Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a hotspot tourist destination in Uganda and can be accessed by air, given it is strategically located close to Kisoro airstrip. The Kisoro airstrip serves as the best airstrip for visitors connecting to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park by air since it is nearest to the park. With the recent developments in the transport sector, traveling by air to remote areas has been made easy and quick, and traveling to Mgahinga is no exception. The tourism aspect of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sees a spike in the number of tourists in this area every year. With this increase, alternative means of transport have also been used to cover the high demand and also shorten the route. This is on this account that Kisoro airstrip has been developed to handle all domestic flights to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and beyond.
Kisoro airstrip lies in the southwestern region of Uganda, approximately 15 kilometers from Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The Kisoro airstrip is located in Kisoro district along the Kabale-Kisoro road. This airstrip is managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, the national aviation body of Uganda, tasked with handling and managing all the civilian airstrips and airports in the country. This Kisoro airstrip is very important because it is a link for visitors coming to explore Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This airstrip was constructed when the need for quick transport means started to evolve as a need. The runway of Kisoro airstrip is of an asphalt type, stretching for over 1,130 meters in length and 30 meters in width.
The flight timetable for Kisoro airstrip was provided by Aerolink, a private air company in Uganda, in charge of all domestic chartered flights around the country. All flights to Kisoro airstrip usually begin in the morning at 0700hrs from Entebbe International Airport.
What are the advantages of having an airstrip near Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?
Several advantages of having an airstrip like Kisoro near Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are many, and some can be listed below.
Easy accessibility
It is without a doubt that Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can easily be accessed with an airstrip like Kisoro in proximity. Visitors that would see it hard to drive for a long distance can now easily fly to the park.
Fast and convenient transport means
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located over 552 kilometers away from the capital Kampala, meaning it can take about 9-10 hours by road to get to the park. With the Kisoro airstrip, the distance and time are reduced, thus one can fly for just 1-2 hours and they will already be in the park.
Community development
As a form of sustainable and responsible tourism, communities must benefit from their attractions, and the airstrip also adds something to this development. This is through infrastructure development, as many accommodation facilities are set up close to the airstrip to facilitate the visitors.
What to do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a top tourist destination and has a lot it offers to offer its visitors, and some of the following are the things to do in this park.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is the major tourist activity in the park. As the name suggests, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a gorilla habitat that sees several visitors coming into the park to spot these creatures. Gorilla trekking involves walking through the dense thickets of the park while tackling the rough and steep terrain in search of the endangered mountain gorilla primates. Mountain gorillas are one of the rare and endangered primates in the world since they are only located in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has over 100 species that live in families, and the park has one habituated family called Nyakagezi. Visitors are awarded an hour in the presence of the primates after locating them on their gorilla trekking adventure. In this hour, visitors can take pictures and record videos as these gentle giants go by with their chores.
Golden monkey trekking
The park prides itself as the only golden monkey trekking destination in the country, and this attracts visitors from far and wide. Golden monkeys, just like their giant cousins, the mountain gorillas, are rare primates, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park happens to be the only place in the country to encounter them. They are, however, very easy to trek since they usually dwell in the lower slopes of mountains in the bamboo plantations. Tourists are also given an hour to spend in the presence of their golden monkeys after encountering them.
Batwa cultural tours
The Batwa pygmies, known as the forest keepers, are one of the oldest groups of people in Africa. They were mainly gatherers and hunters when they dwelled in the Mgahinga forests for a long time before it was gazetted as a national park. Their cultures a unique and exciting, from their skills of hunting and survival, like fire making, to their medicine making from the local forest herbs. Visitors can take a trip down memory lane as they interact with the elders of these people as they talk about their ancient history and past life. Learn their traditions and cultures, such as norms, values, beliefs, and customs.
