Encounter the beauty of Mgahinga national park in Kisoro – south western Uganda by trekking the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural home that are one of the remaining populations in the world found on the foothills of Virunga mountains.
And also, visit Lake Mutanda one of the crater lakes in Uganda, formed during the volcanic era millions of years ago. This is an amazing safari that will also take you to the Batwa pygmies’ community to explore their culture through dances, music, and food.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Mgahinga NP from Kampala
Travel to Mgahinga national park after a pick up from the hotel or Entebbe international airport and a briefing from the driver guide elucidating about the entire safari. This national park is one of the parks in the world that shelters the remaining mountain gorillas and the smallest national park in the country with an area of 33.7 square kilometres.
Also the park is a home to over 180 species of birds including Rwenzori night jar, speckled mouse bird, black kite, white-napped raven among others, mammals like duikers, bushbucks, elephants, jackals, leopards, warthogs among other. It’s also a place where you can trek the golden monkeys, and hike the three Virunga volcanoes and these are Gahinga, Muhabura and Sabinyo.
The journey to this national park is rewarding because it involves passing at the Uganda equator in Kayabwe where you will have a stopover to take photos and buy some souvenirs. Also pass in Mbarara, Lyantonde and Ntungamo that are land for Banyankole known for keeping the long horned cattle. On arriving, you will check in the booked accommodation and prepare for a day of full adventure the next morning.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking and Batwa experience
An early breakfast will be served to you and head for briefing at the Ntebeko park headquarters with along a rocky road from Kisoro town. Here, the warden or ranger guide will take you through the precautions or dos and don’ts to follow while trekking, what you require while trekking, required information about the gorillas in this park and conservation efforts begin taken to raise mountain gorilla numbers. you will also be assigned to a habituated gorilla family and group of people to trek with.
Trekking will start immediately with the help of the armed park ranger and upon locating them, you will be allowed only an hour as you see actions of different members in the group like the mother breast feeding, the juveniles may be playing and climbing trees among others. Expect to see other primates and bird species while in the forest. Trekking time cannot be predicated but it can depend on where you find them, but usually takes 3-8 hours.
After, return to the lodge for lunch and head for Batwa cultural experience in the afternoon. Learn about the traditional music and dance, traditional food, their local herbs and the disease that they can cure by resident traditional healers. In the evening, return to the lodge for dinner and prepare for the following day’s departure.
Day 3: Visit Lake Mutanda and travel back to Kampala
Visit Lake Mutanda after a heavy breakfast and take short canoeing, using local boats which will expose you to the beautiful scenery and learn more about this lake.
This can take like 2 hours and after transfer to Kampala passing through the rolling hills of Kigezi, cattle farms for long horned cattle and the Uganda equator in Kayabwe to Kampala city where you will be dropped at the hotel room or Entebbe airport which will be the end of this 3 days Lake Mutanda and Mgahinga gorilla tour.
