Golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

For an authentic trip to Africa, nothing beats the country Uganda in Golden monkeys trekking. In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Golden monkeys are one of the key attractions in the park which attract quite a number of tourists. It is one of the activities one can do while in the park for primate safaris. It involves moving on foot into the forest in search of the habituated golden monkey families and once found you can spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Mgahinga Gorilla National park is the only protected area in Uganda that in habits Golden monkeys.

They are endangered and rare species that can only be spotted in Mgahinga National park in Uganda. There are about 5000 golden monkeys found in the world and between 30 to 60 golden monkeys are left in Mgahinga. The park is located in south western part of Uganda in Kisoro district, the golden monkeys are also found in other destinations like Volcanoes National park in Rwanda, Virunga national park in D.R. Congo.

The scientific name for Golden monkeys is Cercopithecus Kandti, they are also famous for being the oldest monkey species in the world. They are completely unique and easily identified from the rest of the monkey species with yellow patches found across the body and cheeky golden face. There are other differences like the nostrils is close to each other and face upwards compared to other monkey species. They are active and playful monkey species which feed on branches of trees, leaves, ripe fruits, bamboo flowers shoots. They have a number of colors on them like black, grey, and a beautiful shade of orange and gold that has them being called golden monkeys, they live in large groups of up to 100 individuals led by an alpha male, they stay in one location for a long time unlike the Gorillas.

Experience Golden Monkeys Trekking;

Is a very active and interesting activity which starts with briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations at the park headquarters. After the briefing you start trekking in the jungle with an experienced guide which takes between 30mins to 3 hours depending on where the golden monkeys are located since they move from one place to another in search for food. Once the golden monkey troop is located you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitant which gives you chance to take photos, learn their behavior, watch them jump from one tree to another among other practices.

The activity is done in two shifts those are morning hours and afternoon hours with a group of 6 to tourists per family of the golden monkeys. To successfully trek them, you need to have the right gears like good hiking shoes, long sleeved shirts, binoculars for the birders, water for refreshment. a hiking stick, you can also hire a porter at the start of the trek to help you during the trek in the carrying of your backpack or support you while on slippery paths by pulling or pushing you.

Cost of a golden monkey Trekking Permit;

A golden monkey trekking permit is a document issued by Uganda Wild life Authority to any visitor above the age 15 years allowing him or her to visit a golden monkey family in Mgahinga Gorilla National park. If you are booking with Jewel Safaris, the permit will be processed by them. A single golden monkey permit costs 60USD for Non-Foreign Residents and for Foreign Residents and 40,000UGX for EAC. However, tourists interested in habituation it is available for Mgahinga Gorilla National park and it costs 100USD per person for Foreign Non-Residents, 100 USD per person for Foreign Residents and 100,000UGX for EAC residents.

Best Period for Golden Monkey Trekking In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park;

This is done through out the year, you can visit the park at any time of the year and be guaranteed of taking park in the activity however best period is during the dry or peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season there is less rainfall in Mgahinga Gorilla National park therefore trekking and hiking trails will be passable and vegetation will be thin which gives you an opportunity to clearly view the golden monkeys and other wildlife species. There are other activities other than golden monkey trekking at the park that travelers can take part in which include, gorilla trekking, birdwatching, nature hikes, and visiting the local communities especially the Batwa cultural trail among others. Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National park is a great activity that travelers visiting the park can enjoy alongside golden monkey trekking. Take time to reach out to us to help you plan the best holiday to see the golden monkeys.