Mgahinga National Park is the smallest national park in Uganda, located in Southwestern Uganda, Kisoro district. It has 3 volcanoes, Sabyinyo, Gahinga, and Muhavura, which is the highest of them all, and they are shared by 3 countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC. When at the top of Muhavura, you happen to be in 3 countries at the same time. Mgahinga has a number of attractions, like the great apes, where you get to experience gold meeting silver due to the presence of golden monkeys and silverback mountain gorillas. Hiking the volcanoes exposes you to the different vegetation types, such as the montane woodland, bamboo zone, and Afro-alpine zone, which keep changing as you go upwards. Mgahinga also has other experiences like the Batwa cultural experience who were the original inhabitants of the forest before it was gazzated as a national where you experience their traditional dance performance and music, how they used to hunt plus other activities. Below are some of the things that are done in Mgahinga National Park.
Golden Monkey Trekking
This is the second most heard and known activity after gorilla tracking. This activity lasts for either 30 minutes or 4 hours, depending on how easily you will get to see the golden monkeys. While you spend an hour with them, take pictures of the active primates moving all over in the trees looking for food, which is mainly the young bamboo shoots, making it an active activity. It is always recommended to wear comfortable shoes, a long-sleeved t-shirt to protect against the long branches that hang from other trees, and to bring binoculars for viewing the beautiful bird species that sing in the trees.
Gorilla Tracking
Gorilla trekking is the major activity that takes place in Mgahinga National Park. This park harbors one family of habituated gorillas, the Nyakagezi. The activity starts in the early morning at 8 am with a briefing at the park offices, then 30 minutes to 8 hours to reach the gorilla family, depending on the location of the gorilla family. After locating the gorilla family, you get to spend a whole hour with them, observing them in their natural habitat and their relationship with each other, taking pictures to keep the memories you had with them.
Batwa Cultural Trail
Mgahinga National Park was home to the Batwa initially before the forest was gazetted as a national park. This experience gives you time to learn how they used to live while in the forest, their hunting tactics, making bamboo cups, and fire making by the use of friction. You will also get to have an experience of the Gamara caves, where the Batwa people used to keep their food, which was home for their king, and used to work as a hiding ground for them during war, in addition to traditional music and dance performances.
Hiking the Volcanoes
The experience of hiking Mgahinga gives you the view of the beautiful scenery of the 3 volcanoes, which are Sabyinyo (3,669 meters), Gahinga (3,474 meters), and Muhavura, the highest of them all (4,127 meters), which also happen to appear in Rwanda and DRC. It takes 8 hours to reach the top of Mt. Muhabura, where you enjoy the views of all the volcanoes, Lake Edward, the Rwenzori peaks, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The best time for hiking is during the dry season, when the trails are dry and it’s easier to hike the trails in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February.
However, hiking during the dry season is also advisable, especially for bird enthusiasts, as they are able to see some of the migratory species.
Birdwatching
Harboring over 115 bird species, including 14 endemics in the Albertine region, plus other migratory birds in the rainy season. You are advised to carry a pair of binoculars so that you will be able to view distant birds in the trees. Some of the bird species guaranteed to be viewed are the white-necked raven, yellow-vented bulbul, red-faced woodland warbler, Ruwenzori batis, olive pigeon, speckled mousebird, and Archer’s robin chat, plus many more.
Sabinyo hike
Mt. Sabyinyo, known as the oldest in the Virunga ranges, is located in the Kisoro District and is shared by 3 countries, Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC, creating borders between them, and stands at an elevation of 3,669 meters above sea level.
Hiking Mt. Sabyinyo takes about 6 to 8 hours, depending on the route to be used and the speed to reach the top, and the reward is a glamorous view of the three countries at the same time. It starts at the park offices at the Ntebeko offices of Mgahinga Park. This is a venturesome activity where you are provided with homemade ladders to help a climber, and then walking sticks are also provided to ease your hiking experience.
