Golden monkey tracking is an active activity that involves moving into the tropical rainforest in search of the golden monkeys and once found spending one hour with them in their natural environment. | Rwanda | Cost | Permits | Destinations
Golden monkeys are few and far between primate mammals found in the volcanoes of Massif national park shared by the 3 African countries. These are Mgahinga gorilla national park in southwestern Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park, and Kahuzi Biega national park in Congo.
Golden monkeys live at the same time as the mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda therefore golden monkey trekking is pretty alike to gorilla trekking with a few differences for example the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys are native to the same high-altitude rainforests in central Africa.
However, golden monkey tracking happens only in Rwanda’s volcanoes and Uganda’s making national park on the slopes of the Virunga’s where not many groups have been habituated for tourism. In both destinations guided golden monkey tracking excursions take place daily, starting at 07:30 at the park headquarters and continuing into the forest for an unspecified time (maybe 30 mins to 4 hours) to find a Habituated golden monkey group. Visitors can put up with the primates in both destinations for 1 hour, observing their peculiar characteristics and conduct. Although, Uganda presents the considerable experience of staying with the golden monkeys for at least 4 hours—what is known as the golden monkey Habituation experience.
Where to do golden monkey trekking
Mgahinga gorilla national park.
In Uganda, golden monkey safaris happen in Mgahinga gorilla national park the only location you will find these particularly endangered species. The park is the only site where gold meets silver because Mgahinga national park nurtures mountain silverback gorillas that live in high-altitude areas of the park, as well as the golden monkeys, ground in the lowland areas of the park.
As well as the gorilla tracking experience, golden monkeys in Mgahinga gorilla national park begins with a morning briefing at 7:00 am and trekking happens for 2 to 4 hours or more due to the fact that they are found moving from one place to another in search for food as well as playing with one another as one of their style of living. tourists are allowed to spend one hour with the golden monkeys’ group once assigned as they enjoy taking photos and videos with these wilful and lively creatures in their territories and also learning about their stereotyped behavior in the jungle.
Uganda presents golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga with one Habituated group of about 30 individuals. Uganda offers the golden monkey Habituation experience with the second golden monkey group, which is one of the distinctive and only to Mgahinga National Park. In Mgahinga, you can either go for the 07:30 or 14:00 golden monkey trekking excursion. First, ask at the park headquarters because time fixing is in proportion to the number of visitors on specific days.
Volcanoes national park.
Volcanoes national park is another foremost destination for the golden monkey trekking safaris. The park is found in Musanze village in the northwestern region of Rwanda and it is roughly 2hours drive from Kigali international airport. The golden monkeys are spotted on the slopes of Sabinyo Mountain and the habituated golden monkeys are open for tourism all around the year.
The golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park also begins with a briefing at the headquarters offices of the park where tourists are made aware of the expectations, and all the established ways as travelers go for the trekking activity. The trekking experience takes two hours or even more and visitors are allowed to take up only 1 hour with the golden monkey’s community as they observe their feeding lifestyle and pattern of life.
Rwanda presents golden monkey trekking with two Habituated golden monkey groups available for tourism only in Volcanoes National Park. one on the slopes of Mount Karisimbi and the second in the bamboo forest on Mount Sabyinyo. These groups are said to be the largest, with about 80 to 100 individuals in a single group.
contrasted to Uganda, which offers the experience twice a day, Rwanda offers one standard excursion at 07:00, the same time gorilla excursions begin. Since most tourists to the park come to catch a sight of mountain gorillas and add golden monkey trekking to their tour, the timing means you can’t do the two activities on the same day and that you’ll have to stay one or two extra nights to see the golden monkey.
How much is the cost of the golden monkey trekking permit?
This is a form that is issued by the governmental tourism bodies in Rwanda and Uganda that allow travelers to track the golden monkeys in any of the national parks where golden monkey trekking happens from.
