Combining Golden Monkey In Mgahinga National Park And Lowland Gorillas In Kahuzi Biega National Park

Combining Golden Monkey In Mgahinga National Park And Lowland Gorillas In Kahuzi Biega National Park is an opportunity to experience the life of both these endangered primates. The only entry ticket to do both gorilla and golden monkey safaris is the permit. Note that the number of gorilla and golden monkey permits is regulated to minimize the chances of human effects on the environment.

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Mgahinga National Park is situated in southwestern Uganda and home to the only golden monkeys in the country. Other than the golden monkeys, Mgahinga National Park also hosts some of the leftover mountain gorillas in Uganda. In Mgahinga National Park, you can do golden monkey trekking where only one hour is allowed with a fully habituated community of these primates or golden monkey habituation experience where tourists visit a semi-habituated golden monkey troop for four hours.

The distinctive physical landscape of Mgahinga National Park makes it a great destination to visit as three mountains make up its topography that is mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura and Mountain Sabyinyo.

Kahuzi Biega National Park in eastern D.R.Congo is the eastern lowland gorillas haven. This park is a biosphere reserve too hosting other unique primate species including bongo, chimpanzees, black and white colobus, blue monkeys, olive baboons and others. During gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, you need to secure a permit. A maximum of 8 gorilla trekking permits are opened to the public per day per family.

The combination of golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park Uganda and lowland gorilla trekking in D.R.Congo may necessitate having a visa for border crossing in case you must have one. To reduce the time spent at immigration, it is better to purchase your visa in advance.

How To Plan Golden Monkey Safari in Mgahinga National Park and Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Day 1 Depart for Mgahinga National Park

Wake up for breakfast and your driver guide will pick you up from your overnight hotel to drive to Mgahinga National Park. You may start your journey from Uganda ( Entebbe or Kampala) or Rwanda ( Kigali). Enjoy the stunning scenery along the way including different highlands that form the biggest part of this area.

Mgahinga National Park is a tropical rainforest which is home to the mountain gorillas which are its foremost attraction but the golden monkeys stand out too. Golden monkeys are a special primate species with golden brown hairs at their lower bottom. They are charming primates and even though they are fully habituated, they keep you on your toes.

Arrive in the evening to check into your lodge

Accommodation: Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge

Day 2 Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga National Park

After breakfast, head to the ranger station for briefing about the guidelines of golden monkey safaris in Mgahinga National Park. You are allocated to different golden monkey troops with other tourists. In case you wish to have the assistance of a porter, you can request for this before proceeding into the forest. A porter is a local who assists carry your belongings in the forest while you search for the golden monkeys.

Before locating these golden monkeys, you may look out for other inhabitants of Mgahinga National Park like the blue monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey and others. An array of birds traverses the forest with so far more than 115 bird species recorded as residents of this forest including Albertine rift endemics.

Finally, when you locate the golden monkeys, only one hour is allowed with them so that you can leave them to go about their daily life. The presence of humans in the golden monkey habitat disrupts the running of their daily lives.

Day 3: Depart for Kahuzi Biega National Park

Pack your bags and depart for Kahuzi Biega National Park in eastern D.R.Congo passing the Bunagana border. between Uganda and D.R.Congo. Carry on to Bukavu town and Kahuzi Biega National Park in D.R.Congo.

Check into your lodge as you wait for dinner and overnight

Day 4 Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Wake up for breakfast and head to the ranger station for briefing. Don't forget to wear the right attire suitable for the jungle and you can hire a porter at this moment. You may be in company of other tourists.

Later the ranger guide leads the way into the forest to search for the eastern lowland gorillas. Sometimes the gorillas spend much of their time in the deeper forest so instead of giving up, look out for other interesting features in the forest like the waterfalls, the dense network of rivers, various tree species, birds, other primates to mention but a few.

Finally, when you locate the gorillas only one hour is allowed with them for conservation reasons. Take as many photos as you can to keep as memories of your encounter with the gorillas then return home.

Day 5: Depart for Kigali Airport

After spending your holiday time with the golden monkeys and gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, It is better to drive to Kigali Airport for your departure flight. This is a shorter road trip from Kahuzi Biega National Park in D.R.Congo to catch up with your departure flight.

How Much Is The Cost Of Golden Monkey Safari In Mgahinga National Park And Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

The cost of golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park Uganda and Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park is categorized into upmarket, midrange and budget. For all these categories the cost of the permits cut across

At the moment, the cost of the Uganda Golden Monkey trekking permit is $60 for foreign nonresidents, $50 for foreign residents and 40000shs for East Africans.

The current cost of gorilla trekking permits for Kahuzi Biega National Park is $450 for foreign nonresidents, $250 for foreign residents and $250 local Congolese

The cost of other logistics that support both gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega and Golden Monkey safaris in Mgahinga National Park varies with the safari package you choose.

