GUIDE TO GOLDEN MONKEY TREKKING IN UGANDA

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Golden Monkey trekking in Uganda is an exhilarating tourist activity that you shouldn’t miss while on your primate safari in Uganda. Golden Monkey trekking is carried out in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the smallest protected area, which is situated in the Kisoro district in the southwest. Golden Monkey trekking involves walking through the tropical rainforest searching for the habituated golden monkey troop, and then spending an hour with them there in the wild.

Golden Monkey trekking experience in Uganda
Golden Monkey trekking is an active activity that begins early in the morning at the park’s administrative center with a briefing on the guidelines and requirements. You will begin your jungle trek after the briefing, tracing the paths left by the bamboo shoots and leaves that were previously there. Due to their propensity for moving from one location to another searching for food, golden monkey trekking can take from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on where they are found.

When the golden monkeys are found, you will be allowed to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, giving you the chance to learn about their behaviors and habits, watch them go about their daily activities, take pictures, and document the moments. During the Golden Monkey trekking, you will also be able to see other primates like chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, olive baboons, bird species, plant species, among others.

The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park also provides Golden Monkey Habituation, which is an adventurous activity where golden monkeys are trained to become accustomed to human presence for trekking. A team of researchers, scientists, park rangers, and guides accompany travelers conducting the golden monkey habituation experience, which gives visitors a chance to spend four hours with the golden monkeys.

What is the price of a Ugandan trekking permit for golden monkeys?
Any visitor over the age of 15 can visit the habituated golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park with the help of a legal card known as a “golden monkey permits. Golden monkey trekking permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a government agency in charge of tourism, and cost 60 USD per person for foreign nonresidents, $60 per person for foreign residents, and 40,000 UGX per person for citizens of East Africa. A golden monkey habituation permit in Uganda costs $100 per person for foreign residents and non-residents and 100,000 UGX for East African nationals.

What is the best time to go for golden monkey trekking in Uganda?
The best time to go golden monkey trekking is during the dry season, also known as the high season, which occurs in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. The golden monkey trekking trails will be dry and passable and the vegetation will be sparse during the dry season, giving you the chance to clearly see the golden monkeys and other wildlife species.

Where to stay in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers a variety of lodging options where you can stay while on a safari to see golden monkeys. The accommodations include Mount Gahinga Lodge, Montana Guest House, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Mucha Hotel, Mutanda Island Lodge, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Muhabura Motel, Kisoro Travelers Lodge, and Silverback Safari Lodge, among others. They also range from luxury, midrange, and budget options.

How to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is reachable by both road and air travel and is situated in the southwest of Uganda.
When traveling by road, tourists must travel from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, and Kisoro before continuing on to the park headquarters, a journey that will take them between nine and ten hours.

The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is also reachable from Kigali, Rwanda, where visitors can fly to the airport and then drive for 4 to 5 hours to the park headquarters via the Cyanika border.

Travel by air: You can also travel to the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park by chartered or scheduled flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kisoro Airstrip, from where you can take a road connection to the park headquarters.

Golden Monkey trekking is an amazing activity that can be combined with wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park. You can get in touch with Devine African Safaris for more details about golden monkeys.