Visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the raw beauty of Africa and encounter critically endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Visiting Bwindi and Mgahinga is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that combines adventure with conservation and cultural immersion making it an unforgettable journey into the heart of Uganda’s wilderness.
Both Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable are homes to many Uganda’s mountain gorillas. It is possible to trek mountain gorillas in both parks by booking gorilla permits of each. These two national Park are close to each other and one can trek Gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable National Park, drive and trek gorillas in Mgahinga National Park the next day.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a large primeval forest located in south-western Uganda in the Kanungu District. The Bwindi Forest is on the edge of the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, at elevations ranging from 1,160 to 2,607 meters
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is true African Jungle. It is so called because the dense undergrowth, vines and other vegetation make it almost ‘impenetrable’.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park covers 32,000 hectares and is known for its exceptional biodiversity with more than 160 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns. Many types of birds and butterflies can also be found in Bwindi Park as well as many endangered species including the mountain gorilla.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest provides a unique and rewarding bird watching experience, allowing enthusiasts to encounter a remarkable variety of bird species in a pristine and biodiverse environment.
Major rivers that rise in the park include the Ivi, Munyaga, Ihihizo, Ishasha, and Ntengyere rivers which flow into Lake Edward. Other rivers flow into Lakes Mutanda and Bunyonyi. Bwindi supplies water to local agricultural areas.
Wildlife in Bwindi Forest include; Elephants, duikers, buffaloes, golden cats, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, black-fronted Duiker, yellow-backed duiker, clawless otter, side-striped jackal, civet, numerous bats and rodents and many other animals.
Mgahinga National Park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m. As its name suggests, it was created to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, and it is also an important habitat for the endangered golden monkey.
The park also has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the indigenous Batwa pygmies. This tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s “first people”, and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivaled.
Mgahinga boasts of over 76 mammals which include elephants, giant forest hog, bush pigs, bush back. Buffalos, leopards, A bird checklist of over 180 species including the 14 endemic Albertine rift notably the Kivu ground thrush and turaco.
The park takes its name from “Gahinga” – the local word for the piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes.
Mgahinga has one habituated transboundary gorilla group known as Nyakagezi and trekking it is very difficult since the group moves far in search of food and that’s why gorilla trekking in Uganda is mostly done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Sample of how you can explore Bwindi & Mgahinga Gorilla Parks from Kigali city;
On arrival in Kigali city, you will be picked up by our experienced guide/driver who will brief you about the safari. Later transfer to Uganda (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park) through the Cyanika (Kisoro district) or Katuna (Kabale district) border. Upon reaching the park, you will check-in at your booked accommodation for lunch and after go for a community walk in the nearby communities and this is optional you can either do it if you are not all that tired or leave it and rest in order to prepare for the next day’s activity. After the community walk, you can return to the lodge for dinner and sleepover. Accommodation options Buhoma lodge, Buhoma haven, Buhoma community rest camp and many others.
Wake up very early in the morning and have your tea. Then proceed to the park’s headquarters for briefing about the rules and regulations followed during gorilla trekking. The trekking takes about some good hours and on the way, you will encounter with other primates such as De Brazza monkeys, Red-tailed Monkey, Blue Monkey, black-and-white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Potto, Demidoff’s Galago, Spectacled Galago, Baboons and many others.
After gorilla trekking, you will return to the lodge for lunch and relaxing. Afterwards, transfer to Mgahinga National Park and an arrival, you will check-in at your booked accommodation for dinner and sleepover. Accommodation options include Gahinga lodge, Mulehe safari lodge, Travelers rest hotel.
In the morning you will have your breakfast and prepare for golden monkey trekking. The activity begins with a briefing at the park’s headquarter. After briefing, you will head into the forest on foot and start searching for golden monkeys. After locating them, you will be allowed to spend with them 1 hour and return to lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will checkout at the lodge, meet your driver and transfer back to Kigali International Airport to catch up with your flight back home and that will be the end of your Bwindi-Mgahinga visit in Uganda. NB: Gorilla permits cost USD800 per person and golden monkey trekking costs USD 60 per individual.
