Many people wonder about the best time to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park? Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a destination that can be visited all year round. Its pleasant climate makes almost every adventure activity possible throughout the year.
All that can be said is that Mgahinga National park is open for tourism throughout the year. This Park is an assortment of several interesting tourism activities, which tourists can participate in at anytime of the year. Gorilla trekking for example is an all year adventure hence you can visit at anytime you desire. However, a maximum satisfaction is achieved if the activity is conducted during the dry seasons from December to February and June to September because this is when the hiking trails are not/less slippery and muddy.
Dry Season
The dry season is also the peak season where the demand of gorilla permits and the lodging facilities is high; hence tourists are advised to book for the adventure at least 5 months in advance to avoid disappointment. Like it is said that every good thing has a certain flaw, gorilla trekking in the dry season is not exceptional because no matter how the hiking conditions tend to be Favorable, this season does not offer clear views because of the hazier air associated with the dry season.
Wet Season
The rainy/wet season from April to May and October to November is not preferred because the tracking conditions are not favorable in that the trails tend to be slippery and muddy hence making tracking to be challenging. Not only that, this season is associated with a lot of mist and hailstorms which make it challenging to sight wildlife and birds from a far distance. This season however offers clearer views than in the dry seasons because after it rains, the clouds disappear and the mist lifts up unlike the dry season associated with hazy air. Not only that, the scenery is breathtaking and vegetation greener during the rainy seasons.
One advantage tourists enjoy for tracking gorillas during the rainy season is that prices of gorilla permits are always discounted with foreign non-residents being charged $450 instead of the $600 allowing tourists to save at least $150, foreign residents pay $400 instead of the $500 hence tourists save $100 and East African Citizens pay Uganda Shillings 150,000 per person instead of the Uganda Shillings 250,000 allowing them to pay Uganda Shillings 100,000. The wet season is also the best time for bird watching, because it is during the rainy season that the migratory bird species like the Brown-chested Lapwings can be sighted within Mgahinga National park.
However, tourists travelling to Mgahinga National park should put in their mind that the prediction of weather/climate cannot be 100% correct because of the high rate of global warming, because even when you expect it to be a dry season, the place can abruptly receive rain hence tourists get disappointed because they didn’t prepare for it.
It is therefore important to wear a rainproof backpack, rain jacket, rainproof hiking boots, long trousers and long sleeved shirts before venturing into the jungles regardless of the seasons. This allows you to get prepared for the unexpected.
In conclusion, much as Mgahinga National park can be visited at anytime of the best, maximum tracking experiences are achieved when tourists visit during the dry season (June to September and December to February) because the tracking conditions during the wet season (April, May and November) are not favorable.
Read More about best times to do different activities in Mgahinga National Park
What is the Best Time to Go Gorilla Trekking?
Mountain gorillas of Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Park can be best tracked from December to March and from June to September. This is the dry season in Uganda and tracking during these months is less hectic as there is easy movement within the forest trails, which is not the case during the wet season when the tracking trails are muddy.
During the rainy months (April, May and November), tourists can also track gorillas and the good news is that during these months the mountain gorilla permit is discounted from $600 to $450.
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