Comparing Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga And Bwindi (Reviews)
Differences And Similarities Between Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Two national parks in Uganda—Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park—are home to mountain gorillas. More than half of the surviving mountain gorillas in the world live in these two parks. The remaining gorillas can be found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and the DR Congo’s Virunga National Park.
The UNESCO World Heritage site Bwindi is home to a vast array of animals, plants, and mammals. Colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, geckos, and other bird species can also be found in the park. However, Mgahinga is the only national park in Uganda where golden monkeys and mountain gorillas coexist peacefully with the environment. The area in Mgahinga where mountain gorillas and golden monkeys live in peace is known as “Mgahinga, where gold meets silver.”
Trekking to observe Mountain Gorillas Mgahinga National Park Uganda, near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Comparing Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga And Bwindi National Park
Here are some further noteworthy distinctions and parallels between Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s gorilla trekking.
- Size: In comparison to Bwindi National Park, which measures 331 km2, Mgahinga is a small park (33 km2). In the first decade of the 1990s, both parks were built simultaneously. Community farmlands that span around 50 kilometers divide the parks.
- Location: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda share a boundary at the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. While Bwindi National Park shares a border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and three other Ugandan districts (Kisoro, Rubanda, and Kanungu),
- Habituated gorilla groups: Nyakagezi is the name of the only habituated gorilla group in Mgahinga, as opposed to the up to 15 groups found in Bwindi National Park. The four trekking entrances to Bwindi National Park are located near Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Rushaga. Due to the ease with which gorilla trekking permits can be obtained and the proximity of Rushaga and Nkuringo to the Rwandan border for travelers coming to Uganda via Kigali or Kisoro airport, Bamboo Ecotours’ passengers frequently hike in Rushaga or Nkuringo.
- Gorilla trekking experience: In comparison to Bwindi, the Mgahinga group is comparatively simple because you will probably have to travel across several hills and valleys to reach the gorillas. Since the forest is not too dense, it is simple to detect the gorillas and snap good pictures while trekking at Mgahinga, according to some of Bamboo Ecotours’ customers. However, the gorillas are the same in both parks.
- Safety and security: Trekking is very safe in both parks.
- Distance from Kisoro town: Due to the dirt road, the distance between Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi (southern sector at Rushaga or Nkuringo) is roughly 35 km and 14 km, respectively, from Kisoro town. Driving from Kisoro town to Bwindi Rushaga gate takes roughly two hours.