How Safe is it to Fly from Entebbe to Mgahinga National Park

How safe is it to fly from Entebbe to Mgahinga National Park?

It is very possible and safe to fly to Mgahinga National Park, it is one of the best gorilla destinations in Uganda found in southwestern Uganda. Flying reduces the time to spend on the road that is sometimes tiresome, you are able to arrive at the Hotel/Park earlier than spending the whole day driving. Most of travelers have opted to fly as it is the fastest way to get to Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. Fly in Airstrips in Mgahinga National Park.

Trek Africa Expeditions organizes fly in safaris to Mgahinga National park and all other safari destinations in Uganda. Mgahinga National Park has one closet main Airstrip where you can land on your safari visit to this awesome Park. The Airstrip is called Kisoro Airstrip which is 30 minutes’ drive to the park headquarters and other close hotels/lodges of Mgahinga National Park.

Flights to Kisoro can depart from Entebbe international Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip depending on the flight company you opt to use. The flight takes approximately 2 hours to Kisoro depending on the routing, Kisoro has only morning flights due to the nature of the weather to ensure safety of clients onboard. You can as well fly from Kasese Airstrip, Kihihi Airstrip in the western Uganda to Mgahinga National Park. We can tailor for you flights to every National Park while on your safari to see the Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Wildlife viewing, Hiking and cultural encounters.

There are majorly three flight companies that operates flights Kisoro Airstrip closet to Mgahinga National Park. Aerolink Uganda is the leading company with daily flights from Entebbe international Airport to Kisoro. The other air companies are Eagle Air, Fly Uganda that operate from Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro. All these companies can as well operate scheduled and chattered flights. For a complete great adventure, our professional, experienced and trained English speaking driver guides will be waiting for you up on arrival at the any Airstrip for all the transfers and activities in the Park. We only use 4×4 safari vehicles for your comfortability and memorable experience.

Mgahinga National Park.

Mgahinga National Park is located Kisoro district south western Uganda, East Africa. Mgahinga gorilla national park is among the Virunga volcanic mountain chain of Rwanda, Congo and Uganda famous for Mountain gorilla safaris. The park is Uganda’s smallest national park which is boarded by Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo and Bwindi Forest National Park in Uganda. Mgahinga gorilla national park has the three volcanoes namely Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo and Mountain Muhabura all of which are part of the six Virunga Mountains. Mgahinga National Park harbors the endangered mountain gorilla and the Golden Monkeys. The park is a tropical rain forest comprised of lowland equatorial evergreen forest, tropical seasonal forest, montane rain forests and mountain Bamboo.

Mgahinga National Park is among the ten National Parks in Uganda for tourism and the second national park for specially gorilla tourism. This park is such a beauty that you should not miss out while visiting Uganda. It is under the management of Uganda wildlife Authority, a government body in charge of all the conservation areas in Uganda. What to do and see in Mgahinga National Park?

Uganda as a country is endowed with diversity to see and do, on your flying safari, Mgahinga national park is worth your time and visit as it has a lot to see and do as detailed below.

Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park

Most travelers opt to fly from Entebbe to Mgahinga National Park for life time gorilla trekking experience. The Park is another unique place in Uganda for the amazing gorilla tourism. Gorilla trekking is visiting the rare mountain gorillas in their natural environment as you view their beauty, the way they move, feed, and live. The gorillas are known to have 99% of the human DNA and are amazing to Watch. Mgahinga National Park has one habituation gorilla family known as Nyakagezi gorilla family available for trekking every day. Only eight visitors are allowed to visit per pay for only one hour of Viewing once you find the gorillas.

For a successful gorilla trek in Mgahinga national park, you are required to have a valid gorilla permit secured from Uganda wildlife Authority for your desired date of trek at USD800 for Foreign Non-Residents, USD700 for Foreign Residents, and Uganda shillings 300,000 for East African citizens. One the day of the trek, you will drive to the Park Headquarters for briefing on the regulations to follow while in the forest and with the gorillas, experienced guides and Park rangers will accompany you on the trek into the dense rain forest on the mountain slopes. The journey, through dense foliage and up steep climbs, is abundantly rewarded with the lifetime experience of viewing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. You will have an opportunity to be within 7-5 meters of these magnificent apes, sharing in their daily lives and experiencing their day-to-day activities. You will be allowed one hour of viewing the gorillas and then return to the starting point to receive a certificate for a successful gorilla trek. Book with us you’re a safe flying safari from Entebbe to Mgahinga National Park to see gorillas.

Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park

Golden Monkeys are also rare primates in the world and Uganda is lucky to have them remaining in Mgahinga national park. Golden monkey tracking is one of the primary activities in the park that make Mgahinga gorilla national park a distinct destination when you fly from Entebbe to the Park. There are two communities of golden monkeys habituated for trekking, golden monkey trekking permit costs USD100 as per the Uganda wildlife Authority Tariff of 2020-2021. The trek starts early morning at 7:00am with briefing at the park headquarters about the dos and don’ts while in the forest. Later you start your walk into the forest with park guides and Rangers until you find the golden Monkeys and you are allowed to view them for one hour. In East Africa, the golden monkeys are only found in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.

Volcano Climbing/Hiking in Mgahinga National Park

For those interested in hiking on flying safari, Mgahinga gorilla national park also popularly known for Volcano climbing of the gahinga Ranges. The national park has three of the six Virunga mountain chain namely; Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Gahinga and Mountain Muhabura and you can make a choice of climbing one of the mountains depending on your fitness. Mountain Sabinyo is at 3,669m and takes about eight hours to cover the round trip, following a steep ridge up to the peak, Mountain Gahinga which is the smallest with 3474m takes around six hours to ascend and descend, topped by a swamp-filled crater and giant lobelia. Mountain Muhavura is the highest peak at 4,127m, and this 12km round trip takes around eight hours. Once at the top, hikers are rewarded on a clear day with views of the Virunga Volcanoes, Lake Edward, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the peaks of the Rwenzori Mountain. Volcano Hiking experience gives you an opportunity to see different tree species, spot birds, Forest Elephants, Primates and Gorillas if you are lucky enough in Mgahinga National Park.

Batwa Cultural experience in Mgahinga National Park

Cultural experience is one of the highlights of the flying safari in Uganda, Mgahinga national park used to harbor the Batwa Pygmies in the forest who were evacuated as a conservation measure of the endangered apes and primates. The Batwa cultural encounter will expose you their unique culture, dance, way of life, the food they eat as they introduce you to their traditional forest life. In the trail, The Batwa will lead into the forest in which they demonstrate their traditional forest life such as hunting, fruit gathering, collecting honey and performing rituals among others. These batwa trails are organized to appreciate culture and also support the livelihoods of the communities around the park by paying a fee. Donations to children, women groups are much appreciated and also buying soverniors supports the community. Visit Mgahinga national park with Trek Africa Expeditions for an amazing flying adventure.

Bird watching in Mgahinga National Park

Bird watching is one the best activities Mgahinga national park can offer for those interested in Bird species. The park has about 79 bird species have thus far been recorded including several species endemic to the East Congo Montane region where Mgahinga is part. Some of the birds you can spot are the Dusky turtle Dove, Cape Robin-chat, Kivu-ground Thrush, Olive Thrush, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Bronze Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Black-headed Waxbill and Streaky Seedeater, the Chubb’s Cisticola, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Banded Prinia and Doherty’s Bush-shrike among others are inconspicuous inhabitants of the tangled vegetation at the forest’s edge. Birding takes place at the gorge between mountain Sabinyo and Mountain Gahinga as well as at the forest Age, the birding trail is about four hour walk as guides help you to identify the sounds and the birds. We do have flying birding safaris and professional guides equipped with birding knowledge.

Nature walks in the forest.

Uganda wildlife Authority established nature walk trails in Mgahinga National Park for guided walks for visitors. The guided walks can start at any time of the day depending on the time the visitor has, during the walks, you will be able to see the different tree species, Forest birds, swamps, and Lakes like Lake Mutanda, Lake Chahafi, and many more. You will be guided on different tracks for a thrilling experience.

Where to stay in Mgahinga National Park?

Mgahinga National Park has a number of accommodation choices where you can stay while on your visit. Most of the lodges are found on the outskirts of the forest with a clear view of the forest and the mountain ranges. The Lodges range from Budget to Luxury and these include; Gahinga Lodge which is a luxury hotel, Lake Chahafi Lodge, and Lake Muhele Lodge which can serve both Midrange and Budget. There is also an option of staying in hotels in Kisoro town, the town is just 30 minutes drive to the Park headquarters.

Why book with Trek Africa Expeditions to fly to Mgahinga National Park?

Trek Africa Expeditions offer amazing experiences in Mgahinga National Park, the rest of Uganda, and the East African region as a whole. Contact us at info@trekafricatours.com for our discounted packages and also tailor-made trips. Our magic in organizing authentic experience stems from the fact that we have over time assembled a team mixed with young and energetic staff guided by well-experienced mature managers and directors who are Ugandans and passionate about what they do. Trek Africa Expeditions is highly rated and reviewed on trip Advisor and safari bookings to help you learn about the experiences of the other travelers who have traveled with us.