24 Feb Mgahinga gorilla trekking from Nairobi Mgahinga gorilla trekking from Nairobi: A lot of travelers visit Kenya every year for the great migration and big five but there is nothing like seeing the mountain gorillas or doing gorilla trekking. Kenya has no national park that has mountain gorillas but tourists can always meet them in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. In Uganda mountain gorillas are seen in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park. Mgahinga gorilla trekking from Nairobi Tourists from Nairobi that want to see mountain gorillas can visit Mgahinga national park which is one of the places to encounter these apes in the world. Mgahinga national park is located in the southwestern part of the country in Kisoro at the extreme border of Rwanda and DR Congo. From Nairobi, tourists can always visit Mgahinga at any time of the year to see the apes as the park is always open. The fact that Nairobi or Kenya has no mountain gorillas, it requires tourists who want to see them cross to Uganda. From Nairobi, tourists can fly to Entebbe international airport or drive to Uganda via Busia and then to Mgahinga national park. The best option would be flying to Entebbe international airport because it saves one from more than 13 hours of travel. A person from Nairobi does need a safari of 3 days and more if they want to visit Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking. To encounter the mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park, one needs a gorilla trekking permit. It’s a document from Uganda Wildlife Authority allowing tourists to encounter mountain gorillas for 1 hour in their jungle How much is a gorilla trekking permit for Mgahinga from Nairobi? From Nairobi, you need a gorilla trekking permit to encounter the habituated mountain gorilla family of Mgahinga national park. Uganda Wildlife Authority does sell the gorilla permits of Mgahinga national park in three categories. Tourists from Nairobi will get the gorilla trekking permits at a cost of $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East African member states. The gorilla trekking permits when one is coming from Nairobi can be gotten through a trusted local tour operator or directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority. A person needs proper personal details and money to secure themselves a gorilla trekking permit. There are only 8 gorilla permits every day and tourists coming in from Nairobi should know that early booking 3 to 4 months is advised to avoid last-minute booking disappointments. With a gorilla permit, one will be allowed to trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park on the date included on the permit. The trekkers for the day will move with their gorilla trekking permits to Ntebeko Visitors Center to ease the work of the rangers. The rangers only allow people with gorilla permits to be part of the briefing and the trekking team. The gorilla trekking experience from Nairobi Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park does start early in the morning at about 7:30 am. The activity starts with a briefing at Ntebeko Visitors Centre which every person must attend if they are trekking that day. The briefing involves rangers teaching about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity. There is no grouping of trekkers in Mgahinga national park because only 1 mountain gorilla family is available and is trekked by a maximum of 8 people. After the briefing has ended, the rangers with firearms lead trekkers into the jungle where they use different trails to see where the apes could be. The search goes to different areas where rangers know these mountain gorillas like among these include trees. Searching for the mountain gorillas does take 2 to 7 hours and trekkers while searching do get opportunities of meeting different wild animals, birds, and vegetation in the park. After hours of searching, the trekkers will finally meet the mountain gorillas because the chances are more than 90%. The ranger guides will give trekkers 1 hour to be around the mountain gorillas. This time is enough for trekkers to learn about the gorilla habits, take photos and watch the members do daily activities among which include nesting, grooming, coupling, feeding, breastfeeding, and playing among others. After spending time with the mountain gorillas, you do join your group and follow the ranger guides who take you out of the jungle. Your driver guide takes you to Ntebeko Visitors Centre where you pick up your gorilla trekking certificate. After that you can go back to your lodge for lunch as you prepare for another activity or you can drive to the next destination. What does one need to pack for gorilla trekking from Nairobi? Tourists coming in from Nairobi need to pack the right essentials for gorilla trekking if they want to enjoy the activity. Gorilla trekking packing list does include long-sleeved shorts, long-sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, a sweater, a hat, waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, sunscreen, insect repellents, a light backpack, a camera, a pair of binoculars, a drinking water bottle and energy giving snacks among others. When is the best time to go gorilla trekking in Mgahinga from Nairobi? Tourists coming from Nairobi can go gorilla tracking in Mgahinga park at any time of the year however certain months are better than the rest. The dry season months from June to September and December to February are the best for gorilla trekking there for tourists from Nairobi should target such. The above months are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails dry and passable, vegetation is short and scattered with good views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are in good condition. Tourists from Nairobi can also visit Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking during the rainy season because the park is always open. During the rainy season, budget travelers do get discounted accommodation facilities and tour packages. The rainy season is not that good fie gorilla trekking because it has plenty of rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, roads leading to the park are slippery and muddy and the vegetation inside the park is very tall with unclear views of wildlife. Accommodation in Mgahinga national park from Nairobi Tourists coming from Nairobi have a lot of accommodation facilities to stay when they are in Mgahinga national park. Mgahinga national park has a lot of accommodation facilities ranging from budget to mid-range to luxury options with where to stay depending on the client’s budget. The accommodation does include Musasa Mountain Triangle Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Lodge, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, and Mutanda Safari Lodge among others. 0 news