​Expert Reviews – Mgahinga Gorilla NP

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Expert
Charlotte Beauvoisin   –  
Uganda UG
Visited: November

Charlotte lives in Uganda and is a writer, blogger, volunteer and promoter of birding, conservation and responsible tourism. She writes for Fodor’s, Horizon Guides and Bradt, and runs an award-winning blog.

3 people found this review helpful.

Pinch Me, I’m On A Disney Set!
Overall rating
5/5

Dismissed by some because it only has one habituated gorilla family, the tiny Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has many other unique draws. Fact: it is the only Ugandan national park where you can track through bamboo forest to see both gorillas and the delightful golden monkeys. Add a backdrop of dormant volcanoes plus the likelihood you will have the whole park to yourself, and Mgahinga ranks as one of my favourite protected areas. It’s so ridiculously beautiful, I wonder if I’ve woken up on a film set.

I’ve lived and birded in Uganda for 15 years. On my last visit to Mgahinga, I saw five lifers within 30 minutes of entering the national park (and I didn’t even get as far as the birding hot spot of Sabyinyo Gorge, a go-to location for Albertine Rift endemics).

If you’re staying at the fabulous Mount Gahinga Lodge, a stone’s throw from the park, you are ideally placed to interact with the Batwa community, the ancient forest-dwelling people who were evicted from the forests ostensibly to secure protection of the mountain gorillas. Conservationists owe the Batwa an enormous debt. Listen to their stories; their culture is unlike anything you’ve ever encountered.

The park’s shared border with Rwanda (and the DRC) makes it an easy addition to a Rwanda safari itinerary.

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Expert
Mark Eveleigh   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: August

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

A Unique Rainforest Volcano Reserve in a Golden Triangle Between Uganda, Rwanda and DRC
Overall rating
5/5

Even without spotting gorillas, trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a highlight of any visit to Uganda. The feeling of trekking through this dense ‘gorillas in the mist’ rainforest with armed rangers as guides is incredible. On the plains and plantations at the foot of the volcanoes, we saw immense flocks of several hundred astoundingly beautiful crowned cranes (the national bird of Uganda).

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Average Expert Rating

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

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