East Africa’s Top Locations for Golden Monkey Trekking
Following a few hours of nonstop marching up and down muddy, slippery jungle hills, you will finally catch a sight of the species we have been zigzagging through the bush searching for. It can be exciting and rewarding to follow golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, even though most people come to Uganda to track chimpanzees in Kibale National Park and gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
East Africa’s Top Locations for Golden Monkey Trekking.
Trekking with Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Despite its name, a lot of people think that golden monkeys are more interesting to see at Uganda’s smallest national park than gorillas. Here, you can observe monkeys in two different ways. The typical visit lasts an hour and is similar to Rwanda’s golden monkey excursions. Much more thrilling and exclusive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the “Golden Monkey Habituation Experience.”
The behavior of these monkeys has been the subject of a long-term study. You may spend four hours with the monkeys and watch the scientists as they conduct their research if you sign up for the habituation experience. This gives you a unique “behind the scenes” look into primate science in addition to teaching you a lot about golden monkey behavior.
Trekking with Golden Monkeys at Volcanoes National Park.
The more sensible visitors to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park decided to stay for another day in order to view the golden monkeys, even though the majority of visitors depart right away after seeing the mountain gorillas. The experience here is the same as the ordinary viewing at Mgahinga, although the walking is easier and shorter than in Uganda, and it might be a little more polished because it’s in Rwanda. Two troops are habituated. The biggest and most frequently visited regiment is Sabyinyo. There are between 80 and 100 monkeys in this group.
Why Should You Reserve a Trekking Safari with Golden Monkeys?
Being a golden monkey that craves attention must be challenging. Despite their best efforts, they don’t seem to have a sizable fan base. The monkeys have adorned themselves in an amazing multicolored coat of fiery red, blazing oranges, gloomy blacks, blue tints, and yes, even gold, in an attempt to attract our attention. In other areas, they are accustomed to humans and would happily jump and dance about humans with no problems. The golden monkeys make every effort, but they are frequently overlooked.
This lovely primate has really been so neglected that it was once believed to be a new subspecies of the more widespread blue monkey. Unfortunately for the golden monkey, it chose to reside in the lofty, dark volcanic forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda’s Virunga highlands.
The most mysterious of all primates, the mountain gorilla, lives in these woods. Therefore, golden monkeys live in the shadows, with very few human tourists making the effort to see them, while the entire monkey industry focuses on mountain gorilla tourism and conservation.
Trekking with Golden Monkeys
Only two parks currently have troops used to receiving visitors, despite the fact that endangered golden monkeys can be found across the Virungas and surrounding regions. More details about them are provided below.
What should you know before embarking on a Golden Monkey Trek in Rwanda or Uganda?
You’ll need to move quickly through the dense jungle to keep up with golden monkeys because they are much more active than gorillas. It’s like watching chimps instead of gorillas in many ways.
Typical golden monkey hiking trips last no more than an hour.
A golden monkey trekking excursion can include an unlimited number of participants. That being said, having more than a few people in a group is uncommon.
The minimum age to visit is not set. This is one primate encounter you can have with your kids if you’re traveling with them. Little ones, however, could find the walking challenging.
Standard golden monkey trekking permits, which include park admission fees, cost $100 in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and $100 in southwestern Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. In Uganda, the habituation experience costs $140.
