Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga with UWA rangers

Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga with UWA rangers, plays a crucial role in guiding visitors through the dense forest, helping them navigate the terrain and locate the golden monkey families. Their knowledge of the park’s geography and wildlife behavior is invaluable in ensuring a successful and safe trekking experience. Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga is a unique and exhilarating experience that offers the opportunity to observe golden monkeys in their natural habitat. Here’s an overview of what to expect during Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga with UWA rangers:

Preparing for the Trek

1. Permits: You need to secure a permit to go golden monkey trekking. The number of permits is limited to ensure minimal impact on the golden monkeys and their environment. As of now, each permit costs around $100 per person per trek. It’s advisable to book these well in advance due to high demand.
2. Physical Fitness: Trekking to see the golden monkeys can be challenging, requiring a good level of fitness. Trails can be steep, muddy, and involve several hours of hiking.
3. Gear: Essential items include sturdy hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, a rain jacket, insect repellent, and a hat. A walking stick, often provided by the park, can also be very helpful.

The Trekking Experience

1. Briefing: The day begins early with a briefing at the park headquarters. Here, you’ll be grouped into small parties, each accompanied by a knowledgeable guide and park rangers. The guides will provide information on golden monkey behavior and the rules to follow during the trek.
2. Trekking: The actual trek to find the golden monkeys can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the location of the golden monkey families. Rangers use their knowledge of the golden monkey movements and signs like nests, dung, and broken vegetation to track them.
3. Encounter: Once the golden monkeys are located, you will spend approximately one hour with them. This is to minimize disturbance to the animals. During this time, you can observe their interactions, behavior, and even hear their vocalizations up close. It’s an intimate and humbling experience, bringing you face to face with one of our closest relatives.
4. Guidelines: Maintaining a safe distance of about 7 meters (23 feet) from the golden monkeys is crucial. Follow the rangers’ instructions at all times, and avoid making sudden movements or loud noises. Flash photography is prohibited to avoid startling the animals.

About Golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park home to endangered mountain gorillas and Golden monkeys, Is golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park worth the money other species including birds, reptiles and forest mammals can be sighted during your visit at this park. It is one of the national parks that make the great Virunga ranges with others including Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in DR Congo. Golden monkey trekking is one the main activities to do in Mgahinga National Park and many who have done it have had an experience worth the money spent and time.

How is Golden Monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park worth the money?

Golden Monkey trekking is one of the major activities mostly booked by travelers visiting Mgahinga National Park and many have reviewed the experience as unforgettable, magical and life-changing worth the money spent. What you pay for golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park that is $60 for the golden monkey permit and $40 for park entrance fees, this gives you an opportunity to learn more about how the endangered habituated golden monkeys that are still surviving in Mgahinga National Park as this gives you a great travel and learning experience. The money paid also helps in conservation of the only remaining golden monkeys in Uganda and their natural habitat Mgahinga National Park. If here was no golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park, Gahinga bamboo forest would be all destroyed by now through encroachments from the local communities but with the existence of this activity which also brings in foreign exchange to the country and the local communities around the forest when you visit and pay the entrance fees this has encouraged the local communities and the government of Uganda through Uganda Wildlife Authority to protect the original home of these golden monkeys which has in turn promoted environmental conservation in Uganda, this makes the money spent on golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park worth.

Money spent on golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park through your golden monkey trekking permit and park entrance fees also helps to benefit the local communities that leave around Mgahinga National Park this in turn encourages the local communities to conserve and protect these golden monkeys since their importance is known by the local communities through the 20% money they receive every year off the permit and park entrance fees paid by tourists who do golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park. This money goes directly through payment of the local communities who are on the lead committees and indirectly through infrastructure and projects that help contribute to a better life of the local communities through construction of schools, hospitals and practicing agriculture, this thus also makes the money spent on golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park worth.

Best time to do Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga with UWA rangers

The best time to do golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park is during the months of June to October and December to March during this time it is a dry season in Uganda with mild rainfall making it easy for the treks in the Forests, as well during this time the vegetation is not fully grown and it is easy for viewing the golden monkeys offering great sights for photographs. During the other months of April, May and November which is normally a wet season this makes the vegetations grow high making the sightings unclear and its is muddy and slippery in the forest however during this time the treks tend to be shorter given the fact golden monkeys don’t move further distances looking for food, food is readily available in the forest compared to the dry seasons. Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park is a very well organized activity and you have 99% chances of seeing golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park anytime of the year.

Where to stay on your Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga with UWA rangers

Lodges near Mgahinga Gorilla National park include Gahinga Lodge, Lake Chahafi Resort, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Kisoro Travelers’ Inn among others.

How to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

By Road; Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can be accessed through the main high-way road from Entebbe/Kampala which approximately 8-9 hours drive. You will pass through Kabale town and proceed to Kisoro town from Kisoro town you will drive toward your lodge which close to the park for overnight. The Park can also be accessed from Kigali, Rwanda which is approximately 2-3 hours 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 of Aero link and Fly Uganda. You will need to plan with your tour operator for a transfer from the airstrip to your Lodge you are booked for your stay.

Why book your Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga with UWA rangers Through Eco Adventure Safaris

Eco Adventure Safaris is experienced in organizing amazing gorilla safari experiences to Uganda and Rwanda. We are also highly rated and reviewed on Trip Advisor. We combine gorilla trekking safaris with eco-friendly and unforgettable high-end adventure and wildlife safaris that help preserve biodiversity, conserve wildlife and uplift local communities, these include chimpanzee trekking, Big 5 safaris and game viewing, Mountain Hiking, Boat cruises excursions, and Cultural encounters to give you a memorable and best African Safari experience including popular and great African safari destinations Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and Namibia. Contact us here about Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga with UWA rangers.