Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park Rwanda vs Mgahinga national park in Uganda
Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park Rwanda vs Mgahinga national park in Uganda- Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla Park in Uganda are some of the 4 national parks in Africa where one can do mountain gorilla trekking. Mgahinga national park and volcanoes national park border each other and are part of the Virunga conservation area. Both mountains host some of the Virunga volcanoes and these are, Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sabyinyo, and Muhabura in volcanoes national park and Gahinga, Muhabura, and Sabyinyo in Mgahinga national park.
Both Volcanoes national park and Mgahinga Gorilla Park are home to golden monkeys that are endemic in these two are in the whole of East Africa. These national parks are also home to different mammal species, birds, reptiles, and different bird species.
Comparing gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park with that of Mgahinga national park
When it comes to comparing gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park with that of Volcanoes national park there is no difference after the trekking exercise since bamboo is the type of vegetation in both national parks. There are several facts you can consider to compare gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park and that of volcanoes national park for you to decide on where to book and trek mountain gorillas from as we shall explain below.
Accessing Mgahinga national park and volcanoes national park
When it comes to distance and easy accessing, volcanoes national park is the best option compared to Mgahinga gorilla park because volcanoes national park is located just a 2 hours’ drive from the Kigali airport while Mgahinga is located 9-10 from Entebbe international airport and 4-5 hours from Kigali international airport. To trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park from Kigali city all you need is an East African tourist visa which allows you to visit any of the countries in East Africa.
Vegetation and trekking experience
Bamboo is the main type of vegetation in both Volcanoes national park and Mgahinga national park. Trekking mountain gorillas in these national parks is easy compared to other national parks because finding mountain gorillas takes a few hours and also bamboo gives clear views of the mountain gorillas as well as other park animals. The bamboo vegetation also gives the best photography. In conclusion, viewing mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park is the same as that of volcanoes national park but it’s difficult in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park because the park is made up of tropical and sub-tropical forests.
Lodges in Volcanoes national park and Mgahinga Gorilla Park
Both Volcanoes national park and Mgahinga Gorilla Park have accommodation facilities ranging from budget to mid-range to luxury options so where to stay depends on your travel budget. For people interested in luxury accommodation facilities, the volcanoes national park is the best option compared to Mgahinga Gorilla Park because the park has got a lot of better lodges. Lodges in volcanoes national park offer luxury services and have been ranked as some of the best in Africa e.g., Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, One $ Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, and Singita Kwitonda Lodge. Travelers looking for cheap and more budget lodges should visit Mgahinga national park and these are found in the park and the outside nearby places. From accommodation to activities Rwanda has always proven to be a luxurious country with its gorilla trekking permits being the most expensive at $1500 compared to Mgahinga national park where gorilla trekking permits go for $700 foreign non-residents, $600 foreign residents, and UGX250, 000 East African citizens. Mgahinga Gorilla Park has only one luxurious lodge called Mount Gahinga Safari Lodge, tourist looking for better lodges should visit the volcanoes national park.
Number of gorilla families in Mgahinga national park vs volcanoes national park
Volcanoes national park in the northwestern part of Rwanda has more gorilla families compared to Mgahinga national park in the southwestern part of the country. There are over 10 habituated gorilla families in volcanoes national park while Mgahinga gorilla national park has 1 habituated gorilla family. Volcanoes national park has over 80 gorilla trekking permits every day, unlike Mgahinga national park which has only 8 trekking permits. Since volcanoes national park has more gorilla families compared to Mgahinga national park then this means it’s more flexible trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda compared to Uganda.
The only advantage Mgahinga national park has over volcanoes national park when it comes to trekking and gorilla families is that people who visit Mgahinga have privacy and there is no congestion. Volcanoes national park has more gorilla families and the permits are in high demand compared to Mgahinga national park since Rwanda advertises its gorilla tourism more than Uganda. Uganda needs to put more effort into its marketing to become the most visited place when it comes to tourism.
Gorilla trekking experience in volcanoes national park vs that of Mgahinga gorilla park
Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla Park is done on the slopes of Virunga Volcanoes in the bamboo vegetation. Trekking experience in volcanoes national park is much better compared to that of Mgahinga national park. This is because mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park were habituated way back before that of Mgahinga national park so mountain gorillas are more used to human presence in volcanoes national park. There are 98% chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park as well as volcanoes national park. on the day of the briefing, the trekkers are entertained by cultural dancers at the park headquarters before and after the trekking experience in the volcanoes national park which is not done in Mgahinga national park. In conclusion, volcanoes national park has a better trekking experience compared to Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
Gorilla trekking permit price in volcanoes national park Vs to Mgahinga Gorilla Park
Trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park is cheaper than trekking in the volcanoes national park. Uganda focuses on selling its tourism products at an affordable price compared to Rwanda which wants to make itself a luxurious country. A single gorilla trekking permit for volcanoes national park gorilla trekking can buy 2 trekking permits for Mgahinga national park meaning a person can trek 2 different days in Mgahinga and save 100usd making $1500 which is a single permit in Rwanda.
A single gorilla trekking permit in volcanoes national park costs $1500 per person per trek while a gorilla permit in Mgahinga national park costs $700 for foreign nonresidents, 600 foreign residents, and UGX250,000 East African citizens. Both gorilla trekking permits allow trekkers to spend a maximum of 1 hour around mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. In conclusion, if you are looking for a cheaper place to trek mountain gorillas then Mgahinga national park is cheaper than volcanoes national park.
Trekking time and difficulty in trekking between Mgahinga national park and volcanoes national park
Trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park and volcanoes national park takes 2-7 hours depending on the location of mountain gorillas and maybe the speed of trekkers. Trekking mountain gorillas in both national parks is easy because trekking is done in the bamboo type of vegetation which is easy to pass through and also easy to view mountain gorillas.
What is the best time to visit the volcanoes national park and Mgahinga national park?
Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park and Mgahinga Gorilla Park can be done at any time of the year but the best times are the dry months. The dry season happens in June, July, and August to September, and December, January, and February. The dry season comes with little or no rainfall, roads leading to the park passable, trekking trails less slippery and not muddy and the vegetation thin with clear views of the park animals.
Trekking mountain gorillas can also be done in the rainy season of March to May and October to November but during this time there is plenty of rainfall making the park trails slippery and muddy, the vegetation is thin and the roads leading to the parks are impassable. Trekking in the rainy season comes with the advantage of getting huge discounts from accommodation owners.