Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga national park

Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga national park: Would you like to go searching for golden monkeys in Uganda? The best place to visit is Mgahinga Gorilla park located in the southwestern part of the country. Golden monkeys are endangered species of primates seen only in the Virunga conservation area. In East Africa, tourists that want to see golden monkeys can only find them in Virunga national park, Mgahinga Gorilla park, and volcanoes national park.

Mgahinga Gorilla park covers a total area of 33.9 sq. km that comprises of afro montane forest and bamboo. Bamboo vegetation is where these golden monkeys usually hang because that is the main food they take. Golden monkeys are a monkey species that are different from blue monkeys by the golden orange patches seen on the backside and the upper flanks.

Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga national park.

Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla park is carried out by tourists who have valid golden monkey trekking permits and 12 years and above. The search for golden monkey activity starts at Ntebeko which are the park headquarters of the park. It starts with a briefing where trekkers are taught about the rules and regulations of the activity.

Ranger guides with firearms lead tourists into the jungle where they search until they meet the golden monkeys. The search goes to different areas with bamboo trees where these golden monkeys normally hang. Searching and locating golden monkeys takes you through different trails for 2 to 4 hours and the moment you locate the group, you are given 1 hour to be around members which gives you an opportunity to see them do daily activities, take photos, and learn about their habits.

What to pack for golden monkey safari in Mgahinga national park?

The packing list for golden monkey safaris in Mgahinga national park includes waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shorts, a hat, a rain jacket, a light backpack, a camera, a pair of binoculars, sunscreen, insect repellents, a drinking water bottle and a pair of binoculars among others.

What is the cost of golden monkey trekking permits of Mgahinga national park?

To encounter the golden monkeys of Mgahinga national park one needs a golden monkey trekking permit6. The golden monkey permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority and can still be got from different local tour operators. A single golden monkey trekking permit for Mgahinga national park does cost $60 for foreign non-residents, $50 for foreign residents, and UGX40,000 citizens of East African member states.

Best time for golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga national park

Serching for Golden monkey in Mgahinga is carried out all throughout the year. Some months are better than the rest and these are the dry season months from June to September and December to February. These months are characterized by little or no rainfall leaving the trekking trails dry, roads leading to the park passable and the vegetation is always short and scattered with good views of the beautiful monkeys.

Travelers especially budget travelers can still carry out golden monkey safari in Mgahinga during the rainy season which happens from March to May and October to November. The rainy season favors budget travelers because they do get discounted accommodation facilities and the tour packages are always discounted.

Where to stay on a golden monkey trekking safari in Mgahinga national park

Travelers that are visiting Mgahinga national park for golden monkey trekking and would love to spend a night or more in the park have accommodation facilities where they can stay based on their travel budget because these lodges range from budget to mid-range to luxury options. Accommodation facilities in Mgahinga national park do include Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Musasa Mountain Safari Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Lodge, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Mount Gahinga Lodge, and Mutanda Safari Lodge among others.

Where to stay before or after searching for golden monkeys in Mgahinga national park?

The accommodation facilities that are located near Mgahinga national park are very many for travelers that are visiting the park. These accommodation facilities are of different prices as they range from budget to mid-range to luxury options for example Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Lodge, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Mount Gahinga Lodge, and Mutanda Safari Lodge to mention but a few.

Getting to Mgahinga for golden monkey safari

Tourists that want to visit Mgahinga national park for golden trekking can always access the park using road transport or air transport. The national park can be accessed in 9 to 10 hours using road transport and takes 1 hour and a few minutes to fly to the same park.  By road transport, tourists to Mgahinga from Kampala/Entebbe go through Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo and Kabale to the park.

Luxury tourists or those that don’t like the 9 to 10 hours journey can fly to Mgahinga national park. The closest airport to Mgahinga national park is Kisoro airstrip and different airline companies among which include Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda have their flights going there. You can book with any of these airline companies and get there in 1 hour and a few minutes.