​Expert Reviews – Mgahinga Gorilla NP

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Expert
Tim Bewer   –  
United States US
Visited: September

Tim is a travel writer who has covered 10 African countries for Lonely Planet's Africa, East Africa and West Africa guidebooks.

The Other Gorilla Park
Overall rating
4/5

Like the more famous Bwindi, Uganda’s smallest national park (just 34 sq km) hosts habituated mountain gorillas. But here there is only one habituated group (as opposed to more than 20 in Bwindi), so Mgahinga is less often included on safari itineraries. If you do track gorillas here, it is usually easier than in Bwindi, but there are still long hills to climb. When I met the habituated group it was far up the mountain, but because we hung out in a small clearing the whole time rather than in thick forest, I got great photos. Another popular activity here is tracking beautiful and playful golden monkeys, which is quite fun. There are elephants, buffaloes, leopards and black-and-white colobus here too, but don’t expect to see them or much other wildlife except for birds. Many call Mgahinga Uganda’s most beautiful park. I assume these people haven’t seen Kidepo Valley, but the three extinct volcanoes certainly do make a stunning sight. They’re also great trekking destinations with difficult but fun climbs through the strange Afro-alpine moorland at the high elevations.

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Expert
Lizzie Williams   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: Multiple times

Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

A Forested Primate Refuge High in the Clouds
Overall rating
4/5

I love the approach to this park near the small characterful town of Kisoro as it’s always a thrilling journey on the stunning road from Kabale, which dips up and down with ever-better views of the Virunga Volcanoes. Three of these magnificent densely-clad peaks lie within Mgahinga – Mounts Muhavura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo, and they can all be climbed, but it is the mountain gorillas that are the highlight (as the name suggests). However, fewer people go trekking here than in Bwindi as there is only one habituated family of gorillas, and just eight permits are available daily. But even without gorillas, Mgahinga is an incredible vantage point to admire the soaring beauty of the Virungas, and the park also offers golden monkey tracking, challenging hikes, and fun and informative excursions with the local Batwa pygmy communities.

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Expert
Philip Briggs   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: Multiple times

Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.

4 people found this review helpful.

Volcanoes In The Mist
Overall rating
4/5

As indicated by its name, this small park is best known for the opportunity to track mountain gorillas. It protects the Uganda portion of the Virunga Mountains, on the border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and is home to the habituated Nyakagezi group, which is unusual insofar as it incorporates three silverbacks. For years, tracking in Mgahinga was a rather unreliable prospect, as the gorillas regularly crossed into Rwanda, sometimes for months on end. However, the Nyakagezi group last strayed outside Uganda way back in 2013, and now looks to have settled in Mgahinga on a permanent basis.

Gorillas aside, Mgahinga has a stirring setting on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains, a chain of six massive volcanoes, some still active, that rise to elevations of up to 4,507m. Activities on offer include (demanding) hikes to the volcanic peaks that fall within Uganda, as well as tracking expeditions in search of the golden monkey, a delightful Virunga endemic that feeds mainly on bamboo. Other wildlife includes elephant, leopard, buffalo and a full 17 bird species endemic to the Albertine Rift. In my experience, birding is best on the Sabyinyo Gorge trail, where we saw several localized species including Rwenzori turaco, white-starred robin and regal sunbird.

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Average Expert Rating

  • 4.2/5
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Rating Breakdown

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