Golden monkey trekking in Uganda
Golden monkey trekking in Uganda; Golden monkey trekking is an active and interesting activity that involves tourists moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated golden monkeys and once found spend one hour with them in their habitat. Golden monkey trekking in Uganda is only done in Mgahinga gorilla national park which is located in southwestern region in Kisoro district. Apart from Uganda, golden monkey trekking is also done in volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Golden monkeys are active and playful primates that mostly live in lower areas. Golden monkeys live in groups of about 30 to 60 members and feed on bamboo shoots, leaves, tree branches, insects, ripe fruits among others.
Golden monkey trekking experience
Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated golden monkey family to trek and an experienced park guide who is well conversant with different trails in the forest. Trekking of golden monkeys in Mgahinga gorilla national park takes about 2 hours to 5 hours depending on where the golden monkeys are located and during trekking, you will follow trails of leftover bamboo shoots, leaves among others. Once the golden monkeys are found, you will be able to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities, play, jump up in trees, take photos and record videos to show people back home.
Mgahinga gorilla national park also offers golden monkey habituation experience where the wild golden monkeys are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Golden monkey habituation experience takes a period of about 2 to 3 years to be complete and tourists who engage in the habituation experience will be allowed to spend four hours with the golden monkeys in their environment.
Cost of golden monkey trekking permit in Uganda
Golden monkey trekking permits in Mgahinga gorilla national park cost 100 USD per person for foreign non residents, 80 USD per person for foreign residents and 60,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
Golden monkey habituation permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park cost 140 USD per person for foreign non residents, 110 USD per person for foreign residents and 120,000 USD per person for East African citizens.
How to book golden monkey trekking permits in Uganda
Golden monkey trekking permits in Uganda can be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month and year when you wish to visit the golden monkeys. After contacting us we will contact Uganda Wildlife Authority to check for permit availability on your preferred dates and if there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once the payment has been made, we will acquire the permits on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.
Best time to go for golden monkey trekking safari in Uganda
Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, august, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore golden monkey trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy.
How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive.
You can as well contact Mgahinga gorilla national park from Kigali Rwanda where you will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to Mgahinga gorilla national park via Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale to the park headquarters which takes about 3 to 4 hours drive.
Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter domestic flights through Aero link or Bar aviation Uganda from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.
Where to stay in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park has a number of accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your golden monkey safari including Mount Gahinga Lodge, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Lake Mutanda Resort, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Mucha Hotel, Mgahinga Travelers Rest Hotel Kisoro, Muhabura Motel, 3 Way Gorilla Resort, Mubano Hotel, Kisoro Tourist Hotel.
Golden monkey trekking in Uganda is an exciting activity that can be combined with other activities like gorilla trekking, Batwa cultural tour, mountain climbing, bird watching, wildlife viewing among others. For more information about golden monkey trekking in Uganda, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various golden monkey trekking packages.