Mgahinga gorilla trekking safari from Australia
Mgahinga gorilla trekking safari from Australia: Mountain gorilla trekking is among the most loved tourism activities in the world. This is because scientists discovered that these apes have 98% human DNA making them close relatives. So many tourists from different parts of the world including those from Australia dream of meeting these primate species.
Mountain gorillas can’t survive in all places of the world and this is why they are found in a few places and East Africa is the luckiest in the whole world. Tourists can meet the mountain gorillas in the Virunga conservation area that comprises Mgahinga, Virunga, and Volcanoes national park. Another place where tourists can meet more than half of the remaining population of mountain gorillas is Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.
People from Australia can meet mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park and which is located in the southwestern part of Uganda. Mgahinga national park is a beautiful area made of bamboo and afro montane vegetation cover which are homes to endangered mountain gorillas.
How much does gorilla permits for Mgahinga national park costs?
For any traveler to encounter mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park they need a valid gorilla trekking permits from Uganda Wildlife Authorit. Gorilla permits are legal cards allowing a tourist to be around a mountain gorilla family for a maximum of 1 hour. 8 gorilla trekking permits are in Mgahinga national park and each cost $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East African member states.
The fact that 8 gorilla permits are available in Mgahinga national park, tourists from Australia are advised to do gorilla permit bookings 3 to 4 months are more early in advance to help them avoid last-minute booking disappointments. Tourists who want gorilla permits can either contact local tour operators or book directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga
We all know that a maximum of 8 people does trek Nyakagezi gorilla family of Mgahinga national park. Travelers from Australia on the day of gorilla trekking will join a group of others trekkers at Ntebeko Visitors Centre where briefing does take place. The briefing session involves rangers teaching the rules and regulations of the activity as well as what to expect.
A group of people not exceeding 8 people is led by armed ranger guides whose role is to look for mountain gorillas and take you through the right trekking trails. Searching for the mountain gorilla family goes to different corners of the park for 2 to 6 hours. During the search, trekkers are able to encounter different wildlife species and vegetation.
As soon as the mountain gorillas are located, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be around them and this enables them to learn about their habits, take photos, record videos and watch the members do daily activities which including coupling, grooming, nesting, playing, and breastfeeding among others. Trekkers later trek out of the jungle and drive to Ntebeko Visitors Center where they collect their trekking certificate.
Accommodation in Mgahinga in your gorilla trekking safari in Australia
Tourists that are coming in Mgahinga park from Australia need to know that a lot of accommodation facilities are available in the park for tourists who would love to spend a night or more. Some of the accommodation facilities to use while in Mgahinga national park include Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Musasa Mountain Triangle Lodge, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Lodge, and Mutanda Safari Lodge to mention but a few.
Best time for Mgahinga gorilla trekking safari from Australia
If you are in Australia intending to visit Mgahinga national park knowing the best time for Mgahinga gorilla safari is very important. Well, the the two dry seasons which occur from June to September and December to February is the best time for Mgahinga gorilla safari . This is when the park is experiencing little or no rainfall leaving the trekking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is short and thin with good views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are in a good state.
Tourists from Australia can still visit Mgahinga national park during the rainy season and this is from March to May and October to November. These months are full of rainfall every day which makes the trekking trails stay muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall and thick with unclear views of wildlife and poor photography, and roads leading to the park are in bad states.
Getting to Mgahinga national park from Australia
Tourists coming from Australia must fly to Entebbe international airport or Kigali international airport first to connect to Mgahinga national park. From Kigali, tourists use road transport to Mgahinga and from Entebbe, it’s road transport or air transport depending on the client’s budget.
By road transport, tourists from Entebbe international airport will drive through Kampala, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, and Kisoro to the park taking 9 to 10 hours. From Kigali, it takes 4 to 5 hours for tourists to cross to Uganda using Cyanika border and then to Mgahinga national park on road. Road transport from these two locations comes with great views of the surrounding attractions along the way.
By air transport which is used by luxury travelers and those that hate traveling a 9 to 10 hours journey, different airline companies among which include Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda have internal flights to different tourist destinations among which include Mgahinga national park. Flights take 1 hour and 25 minutes from Entebbe international airport and Kajjansi airstrip to Kisoro airstrip which is found close to the park.
