Uganda is one of the three countries in Africa that are
blessed to be with the endangered mountain gorillas. It is of common knowledge
that gorilla trekking in Africa is only done in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.
They are the only countries where travelers get opportunities of having real up
close encounters with the great apes in their natural environments.
Apparently, gorilla
trekking in Uganda is done in two national parks of Bwindi impenetrable forest
national park and Mgahinga national park, both located in southwestern Uganda
and part of the Virunga ranges shared by
three countries.
Uganda has more than 500 mountain gorillas calling her two
national parks homes, which is almost three quarters of the total remaining
population of gorillas in the world. This is probably the reason why gorilla
trekking is the prime tourism activity in Uganda. Travelers barely leave the
country without trekking the gentle giants in the impenetrable forests.
Before visitors decide to book their gorilla safaris in Uganda, they need to convince themselves that
they are choosing the best destination for gorilla trekking in Uganda. For this
reason, we compare gorilla trekking in
Bwindi and that in Mgahinga national park. And note that all these parks
furnish awesome trekking experiences, but basing on the needs and expectations
of the travelers, comparison maybe vital.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is a UNESCO world
heritage center situated in southwestern Uganda in Kisoro, Kanungu and Kabale
districts. More than 400 mountain gorillas call it a home and this is the
park’s flagship. Almost half of the world’s total population of mountain
gorillas dwell here, putting Bwindi on the travel map of the world.
Mgahinga national park is also located in southwestern Uganda, though at the extreme corner
of the country in Kisoro district. The park is positioned on the Virunga ranges
shared by three countries of Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo. In contrast to
Bwindi, Mgahinga has very few mountain gorilla hiding it its tropical forests.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has 14 habituated
gorilla families compared to the one group in Mgahinga national park. Trekkers
in Mgahinga are only exposed to only Nyakagezi gorilla family, but in Bwindi,
trekkers have a variety of families to trek in one of the four gorilla regions.
In Buhoma region located in the
north of the park, travelers can trek the Mubare, Habinyanja, Rushegura and
Katwe gorilla family which is the most recent habituated troop. From the
eastern side in Ruhija, one can visit the Kyaguriro, Oruzongo or Bitukura
families. And travelers that opt for the southern region are sure of trekking
in either in Nkuringo or Rushaga sectors for numerous gorilla families that
reside there.
Both Mgahinga and Bwindi are accessed by road using the same
route going through Mbarara, Kabale and Kisoro. They can also be accessed by
air and flights don’t take more than two hours from Entebbe international
airport to Kisoro using Aero link.
About the accommodation, Bwindi impenetrable forest national
has lodges spread all around the forest ranging from budget, midrange to luxury
that give trekkers chances to decide accordingly. But in Mgahinga national
park, there are limited options to choose from, the only upmarket lodge here is
Gahinga lodge and the rest are located in Kisoro town.
For Bwindi’s closer proximity to other national parks also
makes it the most appropriate destination for trekking the gorillas in Uganda as it can easily combine with other park
activities for memorable experiences. It is just a two hour drive from Bwindi
to Queen Elizabeth national park, so a traveler heading to Bwindi can easily do
a gorilla and wildlife safari in Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest national park and with the highest
number of wildlife species in Uganda. It is famously known for its beautiful
landscapes filled with craters rolled in the soaring hills in western Uganda.
One thing that visitors never miss out while in this park is a boat ride on
Kazinga channel joining Lake Edward and Lake George, it is probably the longest
channel in the world. Also lion tracking is rampant here as the park is the
only place with tree climbing lions, a species that is most sought by almost
all visitors in Uganda in her Ishasha sector.
Indeed, if it’s an African gorilla safari, and it’s not in
Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, then it’s not worth it.
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