Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Activities in Mgahinga National Park

Ntebeko visitor’s center

The visitor center at Ntebeko is the trailhead for nature walks, volcano climbs, and golden monkey and gorilla trekking. Exhibits inside the building explore things relating to the Virunga environment. A trail along the adjacent dry stone buffalo wall(built to keep animals outside the neighbouring farmland) provides good birding and views of the dramatic backdrop.

Gorilla Tracking

Following a trail of trampled and snapped vegetation across the slopes of the Virungas to spend an hour in the company of a family of mountain Gorillas ranks among the world’s most sought after wildlife encounters. Contact time with Mgahinga habituated group is restricted tone hour and participants must be aged 15 and over.

Golden Monkey Trekking

Mountain gorillas are  not the only endangered primates on the virungas.The volcanoes are the last stronghold of the golden monkey which can be tracked through its bamboo habitat on the slopes of Mt Mgahinga. As with gorillas, contact time with this rare primate is limited to an hour.Visitors who sign up for the habituation experience, however, can spend all day following this striking orange-coated monkey in the company of researchers.

Volcano Climbing

Mgahinga Gorilla NP rises upwards to 3 of the Virunga’s 6 volcanic summits, all of which can be climbed in a day.Views from the peaks into Rwanda and Congo and towards the rift valley and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest-more than justify the effort.

The Park’s highest peak is Muhavura.The ascent passes through montane forest,bamboo stands and heather groves, before encountering bizarre forms of giant lobelias and groundsels at the summit. The 4127m summit which is adorned by a crystal clear crater lake,40m in diameter, commands panoramic views along the length of the Virunga chain. Mount Gahinga(3474m) is the smallest of Virunga volcanoes and its bamboo-covered slopes rises to a lust, swamp-filled crater, about 180m wide. The jagged crown of Sambinyo bears several summits, the highest which provides the rare privilege of standing 3669m high whilst in three counties-Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC-at once.

Birding

Keen birders can seek rare Albertine Rift endemics and other forest birds in a range of scenic locations that include th Sabinyo Gorge (prime habitat for the beautiful Rwenzori Turaco); the saddle between Mounts Gahinga and Sabinyo and the Boundary Trail at Ntebeko with its incomparable volcanic backdrop.

The batwa trail 

For generation, Mgahinga’s dense forest were home to the indigenous Batwa Pygmies, hunter-gatherers and warriors, who depend on the forest for shelter, food and medicine. Today,Batwa guides lead  visitors through the lower slopes of the forests, introducing them to their old home and demonstrating the skills they used to survive in it. The highlight of the Batwa Trail is the descent into the Garama Cave for a subterranean performance of music and dance.