Yes, you can combine a gorilla trek in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park with the Big 5 safari in Masai Mara, Kenya. Mgahinga in Uganda is one of the best places in Africa where you can see the mountain gorillas in the wild. Meanwhile, Masai Mara National Reserve is a renowned ecosystem where you can easily sight the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino. This is the most visited wildlife viewing area in Kenya.
Why can you combine Mgahinga gorilla trek with a big 5 safari in Kenya?
There are daily direct flights from Kisoro airstrip near Mgahinga National Park to Masai Mara National Reserve offered by AeroLink Uganda. But, connecting to Masai Mara National Reserve is via Entebbe International Airport and Kisumu International Airport to complete immigration formalities. This is necessary since you are crossing an international border, and you must comply with their respective laws.
Flights from Kisoro Airstrip start at either 8:35 a.m. or 12:05 p.m. daily. From Masai Mara National Reserve, you can fly back to Kisoro Airstrip via Kisumu and Entebbe. You will use AirKenya to Entebbe, which is a sister company to AeroLink. The flight from Masai Mara to Entebbe starts at 8:15 a.m. The aircraft model used either way is the reliable Cessna Grand Caravan. The fare for the flight either to or from Masai Mara is $644 per person with $90 tax.
It is important to know that AeroLink guarantees only those flights within its route network and its subsidiaries. Another thing is that AeroLink Uganda also retains the discretion to change the time of departure or carrier due to weather, operational issues, and safety. You should be at the airstrip 30 minutes before the flight. You can also get a private chartered flight if the schedule does not meet your travel requirements.
Reservation of a flight ticket for either a chartered flight or a scheduled flight can be done through a reputable tour operator. Standard Safaris is the leading tour operator in East Africa and is based in Uganda. We are registered and have years of experience in organising authentic trips throughout East Africa. We also have a long-standing partnership with AeroLink to ensure that your flight ticket is a priority. You can do this in advance to avoid scheduling conflicts.
You need to have your visa to travel to Uganda and Kenya. For convenience, you need to get an e-visa. We can advise on that matter once you contact us. We also advise you to get valid yellow-fever vaccine and cholera vaccine certificates legitimately. These are critical to avoid spreading or contracting diseases within East Africa. You must also ensure that you have anti-malarial drugs or other methods of controlling the disease.
How is gorilla trekking done in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park entails locating a habituated gorilla group in the forest to spend an hour with them. There is a single habituated gorilla group in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, known as Nyakagezi. This is led by the dominant silverback called Mark, with the assistance of another silverback, Ndugutse. The group has a total of at least 9 members. Only 8 visitors are allowed to track the Nyakagezi gorilla group per day.
The gorilla trek starts with a briefing where each visitor is supposed to assemble at the trailhead. A park representative conducts the briefing and is supposed to provide advice about what to do and not do during the gorilla trek. With a ranger guide and armed rangers, visitors will be led into the lush forest to track the Nyakagezi gorilla group. Once the group is found, visitors are allowed to spend no more than 60 minutes observing them.
How to do a Big 5 safari in Masai Mara National Reserve?
To sight the Big 5 in Masai Mara National Reserve, you will have to go for a game drive. This is more enjoyable if it is a guided game drive, because an experienced guide will take you to various spots where each member of the Big 5 congregates. The best car to use for a game drive to see the big 5 is a safari land cruiser with a pop-up open roof. You can hire this vehicle from Standard Safaris. We also offer saloon cars, sedans, drones, and minibuses, etc. for car hire.
The best time to combine Mgahinga Gorilla trek with a Big 5 safari in Kenya?
The dry season is the best time to do a Mgahinga gorilla trek and a big 5 safari in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. Typically, the dry season is experienced during the months of June to August and January to February. The gorilla trails in Mgahinga and the tracks in Masai Mara are drier in this period. This makes gorilla treks and navigating the tracks much easier. The vegetation in both destinations is also sparser, thus offering clear views of the wild animals.
