What should I wear on a gorilla trek in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

What to wear while on a gorilla trek in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is crucial for a successful experience. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers a thrilling gorilla trek to observe the Nyakagezi gorilla family. Since you are in the wild and expected to hike along uneven terrain, it is important that you wear clothes suitable for this. These are the essential clothes and gear to wear while on a trek in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Warm sweater
Light rain jacket
Light long-sleeved shirt
Long trousers/pants
Wide-brimmed hat
UV sunglasses
Waterproof hiking boots/shoes
A pair of gaiters
A pair of hiking gloves
Head sock

How a gorilla trek is done

Firstly, you need to prepare yourself early in the morning with all the essentials, including the ones mentioned. Head to the park headquarters at Ntebeko before 8:00 a.m. This is the chance to be briefed by the park authorities about safe gorilla treks. With the guidance of seasoned rangers, you will follow trails in the dense forest. The rangers will help in looking for footprints, droppings, and nests left behind by the habituated gorilla family.

You will encounter the gorilla family and then be allowed 1 hour to observe the gorillas quietly from a safe distance. Take photos and enjoy the moment, quietly. You will return to the trailhead and be debriefed by a park staff member. You will also be happily awarded a certificate for this great achievement of tracking the unique apes in Mgahinga National Park.

What else to do in Mgahinga?

Mgahinga, though the smallest national park in Uganda, has plenty to offer in terms of activities. Its location within the Virunga Conservation Area provides plenty of physical features and wildlife species to appreciate. Mgahinga has the rare golden monkeys, which offer a chance to enjoy a golden monkey trek. The park is also inhabited by giant forest hogs, bush elephants, and buffaloes, among others.

Mgahinga is also home to 3 out of 8 Virunga volcanoes, which include Gahinga, Muhabura, and Sabyinyo. You can enjoy a hiking tour to the summit of the volcano. The forest is also inhabited by the Batwa Pygmies. This is the tribe that called the forest home before it became a national park. Exploring the Batwa trail is an unforgettable journey to understand how they survived in the forest as hunter-gatherers.

Besides this, Mgahinga also offers birding tours for an opportunity to see plenty of rare bird species. Some of them are Albertine endemics, including the Rwenzori turaco, blue-headed coucal, dusky crimsonwing, and Rwenzori batis.

Traveling to Mgahinga

You can travel to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park by either road or air transportation. If you prefer using road transport, you will enjoy scenic views during the journey. From Kampala, you will cover a distance of approximately 497.8 kilometers to Mgahinga. This is 10-11 hours of travel time along Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale. Enjoy moving in a 4X4 safari land cruiser from our fleet of cars. SUVs, buses, safari vans, and saloon cars are also available.

If you plan to travel by air, you will board a domestic flight at Entebbe International Airport. This flight departs for Kisoro Airstrip, taking around 1 hour and 15 minutes. In addition to the luxury you get flying, you will get aerial views of Uganda’s stunning landscapes. The flights are on schedule and offered on a daily basis by AeroLink Uganda. Booking a flight is barely an inconvenience if we help you with most of the requisite steps.

When to travel?

Gorilla treks in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are done year-round. This is good since you can choose to travel to the destination at any time of the year. The best time to do a gorilla trek is, however, the dry months. This time is recommended for travel since the forest conditions are more favorable than during the wet seasons. The forest floor is not as slippery, the vegetation is not as thick, and the weather is not as harsh as during the wet seasons.

Therefore, you must choose to travel during the months running from June to August. The precipitation during this time is not as high as in the wet season. However, December to February is also not as rainy as the wet season itself. Nevertheless, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park receives rainfall even in the dry seasons, so brace yourself with the mentioned clothing and gear.

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.

What should I wear on a gorilla trek in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

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