Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the tourist attractions enjoyed in Kisoro district, southwestern Uganda, this park is a part of the great Virunga Conservation Area, which is 434km. Although it is the smallest national park in the country covering about 33.7km, it is very important given that it is one of the only two parks in Uganda that offer habitat for the endangered mountain gorillas that are as few as 900 individuals left in the whole world.Many travelers who have visited this park hail it for its great scenery and amazing beauty.
Location of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in South Western Uganda. The park can be accessed by road from Kampala – a journey takes about 12 hours. Many travelers also travel to the park from Kigali, Rwanda – a journey that takes about 3-4 hours.
Things to See & Do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mountain gorillas is one of the key tourist attractions in this national park and the main reason as to why this park was created. At 600 US dollars, travelers can book permits to take gorilla tours within the montane forest. Nothing is as rewarding as taking an adventure to track mountain gorillas.
Besides the mountain gorillas, other animals found in the park include; buffaloes, elephants, bush bucks and the threatened golden monkey among others making game viewing another key activity within this park. Golden monkey tracking is also another primate viewing that travelers enjoy in the Mgahinga Forest.
The rich and unique culture of the Bafumbira and Batwa enhance the display/performance of beautiful cultural dances and practices which leaves you yearning for more. These performances are done on request by the visitors.
Market visits are on a particular day of the week. This is usually a life time experience for you. Community visits are also organized so the visitors can get to know more about the people of Kisoro (Bafumbira and Batwa).
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers three extinct volcanoes for physically fit hikers. The three volcanoes, Mt.Sabyinyo, Mt. Muhavura offer excellent volcano climbing experiences as well as Cave Exploration. Garama cave is one of the caves where the once crafty Batwa (who were warriors) lived and fought their neighbors, the Bantu. The cave is 3kms from the park headquarters and it takes about 4 hours. The guide will show you how the Batwa lived and fought out of the cave. The cave is 342m in length and 14m deep and is now inhabited only by bats.
Kisoro has a number of crater lakes, the most outstanding being the emerald-green Lake Mutanda located 14kms north of Kisoro town. The lake offers the best experience of sun downers/sunset cruises. It is also ideal for canoeing, fishing and other recreational activities. Avi-tourism is also a fast growing activity in this area. This activity is carried out along the edge of the park.
A stroll along the buffalo wall towards Congo takes you through a wetland area that is rich in a variety of bird species. The spectacular views of the rift valley and the magnificent crater lakes offer great scenic views thus making scenery viewing one of the important tourist activities. Other spectacular sceneries include the Abbis at Muremure in Kitende Parish.
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