Mgahinga National Park Vs Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Mgahinga National Park Vs Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.: This comparison of the two Ugandan gorilla destinations focuses on which is best for gorilla trekking, terrain, and hiking. Gorilla trekking is one of the most amazing wildlife experiences that can only be found in a select few locations worldwide.
Primate lovers can only see these endangered mountain gorillas in four protected national parks: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nonetheless, Uganda is fortunate to be home to half of the world’s remaining endangered mountain gorillas, which live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Because of its high biodiversity, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.
It is an excellent place to see mountain gorillas. In addition to mountain gorillas, Bwindi is home to more than 120 different kinds of mammals, including forest elephants, side-striped jackals, African civets, huge forest pigs, African Golden Cats, and small antelopes. Numerous primate species, such as chimpanzees, L’hoest’s monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys, are likely to be sighted in the park.
Among the more than 350 bird species that can be seen there are the Kiev gerund thrush, Giant Kingfisher, Common Bulbul, White-tailed blue, Fly catchers, African green pigeon, Cinnamon-chested bee eater, Crowned hornbill, African harrier hawk, and African blue. It is also home to more than 220 species of beautiful butterflies. Furthermore, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, or “UWA,” is a government agency that oversees the park.
The Batwa Pygmy people lived in the region before Bwindi was designated as a national park. They coexisted with mountain gorillas in the forests until 1991, when the park was designated as a protected area for critically endangered mountain gorillas. In spite of the fact that the park is home to mountain gorillas, gorilla tracking became a popular tourist activity in April 1993 and has since grown in popularity.
There are now more than 22 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi, which are divided into four gorilla sectors that are accessible for gorilla tourist safaris: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. There are just two habituated gorilla groups in Mgahinga that are accessible to tourists. Additionally, Bwindi offers gorilla trekking in four distinct gorilla sectors, each of which is home to many gorilla groups.
Only four visitors are allowed to spend four hours with the gorilla family in the Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors, where the two groups are kept apart for the gorilla habituation experience. completely different from traditional gorilla trekking, which only allows eight tourists to spend an hour with a gorilla family.
In support of Bwindi, Mgahinga National Park must also have a unique quality. As a result, seeing gorillas is now assured in both Bwindi and Mgahinga parks; nonetheless, Mgahinga has seen no instances of gorilla trekking. In Mgahinga, gorilla trekking is conducted in the Nyakagezi group, and the gorillas in this family are known to have crossed into Rwanda and Congo. Imagine when they might choose to go across the border again.
Situated on the rim of the Albertine Rift and adjacent to the Virunga National Park, the park is around 331 square kilometers and is situated in the Kanungu district in the southwest of Uganda, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park vs. Mgahinga National Park
There are now no mountain gorillas in captivity, although in the 1960s and 1970s, several were taken to begin captive breeding. Mountain gorillas are an endangered species found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where there are an estimated 650 individuals in total.
The climate of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is tropical, with yearly temperatures ranging from 7 to 15 degrees Celsius at the lowest point to 20 to 27 degrees Celsius at the highest point. The yearly precipitation then falls between 1,400 and 1,900 millimeters. Peak rainfall also occurs in the park, usually between March and April and between September and November.
In order to find the gorilla families, gorilla trekking in both Bwindi and Mgahinga can be challenging and entails going across rugged and hilly terrain. It is much simpler to hunt down the Nyakagezi gorilla group in Mgahinga. Compared to the majority of the gorilla family in Bwindi, there are fewer gorillas in Nyakagezi.
Visitors that come to Bwindi to follow mountain gorillas must trek farther into the forest to find some of the gorilla groups because it is the largest forest in the area. However, because they reside close to the starting places and can be located in less than two hours, certain members of the Bwindi gorilla family are relatively accessible.
Is there less traffic in Mgahinga? The answer is in the affirmative. After gorilla trekking, Mgahinga National Park is less crowded and has fewer visitors. You can choose to explore the Batwa pygmy or take in the breathtaking surroundings.
Mountain gorillas and the endangered golden monkey can be seen in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, a fantastic place to visit. This suggests that tourists can combine tracking golden monkeys with gorilla trekking. Keep in mind that Bwindi has chimpanzees, so the active golden monkeys in Mgahinga are not completely alone.
Visitors can see chimpanzees along the trails when tracking gorillas in Bwindi, but there are none in Mgahinga.
Generally speaking, unlike in Bwindi, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park offers tourists excellent opportunities to experience mountain hiking. Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabinyo, and Mount Muhavura are the three volcanoes in the park.
Climbers who trek to one of the three volcanoes are rewarded with a rewarding view of Mgahinga National Park, an excellent location for birdwatching, and the opportunity to see forest creatures and primates, such as golden monkeys, which may be seen along the paths.
Visitors can also follow the tracking paths to the Garamba and Muhavura caverns, which were originally utilized by the Batwa for gathering, storing food, and getting ready for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga.
The Batwa pygmies, who were the dominant inhabitants of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, were regretfully forced to leave the park in 1991 after decades of dominance.Despite this, the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was established in 1991 and has an area of roughly 33.9 square kilometers in the southwest of Uganda.
Due of the Batwa’s presence in the park, the number of mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and other park animals had decreased by that point. In an effort to restore its population, the Ugandan government transferred the Batwa people to another location.
Since the Batwa have never completely adapted to their new homes, the decision was not win-win for anybody. Even if you can appreciate the Batwa people’s distinctive culture, old caverns, sacred sites, dances, language, traditional legends, and hunting and clothing customs, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park vs. Mgahinga National Park
After their gorilla trekking adventure, travelers to Bwindi are likely to spend a little period of time at the Batwa outside the park.
When visiting Bwindi for a birdwatching excursion, visitors can stroll along a number of breathtaking routes, including the Rushura, Muzubijiro loop, Bamboo, and waterfall trails. Visitors can explore and learn about the local settlements surrounding Buhoma by following some of the routes.
Both Bwindi and Mgahinga have comparable prices for gorilla trekking safaris. Gorilla permits cost USD 700 per person in both Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Given that they are both in the southwest, Mgahinga and Bwindi National Parks are similarly accessible by car. The travel from Entebbe or Kampala by car takes about eight to nine hours. You can choose to fly from Kampala, Uganda, or drive the shorter 4-hour distance from Kigali, Rwanda.
You can fly domestically from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi in Kampala to Kisoro airfield near Mgahinga with Aerolink or Bar Aviation.
Those who choose to fly to Bwindi can land right at Kihihi Airstrip, which is close to the Ruhija or Buhoma gorilla sectors.
