MGAHINGA GORILLA TREKKING FROM KASESE

Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park.

Situated in Kisoro district in the southwestern part of Uganda, and a neighbor to its counterpart Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park is a popular gorilla trekking destination in Uganda. It is the smallest park in the country and the second most popular home for the endangered mountain gorillas.

Not standing its smaller size of about 33 square kilometers, Mgahinga National Park shelters about 80 gorilla individuals and a whole habituated gorilla family that is open for tourists famously known as the “Nyakagezi family”, Nyakagezi gorilla family consists of about nine gorilla individuals including 4 silver backs, 2 adult females, 1 juvenile male and 2 infant females.

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park starts from the park’s headquarters at Ntebeko gate at about 7:00 am with a small briefing on what trekkers should expect, and avoid and the anticipated location of the tracked family. The briefing is led by tour guides and park rangers in the company of a small breakfast. It is also during the briefing that visitors are divided into groups of eight each and allocated to one particular gorilla family, only one group of eight members is allowed to access one gorilla family group and this means only 8 gorilla trekking permits are sold in Mgahinga per day.

Trekkers are later led to the tracking trails where they dive into the wilderness of Mgahinga, thick dense forests and hiking hilly areas in search of the endangered mountain gorillas. Once they are allocated, guests can only spend one full hour with them while learning about their behaviors, feeding habits and taking pictures. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga may take about 2 to 6 hours depending on their location. Gorilla trekking permits in Mgahinga cost 700 USD and can be booked with a trusted tour operator or through the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

GORILLA TREKKING RULES AND REGULATIONS.

While on Uganda gorilla trekking safaris in Mgahinga National Park, there are rules and regulations that trekkers and visitors must adhere to. These rules are to ensure the proper safety and well-being of the mountain gorillas and the trekkers altogether and they include;

Visitors are restricted to keeping and maintaining a distance of about 15 feet in contact with the mountain gorillas and not very close. This is to ensure there’s no easy transmission of diseases like cough and flu that are very terrible to these primate species.

All trekkers must be 15 years of age and more and no visitor beyond 15 will be allowed to access the mountain gorillas. This is because children under the age of 15 easily carry transmittable diseases like flu, mumps and cough.

Trekkers are also advised to carry all their essential documents including vaccination cards, passports, visas and gorilla trekking permits. A gorilla trekking permit is a legal document that allows visitors to visit and access mountain gorillas. The rest of the documents are to ensure the visitor’s real identity before being allowed to engage in gorilla trekking activities.

Visitors and trekkers are strictly advised to initially communicate in case they are not in their best health or have a transmittable disease so that they don’t get in contact with the mountain gorillas and therefore be compensated for the next round or refund their money.

Loud noises and phone ringtones might scare away the gorillas and an opportunity to sight stunning birds and animals may be missed, therefore visitors are advised to communicate in whispers and if it’s that essential they can communicate with the park rangers.

GORILLA TREKKING IN MGAHINGA NATIONAL PARK STARTING FROM KASESE TOWN, ADVANTAGES TO STARTING FROM ENTEBBE AND DISTANCE.

Situated in the western part of Uganda, Kasese town is one of the most popular rapidly growing cities in the country. Its proximity and home to the second largest national in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park has led to progressive growth of the town. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park from Kasese town is possible and it takes about 5 to 6 hours of road drive from Kasese to Mgahinga. Airstrips may take about 45 minutes from Kasese airstrip to Kisoro airstrip. The distance from Kasese town to Mgahinga is about 179 km. The advantages of gorilla trekking from Kasese town to Mgahinga are reduced transport costs and time wasted.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.

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