Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

• Mountain gorillas
• Bird species
• Golden monkeys
• Mount Gahinga
• Mount Sabinyo
• Mount Muhavura
• Other wild life like elephants, Buffaloes, antelopes  and olive boboons.

1. Gorilla Trekking
They are evolutionarily close to humans and it is believed that they share 98% of our DNA. Gorilla gestation period is 8.5 months but is very hard to know that a female gorilla is pregnant since it has a big stomach. Young gorillas acts like little human children they play with their fellow young ones, climb trees, stumble, they are fed and nursed by their mothers up to around 3 years.  Young gorillas do grow faster than the human babies for example they start to crawl at 9 weeks.  Gorilla do smile, they survive on vegetation such as stems, shoots, roots, leaves among others.   Like human being, gorillas do live in families which are headed by silverbacks (Adult male gorillas with silvery fur running across their backs and hips). Gorillas keep on moving from one place to other looking for food. The dominant silverbacks always make huts every evening where their families will spend the night.  What is funny with dominant silver backs, they are polygamous, they can mate with all females in their family/group. The life span of these endangered primates is approximately 35-50 years. Diseases which kills human beings also kills gorillas for the example the in november and december Ebola disease break out called death to  8 gorilla families which studied on by  researchers in 1994.

2. Gorilla habituation

Not like gorilla tracking where tourists are supposed to stay in gorilla’s presence for not more than one hour, gorilla habituation goes beyond. Tourists are allowed to take more than one hour with the gorillas getting enough time to watch gorilla behaviors critically for example how the infants play with each other, how the female takes care of their little ones, how they communicate to each other, how they laugh, what annoys them and to the researchers it simplifies work for them. They do get fast hand information from gorillas at the same time enjoying and getting a memorable great adventure.

3. Bird watching
At the park they do offer free birding. The tour guides are available from 5-6pm to take you around for bird watching and these are some of the bird species you will come across. The Ruwenzori Batis, the Ruwenzori Turaco, the Rwenzori Nightjar, the Archer’s Robin-chat, the Grey Capped Warbler, the Kivu Ground-Thrush, the Olive Pigeon, The wax bills, the Olive WoodPeckers, Alpine and many others

4. Mountain Climbing
Hiking is done in several national parks but if you really want to enjoy hiking, Mgahinga gorilla national park has the best and it has 3 options namely:

1. Mount Gahinga

It is Loved and easy to climb because it takes only 6 hours to climb to the top and to slope down. It is 3,474m in height. While on the top there is a crater lake with a beautiful view surrounded by giant lobelia there is also bamboo forest habiting golden monkeys.

2. Mount Sabinyo:

It is 6 kilometers to reach at the peak of the mount, taking 8 hours of climbing. It is the hardest to climb among the 3 mounts. It gives an amazing nature walk and on your way you may meet golden monkeys, elephants and different bird species like the Ruwenzori Turacco, Ruwenzori Abitis plus many others.

3. Mount Muhavura:

It is the highest peak amongst the 3 mounts in Mgahinga national park and 4,127m high. While on top of the mount, tourists do enjoy the amazing scenery of Lake Edward, Mountain Rwenzori national park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park and a beautiful view of Virunga national park.

5. Golden monkey tracking:
It is really a unique experience and only found in Mgahinga gorilla national park here in Uganda. These are endangered primates and considered to be old world monkeys. Golden monkeys are mostly found in Mgahinga gorilla national park, Virunga Volcano mountains, Virunga national park and Kahuzi –Biega national park. They do move in group of 8 to 60 monkeys and they feed on bamboo leaves, bamboo stems, bamboo roots and fruits. Their favorite place of stay is in bamboo forests. Golden monkey tracking is really an amazing adventure to tourists.

6. Nature walk

This is done through several vegetation covers, around Mt Sabyingo areas having a clear and beautiful view of Sabyinyo gorge or you can decide to walk to caldera located on top of Gisozi hill.

7. Batwa trailing and cultural experience

The Batwa used to stay in forests of Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park before they were gazetted in 1991 and they were based in Virunga mountains. The more interesting thing about the Batwa trail is the Ngaramo cave which is at the bottom of mount Mgahinga. Tourists are guided by the Batwa tour guide to this underground place which is now a home for bats. These people are no longer staying in Mgahinga gorilla national park they do stay in nearby villages of Kebiremo village in Kangugu district and also in Kisoro district. Currently some Batwa’s do work as tour guides to the tourists telling them all their myths and traditional culture, others do engage in singing and cultural dancing. Others do illustrations like how they used to collect honey, dress up and many others. A good Samaritan called Scott Kellerman an American medical doctor and an Episcopalian missionary built a hospital for them. He made sure that every person has a medical insurance and he also built school. Now days for a small extent some Batwa are educated. The tour starts from Muhavura cave and the guide takes you around showing you a lot and demonstrating what they used to do in this forest before it was gazetted in 1991. It is really a beautiful experience and adventure with the Batwa tribe.

Mgahinga Gorilla National park is has good hotels and lodges where the tourists spend their nights, these include:

1. Gorilla safari lodge.
2. The garden place hotel
3. Silverback hotel
4. Lake Kivu Serena hotel
5. Savanah Resort