Bwindi Gorilla trekking Compared with Mgahinga Park
Planning a Gorilla trekking safari to Uganda should be an exciting endeavor especially when well informed about the Gorilla trekking option that best suites you. In Uganda gorilla trekking takes place in two national parks; Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks. No matter the Park you select, you are guaranteed a profoundly moving experience with the Mountain Gorillas.
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A detailed analysis for Bwindi Gorilla trekking compared with Mgahinga Park is therefore to help you decide which of Uganda’s two gorilla trekking destinations aligns best with your preferences. Both parks are located in the southwestern Uganda region, approximately 8 to 9 hours’ drive from Entebbe airport and the capital Kampala. From Rwanda, Kigali airport, it is about 4-6 hours.
Bwindi Gorilla trekking Compared with Mgahinga Park, which is better?
Number of habituated Gorilla Groups
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is more famous and the favorite to many visitors than Mgahinga. Visitors choose Bwindi because of the many habituated families and being the world record-holder for a park with the highest population of the surviving Mountain Gorillas. Bwindi has over 20 habituated families spread in its 4 tracking sectors of Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is another of the only two Uganda National Parks to visit for a Gorilla Trekking Adventure. Unlike Bwindi with more than 20 Gorilla families, Mgahinga Park has only one Gorilla group – Nyakagezi Gorilla family. Not only is Mgahinga Gorilla Park another great place for Gorilla trekking expeditions, it is also the only home to the endangered Golden Monkeys in Uganda.
Flexibility in securing Gorilla Permits
This high number of Gorilla families in Bwindi offers greater flexibility in securing permits, and trekking times vary from short to several hours deep into the rainforest. Mgahinga Park has just eight permits available per day, making them rarer and generally needing early booking. Please note that regardless of the number of families in the park, a Gorilla permit allows a visitor to track one allocated family a day. Moreover, the Gorilla tracking permit price of $800 is the same for both Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks.
Level of difficulty or the ease during trekking
Both Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Parks are located in high altitude areas with uneven terrain. Tracking involves upward and downward movements in the forests. The highest level of difficulty is encountered in Bwindi where the forest is thick, with dense canopies and vegetation overgrowth. Mgahinga trails on the other hand are more open and navigable because the vegetation is mainly bamboo. From own experience however, fact remains that Gorillas are wild animals whose behaviour and movements can hardly be predicted. Therefore, how much of the walking you will do to find the animals can never be predetermined.
Clearer Photography opportunities
There are better chances for clear photography in Mgahinga with the much open forest compared to the thick Bwindi. The openness of Mgahinga forest enhances visibility of the Gorillas. What enhances its beauty the more is the fact that it is set against dramatic volcanic landscapes with bamboo forests and stunning mountain backdrops.
Additional activities and trekking experiences
Bwindi is the only place in the world offering the Gorilla Habituation Experience, a four-hour deep encounter with semi-habituated Gorilla families. Habituation is limited to just four visitors per day. Besides that, Bwindi is a biodiversity hotspot, home to elephants, colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, and hundreds of bird, butterfly, and plant species. Unique to Mgahinga too, is the chance to also track golden monkeys, and to climb one of the three Virunga volcanoes: Muhabura, Sabinyo, or Gahinga.
Privacy due to less crowds in Mgahinga
Another beauty of tracking in Mgahinga is some kind of privacy experienced. You will be tracking with out the crowds like the case of Bwindi. Being one family, Mgahinga is allocated a maximum of 8 visitors a day. Therefore, the park is quieter and offering a more serene and intimate trekking experience.
Ruling out the above factors, please note that the experience is the same. You will be tracking Mountain Gorillas. If the experience of tracking in an impenetrable forest is something you had longed for, we are good to choose Bwindi permits. For the best guidance in choosing the Gorilla trekking experience that best suites you is to get in touch with Jungle Escape Africa tour experts.