilla in their natural habitats. On a honeymoon safari in Mgahinga national park, couples can always engage in other activities such as golden monkey trekking, bird watching, Batwa community visit, and nature walks among others.
Activities to do in Mgahinga national park on a honeymoon safaris
There are several activities tourists can do on a safari to Mgahinga among which include:
Mountain gorilla trekking
This is the main reason couples visit Mgahinga gorilla park for they want to see mountain gorillas. As we all know one must have a gorilla trekking
permit to see the mountain gorillas, couples should also know that on the day of gorilla trekking they do join a team of trekkers since the activity is done by a maximum of 8 people. Mountain gorilla trekking does start with a briefing and trekkers are able to learn about the dos and don’ts of the activity.
The couples and other trekkers are given armed ranger guides to lead them into the jungle where they start searching for where the apes could be. The search goes through different trails looking for footprints, the food they could have eaten, and much more. It takes 2 to 7 hours to locate the mountain gorilla family and the time taken normally depend on the nature of the trails as well as the speed of trekkers.
When Nyakagezi mountain gorilla family is located, all trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the members and this enables them to learn about their habits, take photos and watch the members carry out day to day activities like coupling, grooming, nesting, hunting, and breastfeeding among others. Later trekkers leave the jungle and drive to Ntebeko for their trekking certificates.
Golden monkey trekking
Mgahinga national park is the only place where golden monkeys can be found in Uganda therefore couples on a honeymoon safari have got a chance to see them if they want to have their honeymoon safari done in Mgahinga national park. Couples who want to see the golden monkeys must have golden monkey trekking permits.
Just like mountain gorilla trekking, couples will start the activity with a briefing and armed ranger guides lead them into the jungle. The search for golden monkeys is easy as these normally hang in bamboo trees. Rangers will visit a few bamboo trees and will find the monkeys in 2 to 3 hours. 1 hour will be given to be with a troop and trekkers will get an opportunity of watching them carry out daily activities, take photos and learn about their habits.
Bird watching
For couples who love birds, birding watching on honeymoon safaris in Mgahinga national park is a thing that shouldn’t be missed out. Mgahinga national park as small as it has over 180 bird species 14 of which are endemic to the Albertine rift region. Couples who will include bird watching on their list of activities need to pack a birding book, voice recorder, and a pair of binoculars to see birds clearly.
Batwa community visit
Visiting the Batwa people is one way of exploring African culture. Couples on their honeymoon safari to Mgahinga national park in their free time can take a visit to different homes of the Batwa. The Batwa were forest dwellers not until they were evicted from the forest to gazette the area as a national park. The shortest group of people left the jungle and decided to settle in the areas around the park.
On safaris to Mgahinga national park couples who would love to see the Batwa are always taken to their homes. The Batwa local guides lead the activity and they take you to different homesteads within the community. You can visit the traditional healers who use local herbs to cure diseases, coffee or winemakers and you could also visit schools and hospitals in the local community. At the end of the visit, you will be entertained by traditional dancers through music and drama.
What is the best period honeymooners need to visit Mgahinga national park?
We all know honeymoons can happen at any time of the year however those that have theirs during the dry season get the best from Mgahinga national park. Mgahinga gorilla park is best visited during the dry seasons from June to September and December to February. This time has little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails dry and easier to navigate, vegetation is short with nice views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are passable.
Couples can still have their honeymoon safaris in Mgahinga national park in the rainy season if it happens that time. The rainy season we are talking about months from March to May and October to November which have plenty of rainfall. The rainy season never gives out the best because trekking trails are muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are not so good.
Accommodation on honeymoon safaris in Mgahinga national park
A honeymoon is always a time to remember in the life of a couple, therefore, such people need to sleep in the best accommodation facilities within the park. The accommodation facilities can be of mid-range or luxury options with the best services. Not so many accommodation facilities are within Mgahinga national park however couples can use lodges such as Mount Gahinga Lodge.
