Guide to Filming Gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Guide to Filming Gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Are you an international, regional, or local media company, ad agency, brand, or production a filming company looking for filming gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or photography production support and shooting crew for filming gorillas in Uganda? We highly recommend filming gorillas in Uganda compared to Rwanda and Congo. Uganda is the leading destination for gorilla tourism as it has half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the world. Filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park will give you an opportunity to shoot different documentaries of various park activities. These include Mountain Gorilla tracking, Batwa cultural trail experience, and volcano climbing, among others. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the other national park where you can do gorilla tracking to see the endangered apes in their natural habitat; it is also great for adventurers, offering 3 volcanoes for hiking.
About Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park, which is on the border with Rwanda. It is one of the national parks that make up the Great Virunga Ranges. It combines with other ranges, including Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in DR Congo. 3 extinct volcanoes, which include Muhavura, Gahinga, and Sabinyo, make up Mgahinga National Park. It is home to the endangered mountain gorillas and Golden monkeys. Other species include birds, reptiles, and forest mammals that you can see during your visit to this park.
Requirements for filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is charged at 40% of any activity you plan for your shoot. For example, for filming gorillas, a gorilla permit costs $800; therefore, the Gorilla filming permit comes to $320 per person. You will need to get a filming permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. It allows you to film gorillas in Uganda in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. On top of this, you will also need to process and get media cards from the Uganda Media Council.
Then, you will also need to clear your filming equipment with customs at the Point of Entry in Uganda. Contact us at Safari Vacations and Travel Services Uganda; we will be able to process both the filming permissions with the Local Authorities, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Media Council media cards, accommodation, and transportation for you, as well as guide and help you with clearance processes at the point of entry into Uganda.
Press Accreditation
All film crew members are, by law, supposed to be accredited by the Uganda Media Council. Once this process is complete, each crew member will get a media card. It costs USD175.00 for 30 days of filming and USD225.00 for up to 60 days of filming. Each crew member is required to fill Form G (which we normally send to you) with all details, scan and send it back to us with a copy of his/her passport as well as one photograph to be put on his/her media card.
On top of this, we will need a letter from the filming company detailing who they are. We also need to know why they are filming, where they will be filming, and details of the crew members on this shoot. We will attach this letter to all details provided and send them to the Uganda Media Council for Media card processing. This takes 2-3 working days to have these media cards ready.
Vehicle Hire Services
Safari Vacations and Travel Services Uganda organizes transport for film crews. We consider clients’ interests, budget, and the nature of roads in such selected locations. For rough terrains, like in National Parks, we recommend customized 4×4 Land Cruisers. These cost from USD200-250 per vehicle per day with a Driver/Fixer. 4×4 Safari Vans cost between USD200 per Van per day with driver/Fixer. For us to estimate how much it will cost in terms of fuel, we will need to look at your filming schedule to establish the mileage and distance to be travelled. We also organize both charter and scheduled air transport for those who need to fly to reduce the number of hours. For those filming on water bodies, Safari Vacations and Travel Services works with other credible service providers who are in a position to hire us boats.
Fixers in Uganda to help you film gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
All our vehicles come with drivers who act as location fixers, and most of them have been to almost all parts of Uganda and are thus conversant with the local situations. They can provide relevant information and fix any situation on ground. These act as intermediaries between you and our office while on location in Uganda.
Top activities to film in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Gorilla Tracking in Mgahinga
Golden Monkey Tracking
Birding
Wildlife Viewing
Batwa Cultural Trail Experience
Best time for filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The best time for filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is during the drier months of January, February, June, July, August, and early September. These months experience less rainfall, though the climate changes every day. Any time of the year, you can visit the gorillas. Sometimes, the rainy season is considered better to see gorillas, as there is a lot of food growing because of the rain, and gorillas can clearly be spotted. Gorilla permits tend to sell out quickly, and all those interested in trekking gorillas during this time should book in advance.
Where to stay during filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga National Park has fewer lodges compared to Bwindi, where you can stay on your gorilla trekking tour. These range from budget to high-end hotels, and Safari Vacations and Travel Services can help you book the hotel of your choice. In Mgahinga, you can stay at Gahinga Lodge (luxury), Lake Chahafi Resort, and Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge (midrange). For budget options, you can stay at Kiroro Travellers’ Rest Hotel and Ikaze Cottages.
How to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
By Road: The park can be accessed through the main highway road from Entebbe/Kampala, approximately an 8-9 hour drive. You will pass through Kabale town and proceed to Kisoro town, then drive toward your lodge close to the park. The park can also be accessed from Kigali, Rwanda, which is about 2-3-hour drive.
By Air: You can fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala’s Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip to access Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Scheduled and chartered flights are available and operated by domestic airline operators such as Aerolink and Fly Uganda. You will need to plan with your tour operator for a transfer from the airstrip to your lodge.
Why Book Filming Gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park with Safari Vacations and Travel Services?
Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a trusted local fixer company that assists filming companies and production agencies in Uganda and East Africa. As a reliable tour operator, we handle all fixer services you need with our professional team of local fixers and driver guides. We work closely with the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the National Forestry Authority, making it easy to obtain filming permissions. We have established all the relevant connections with other service providers and government agencies. This ensures we help you process accreditation and filming permits in the shortest possible time.
Contact us for details and all relevant information you would like to know for filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
