Safari Brief:

• Stopover at the Uganda Equator on the Kampala-Masaka Road 
• Gorilla trekking
• Golden monkey trekking
• Batwa cultural trail
• Scenery

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (MGNP) is bordered by the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda. According to UWA, the park is home to one habituated gorilla group known as the Nyakagezi Gorilla Family comprised of 9 members. The gorillas which are the star attraction in the park can be trekked in the renowned slopes of the three Virunga Volcanoes that includes the Muhabura, Sabyinyo and Gahinga.

The park has at least 39 species of mammal and 79 birds. On a lucky day you will view elephants, leopards, buffalos and bush pigs. The other residents are the golden monkeys. Notable bird species include the Rwenzori turaco, crowned hornbill, black kite and crowned crane. The Rugezi Swamp offers good opportunities for bird watchers.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

On your arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel in Entebbe for a night.

Meals: Dinner

We have two packages (traveling by road or flying from Entebbe or Kajansi to Kisoro).

Day 2: Entebbe to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

After breakfast you will depart Kampala for Kisoro District through Masaka, Mbarara and Kabale Districts in the southwest. You will have a stopover at the Uganda Equator for water experiment at Kayabwe.  You will have lunch along the journey.

Accommodation

• Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge – high-end
• Chameleon Hill Lodge – mid-range
• Tourland Cottages Kisoro – budget

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking

After an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the trekking start point in the park where you will be registered and briefed by the park rangers on your trekking safari. You will be required to carry a photocopy of your passport to verify the correct names and address as they appear on your Gorilla Trekking Permit.

Guided by park rangers the actual gorilla trekking experience includes spending one hour with a gorilla family in the forest in cold, steeply and muddy conditions. You will closely view these gentle giants as they go about their daily life in their habitat. After trekking the gorillas, you will descend back to the briefing and starting point, and thereafter transferred to your lodge. Trekking endangered mountain gorillas remains as one of the undisputed highlights of an Africa safari. Encountering these enormous creatures is an experience that will stay with you for life.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4: Golden Monkey Trekking

After an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the golden monkey trekking starting point in the park. You will have been briefed by the park rangers on your trekking safari the previous day. Golden monkeys can only be viewed in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is part of the Virunga Volcanoes shared between Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.

A golden monkey has a golden-orange patch on the upper flanks and back. It feeds on bamboo shoots, fruit and leaves. You will have an opportunity to get close to and stay with these primates for four hours by studying their behaviour in their natural habitat near the dense bamboo forest. After trekking the golden monkeys, you will descend back to the starting point, and thereafter transferred to your lodge.

For the gorilla and golden monkey trekking excursions you must have:

• Long trousers and long sleeved shirts for protection against insect stings
• Leather gloves for protection against stinging plants
• A rain coat
• Hiking boats or waterproof walking shoes
• Packed lunch and bottled water

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5: Batwa Trail

The Batwa are an indigenous tribe (forest people and hunter-gatherers) who had lived in the forests of the Virunga Volcanoes for centuries until they were forced out in the 1990s to save the forests as protected national parks.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the briefing point. You will be briefed by the Batwa before they take you on this trail guided by rangers. During the trail will learn how the Batwa lived and depended on the forest, how they co-existed with the wildlife, raised families, and retreated after raiding and attacking the neighbouring communities. The Batwa guides will recount the tales of the secrets of the forest. After the trail you will descend back to the starting point, and thereafter transferred to your lodge.

The proceeds from this trail go into a Batwa welfare fund which are used to pay for healthcare and education, buy land and build houses for the different families, and pay the Twa guides who conduct these tours.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6: Kisoro to Entebbe for transfer to Entebbe Airport for Departure

After breakfast you will return to Entebbe. You will have lunch at a selected restaurant in either in Mbarara or Masaka Town. Thereafter you will be transferred to Entebbe International Airport to board your departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch