A combined Bwindi and Mgahinga safari
A combined safari to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park takes you to some of the great national parks we have in the country. Bwindi and Mgahinga are the only gorilla national parks that Uganda has. They are all located in the southern part of the country in Kisoro district.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park were gazetted to protect the mountain gorillas as well as other animals that were in the park at the time. Currently, Bwindi has the highest number of mountain gorillas in the world while Mgahinga has the lowest. Both national parks receive tourists who are most interested in seeing mountain gorillas.
Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park safari can be about mountain gorillas, golden moneys, birds or even hiking which is carried out in only Mgahinga National Park. What tourists carry out depends on their interests and travel budget. The more the activities the more expensive the safari becomes because all of them are done at a fee.
Most done activities in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park
Gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation in Bwindi
Gorilla trekking comes with one hour around the fully habituated mountain gorillas and gorilla habituation comes with four hours with the semi habituated mountain gorillas. Both activities start with trekkers going very early in the morning to the sector headquarters for a briefing from the rangers who teach the rules and regulations of the activity.
Trekking is done by a maximum of 8 people while habituation is done by a maximum of 4 people. Armed ranger guides take the trekkers into the jungle where they use different trekking trails to search for where the mountain gorilla families could be. The search takes 2 to 4 hours and chances of seeing them in their natural habitats are always 100%.
When the mountain gorillas are spotted, trekkers get to have one hour with the fully habituated mountain gorillas, and other trekkers get four hours with the semi-habituated mountain gorillas. The activities enable trekkers to learn about the gorilla habits, watch the members carry out daily activities, take photos, and record videos.
The cost of gorilla permits in Uganda
Gorilla trekking is done in Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga National Park while habituation is only carried out in Mgahinga National Park. A single gorilla trekking permit in any of the parks costs $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 for Rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 Citizens of East African Member States. A gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents & Rest of Africa, and UGX750,000 citizens of East African Member States.
Golden monkey trekking / habituation in Mgahinga National Park
Mgahinga National Park is the only place in Uganda harboring endangered golden monkeys. Golden monkeys are subspecies of blue monkeys with a golden orange patch on their back, darker patches on their armed legs and face. Meeting these primates is a dream come true for many tourists and the only place to find them is Mgahinga.
Just like gorilla trekking or habituation, golden monkey trekking and habituation start very early in the morning with a briefing from the park headquarters. It’s from here that trekkers are taught the rules and regulations of activity and later given armed ranger guides to lead them into the jungle where they search for olden monkeys.
Searching the golden monkeys of Bwindi goes through several trekking trails searching for bamboo areas where these golden monkeys normally stay. Locating the golden monkeys may take longer hours because they are very mobile. They have the ability to move from one tree branch to another with the help of their long tails.
When the golden monkeys are located, tourists get an opportunity to be around the members for a good time. Because these monkeys can’t stay in one place for a long time, trekkers move with them as they do different daily activities like feeding, hunting, mating, breastfeeding, and playing to mention but a few. Trekkers are allowed to take photos and record videos for future memories.
The cost of golden monkey permits in Mgahinga.
To see the golden monkeys of Mgahinga, one needs trekking or habituation permits. A single golden monkey trekking permit costs $100 for foreign non-residents, $80 for foreign residents, and UGX65,000 citizens of East African Member States. A golden monkey habituation permit costs $140 for foreign non-residents, $120 for foreign residents, and UGX125,000 citizens of East African Member States.
When is the best time to have a Bwindi and Mgahinga Safari?
The driest months of the year which are June to September and December to February are the best times to have a safari in Bwindi. These months are characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine that keeps the trekking trails dry and easier to walk through. Vegetation is short and scattered with the best views of the attractions, and roads leading to the park are in good condition allowing tourists to reach on time.
Tourists more so the budget travelers can visit Bwindi and Mgahinga during the low season of March to May and October to November. Tourists need to know that even though the tour packages are discounted, there is plenty of rainfall and little sunshine. The trekking trails are muddy and slippery which may affect the speed of trekkers, the vegetation is thick with unclear views of the animals and roads are in poor condition.