The golden monkey tracking permit in Uganda costs 60 USD per person for foreign non-residents, 50 USD for foreign residents, and 40000UGX for east African residents, the permit covers one hour of watching the monkeys, a guide, and two rangers. The habituation permit for golden monkeys costs 100 USD per person for non-foreign residents, 80 USD for foreign residents, and 100000UGX for east Africans. kindly note that the cost is charged individually.
The golden monkey trekking permit in Rwanda costs 100 USD for foreign non-residents, 65 USD for foreign residents, and 4000RWF for Rwandan citizens, the costs are per person basis. The permit incorporates an expert guide who directs the trekking into the rainforest and throughout your time with the golden monkeys. Two armed rangers will come on for security purposes, and you’ll be permitted a 1-hour encounter with the golden monkeys.
In Uganda, the golden monkey trekking permits are sold at the Uganda wildlife authority headquarters offices in Kampala, and in Rwanda, the golden monkey trekking permits are sold at the Rwanda development board only.
The permits can be reserved straight from the headquarter offices or you can get in touch with a tour operator to help you to book a golden monkey tracking permit without putting in much knock. When you book a permit with a tour operator, they will equally help organize the whole golden monkey tracking safari to any of your selected destinations and guide you to customize the safari with other activities that will earn you extraordinary experiences while on your tour. Please contact All in Africa safaris, email info@allinafricasafaris.com, a Ugandan safari company expert that will arrange for you an amazing and spectacular golden monkey trekking safari. Our offers include transportation, accommodation, a golden monkey trekking permit, and also activities that can add to your safari in the wilderness.
For all tourists planning to relish the golden monkey trekking experience we advise you that you make an advance booking before the dates prior to travel, this is done for appropriate planning, and correct preparations and because the golden monkey trekking permits are on very high demand thus they get sold out quickly, especially in the peak and high seasons. whilst permits can be booked at the park headquarter reception.
When is the best time to do golden monkey trekking?
Even though golden monkey tracking is open to travelers all around the year, the best recommended time to track the golden monkeys is through the dry season in the months of December, January, and February, then June to October when there is not much rainfall that is anticipated, and when the forest trails are dry and navigable. During the rainy season, the roads and forest trails are wet, muddy, and slippery, making golden monkey tracking difficult and tough.
What you need to Pack for the activity.
You will take up nights at a high altitude of about 2000m / 7185 feet in both Rwanda and Uganda; it gets very cold in the late hours and sometimes suddenly rains. Pack clothing to keep you warm and dry throughout your trip.
Trekking takes place on relatively steep trails with sometimes muddy, uneven ground. Pack a pair of lightweight, waterproof walking shoes, trousers, and gaiters. You will also need a long-sleeved shirt to cover your arms and a waterproof backpack to keep your gadgets dry.
Remember to pack light necessities because golden monkey tracking is physically demanding, and you may not want added weight pulling you down.
On a good note, in case your pack is heavy and you doubt your physical fitness, you can hire a porter at the visitor center. They will carry your daypack and assist you through tough spots. Other than that, it’s an amazing way to contribute to communities around these parks and make you feel better about your impression.
Where can you book a golden monkey trekking safari from?
After weighing up golden monkey trekking in Rwanda and Uganda, the choice of where to go will be entirely determined by your budget, other activities you want to supplement your trip, and the accessibility to lodging and permits. Budget-conscious travelers will keep away from Rwanda and go for Uganda, while activity-conscious travelers will select Uganda over Rwanda. Independent travelers who would like an in-depth adventure experience opt for Uganda.
Either preference you go with All in Africa Safaris can help you organize and arrange a golden monkey trekking safari in the two of the destinations. We’ll cover all the local logistics and ground handling, including your accommodation, meals, and transport. Send us an email at info@allinafricasafaris.com for a free quote and quick response, our consultants will be thrilled to assist you to plan your primate safari in Uganda or Rwanda.