Is The Cost of Gorilla Trekking Safari in Kahuzi Biega National Park and Golden Monkey Tour in Mgahinga National Park worth the money?

The cost of a safari to go gorilla trekking and golden monkey safari is worth taking especially for adventure seekers looking for authenticity. The eastern lowland gorillas are a unique primate species worth adding to the list of wild animals you need to see. The gorilla exterior is misleading because of their huge bodies covered in fur which may be quite intimidating but they are such vulnerable creatures.

The golden monkeys have a larger body structure compared to their counterparts with a unique golden brown color at the lower bottom. These primates are charming and exciting to be around.

Both eastern lowland gorillas and golden monkeys are categorized as endangered primates in the world and their existence still needs extra support including financial support. At the moment, there are insufficient funds but when you purchase the permits and engage in this primate safari, you contribute to the conservation fund.

Other than the golden monkeys and eastern lowland gorillas, the forest has plenty to see and include on your list of items seen in these pristine forests. Enrich your African jungle experience by booking the gorilla trekking safari to Kahuzi Biega National Park and golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park.

How dangerous are golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park and Eastern Lowland Gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park

The gorillas and golden monkeys may be wild animals but not dangerous as long as you abide by the rules of this unique African safari experience. Before a gorilla family or golden monkey troop is opened to public visits, they are first habituated a process that helps them get accustomed to human presence without altering their nature. This is what helps these primates to stand humans at least for an hour.

Ranger guides always accompany tourists in search of both eastern lowland gorillas and golden monkeys. The rangers carry a machete and a rifle as emergency security in case the need arises.

In nature, the gorillas are serene and calm primates with just an intimidating outlook but timid. Even the golden monkeys may run into hiding when they are agitated by humans.

These traits do not mean that the golden monkeys and lowland gorillas cannot charge. When agitated, the golden monkeys and lowland gorillas may put out a show by throwing items in their reach, pulling vines, pacing , gorillas thumping their chests and retreating into hiding.

Can Kids Do Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega And Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga National Park?

For gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, the age limit is 15 years and over. For Golden Monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park, 12 years and over is the age limit. The limit for these primates activities was set to this because this is a jungle experience where tourists walk in the wilderness which is rough and children below this age may not be comfortable.

To trek in the jungle for a long time, you need to have some physical fitness and have some patience which may not go well with children under these ages.

Following the guidelines of gorilla and golden monkey safaris is a must for every tourist but children below this age may not be in a position to withstand this. In order to avoid delaying other tourists and causing circus in the jungle, children under these ages are not permitted to join either gorilla trekking or golden monkeys safaris.

How Sure Can I Be To See The Golden Monkeys And Gorillas In Kahuzi Biega National Park

Seeing Golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park and gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park is a sure deal. Daily, a team of rangers patrols the forest to establish where these primates spend their time and nesting points. Although they may change location, the gorillas and golden monkeys do not normally move far from their previous spot.

The gorillas and golden monkeys are first habituated by researchers and trackers and their general characteristics are noted. This information is what rangers use to provide details about these primates and much more that unfolds as the troops evolve.

As tourists, you are requested to help trace these primates as part of the forest experience by following the clues they live behind like their footprints, fresh dung, freshly eaten leftover foliage, listening to their calls, and much more.

Follow keenly the guidelines of gorilla trekking or golden monkey safaris.

What are the Guidelines of gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park and Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga National Park?

• Eating or smoking before the lowland gorillas or golden monkeys is forbidden. Do this at least 200 meters away from them so that they are not enticed to pull what you are eating from you. They are wild animals that must search for their own food.
• Only children 15 and above are allowed to do gorilla or golden monkey trekking because of the nature of the gorilla or golden monkey trekking environment. The time of locating the lowland gorillas is unknown because of their movement.
• Spitting on the soil or vegetation may spread germs to the mountain gorillas or golden monkeys so it is forbidden. Lowland gorillas can easily catch human infectious diseases like COVID-19, cough, flu, and cholera.
• In case you have a communicable infection volunteer to stay behind and protect the lowland gorillas or golden monkeys from such infectious diseases. The extent to which this disease may spread and kill the mountain gorillas is unknown.
• Wearing a clean mask before the Lowland gorillas or golden monkeys is one of the preventive measures adopted to prevent spreading covid-19 virus to the mountain gorillas and other germs.
• Keep a gap of at least 8 meters from the gorillas or golden monkeys when you locate them to prevent the spreading any infection.
• Loud noise is forbidden in the forest because this may scare the Lowland gorillas or golden monkeys. They are very sensitive to unfamiliar noise in their presence.
• Even using flash photography is prohibited because the lowland gorillas or golden monkeys may go into hiding because of unfamiliar light.

Our tour consultants are readily available to help plan your safari. Please contact us for more information.