Compare and Contrast Between Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Parks
Compare and Contrast Between Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Parks: Uganda is among the few countries in Africa, if not globally, that are endowed with the unique and endangered mountain gorilla species. These gentle giants are found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park; however, these two gorilla parks have a lot in common and may slightly differ from one another in a few aspects.
Generally, the world’s mountain gorillas can only be found in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The gorilla trekking experience in Uganda is carried out in the two gorilla parks of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. However, in comparison, visitors should know that these two destinations offer unique experiences.
Compare and Contrast Between Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Parks
Bwindi is Uganda’s leading mountain gorilla destination, with the highest number of gorillas compared to any other destination in Africa. This park is home to over 459 mountain gorillas, and being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this makes gorilla trekking more popular than Mgahinga National Park. More still, visitors have a variety of selections from over 22 habituated gorilla families to select from. On the other hand, Mgahinga National Park has only one habituated gorilla family.
Despite having only the Nyakagezi family, this group stands out as one of the best families for gorilla tracking experiences in Uganda, attributed to its larger number of silverbacks than any other family in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Both parks can easily be accessed by either road transport or air transport from Kampala or Entebbe. By road, you can access these two parks using the Masaka-Mbarara Highway through the Kabale and Kisoro districts, which may take about 8-10 hours. By air, the two parks can be accessed from either Kajjansi Airfield or Entebbe International Airport to either Kihihi Airstrip in the northern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Kisoro, connecting to the two parks in less than 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is gifted with four gorilla tracking sectors where visitors can participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. These gorilla tracking sectors include Ruhija, Buhoma, Rushaga, and Nkuringo, making it possible for visitors who prefer double gorilla tracking in Bwindi rather than in Mgahinga.
Here, visitors can track gorillas in a particular section of a family, and the next day, they opt for another family in a different section. A double gorilla trekking experience offers visitors a chance to explore and compare experiences when tracking different gorilla families from different sections of the park.
What makes Bwindi unique is that, globally, it’s the only destination where tourists have a chance to see both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. On the other hand, Mgahinga is advantageous for its striking golden monkeys, meaning it’s the only primate destination where visitors can track mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in their natural environment.
The chances of seeing these mountain gorillas are extremely high in both destinations. Mgahinga’s one gorilla family has a history of migrating from Uganda to either Rwanda or Congo. However, they have been settled in Uganda for the last four years, but it’s hard to tell when they might decide to pay a visit to their brothers in Congo and Rwanda, respectively.
However, the only moment when visitors could miss seeing a gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is when the allocated family moves too deep into the jungle. This is a rare case, but still, the activity could be halted to enable visitors to get back to the starting point before twilight.
Bwindi is strategically located in a way that it acts as a link connecting to Uganda’s other most attractive parks, such as Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mgahinga National Park, which later connect you to other unique and famous destinations, like Kibale Forest National Park, within and outside the country. This means that travelers can blend gorilla tracking and wildlife safari for the Big Five adventure.
When you compare and contrast between Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla parks, the cost of gorilla trekking permits in Uganda cuts across all gorilla parks of Uganda in both Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks. A gorilla permit costs $800 for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 for the rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 for East African citizens. However, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has better and more accommodation facilities than Mgahinga National Park.
