How to organize a Mgahinga gorilla and golden monkey experience safari from Masaka

How to organize a Mgahinga gorilla and golden monkey experience from Masaka. It would help if you had permits for either activity when organizing the Gorilla and golden monkey experience safari in Mgahinga National Park. Mgahinga National Park may be Uganda’s smallest National park, covering about 33.7 square kilometers of land, but its unique biodiversity makes it a unique destination.

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Mgahinga National Park is the only home for golden monkeys in Uganda and among the only two houses of the endangered mountain gorillas of Uganda. Booking the Gorilla and Golden Monkey permits in advance saves you from last-minute panic when availability is scarce.

Reserving accommodation to use during the Gorilla and golden monkey safari in advance is essential because Mgahinga National Park has limited facilities.

If you hope to have company during the Gorilla and golden monkey trekking experience, you must know the number of people you plan for. This also helps with checking the availability of Gorilla and golden monkey permits.

Select the means of transport from Masaka to Mgahinga National Park, as road transport is the standard means available. Still, you can charter in case you want a more exclusive and private safari adventure.

What to Consider when Organising Mgahinga Gorilla and Golden Monkey Experience from Masaka

Reserve gorilla and golden monkey permit

In Mgahinga National Park, you can do gorilla trekking, but so far, one gorilla family called Nyakagezi is open for this adventure. In the past, the Nyakagezi gorilla family used to wander into Rwanda, so permit pre-booking was hard. This gorilla family lives in Uganda, so permits are available for pre-booking at the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Note that only 8 permits are open daily for gorilla trekking for any gorilla family. This means on each day, only 8 gorilla permits are available for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park. To be safe, you need to book the gorilla permits in advance.

Have dates when you hope to do gorilla trekking and another for golden monkey trekking. Each of these activities can only be done on a single day. 

When you inquire from us at Encounter Africa Safaris, our tour consultant checks availability and gets back to you as soon as possible. Upon getting availability, we request you purchase your permit as soon as possible because availability changes anytime without warning.

For identification purposes, you must forward us details like your full name as presented on the passport, date of birth, nationality, and expiration date. These are filled on the strip behind your Gorilla and golden monkey permit card but are retrieved when you present it on the day of the adventure.

What is the Cost of a Gorilla trekking permit for Mgahinga National Park?

Currently, a gorilla permit for Mgahinga National Park costs $800 for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents, and 300000 shs for East African residents.

The gorilla permit cost covers ranger guide fees, government tax, one hour with the mountain gorillas, security, mountain gorilla conservation, community support, park entrance fees, certificate after the gorilla trek, and briefing time.

Exclusions in the gorilla permit cost: accommodation, porter hire, sedan chair, and any other items of a personal nature.

How Much Is The Cost Of Golden Monkey Permits For Mgahinga National Park?

Currently, a Golden Monkey trekking permit costs $60 for foreign residents, $50 for foreign residents, and 40000hshs for East African residents.

 The golden monkey habituation experience permit costs $100 for foreign nonresidents, $80 for foreign residents, and 100,000 for East African residents. 

The cost of a golden monkey permit includes security, ranger guide fees, golden monkey conservation, community support, one hour of golden monkey trekking or four hours of golden monkey habituation experience, 

Exclusions in the cost of Golden Monkey permit porter hire, accommodation transport, and any other items of a personal nature.

Book Accommodation To Use During Gorilla And Golden Monkey Safari

Even though accommodation choices for Mgahinga National Park are limited, you need to book so you have enough options at the last minute. You must spend the night before the Gorilla or golden monkey safari within or closer to Mgahinga National Park to attend the early morning briefing. You must attend a briefing to avoid being disqualified from this primate adventure.

• Mgahinga National park accommodations: Gahinga Lodge, Traveller’s Inn, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Mgahinga gorilla Triangle, Majambere Iwachu, Community Camp

Reserve Transport To Mgahinga National Park From Masaka City 

Road transport is the primary means of getting around to Mgahinga National Park from Masaka. Having a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle is the way to go because of the nature of the terrain in this area and winding roads. Sometimes, the roads get messy, especially during the severe rainy seasons, disrupting transport.

Charter flights can be arranged from Kajjansi Airstrip or Entebbe Airport to Masaka, then Kisoro Airstrip. Advance arrangements must be made so that all necessary clearances can be made.

You must hire a transfer vehicle from Kisoro airstrip to your lodge in Mgahinga National Park.

Choose the number of days you wish to have on the Gorilla and golden monkey safari in Mgahinga National Park.

The least number of days to be on the Gorilla and golden monkey experience safari is 4 days. Uganda safari is the arrival day in Mgahinga National Park, the next day of gorilla trekking, the third day of golden monkey safari, and the fourth day for departure.

For any additional Uganda safari activities you wish to engage in during the Gorilla and golden monkey safari, you can work with our safari consultant to tailor the perfect itinerary to suit your needs and within your holiday time frame.

Before or after the Gorilla and golden monkey safari, you may engage in a visit to the scenic Lake Bunyonyi, visit the Batwa pygmies, tour Queen Elizabeth National Park for game drives, birding, launch trips, and so many others, Chimpanzee safaris in Kibale National Park are exceptional.

Pack the right Gorilla and golden monkey safari gear.

Doing the gorilla and golden monkey safari required unique clothing because this wilderness activity requires active participation. The wild may have hash surfaces, so you must wear the necessary gear, like long-sleeved safari clothes in wilderness-friendly colors like brown, forest green, Khaki, and so much more. Pack insect repellents, a safari foldable hat, garden gloves, warmers, a waterproof backpack, and a foldable water bottle.

You do not need to carry so many bags as you may be inconvenienced when legroom is limited.

Engage in pre-gorilla and golden monkey safari exercises

During the Gorilla and golden monkey experience preparations, engage in some activities to keep fit. The topography of this area is volcanic, with rugged highlands due to severe volcanic activity.

Sometimes, these primates spend their days in the deep valleys or on the slopes of plateaus and ridges, necessitating you to hike. It would help keep your muscles fit for this adventure, or hire sedan chair services if you cannot move independently.

How long Is the Gorilla or Golden Monkey Experience?

Some tourists have found the mountain gorillas or golden monkeys two hours after the start, while others have spent more than three-quarters of the day. The duration of the Gorilla and golden monkey experience depends on factors prevailing in the forest, like proximity of their feed, in case of a fight with another gorilla family, death of a family member, weather conditions prevailing in the day, the pace of trekkers, and others.

It would help if you were patient to complete the Gorilla or golden monkey adventure. To stay energized, you may look out for other exciting features in the forest, like other primates, sparkling waterfalls, dense river networks, and different tree species, to mention a few.

When you locate the mountain gorillas or golden monkeys, you have just an hour with them.

Is Gorilla or Golden Monkey Experience Strenuous?

Both Gorilla and golden monkey safaris are tiring because of the nature of the topography of this area. The mountain gorillas and golden monkeys may spend part of their day on the slopes or deep in the valleys, so you may be required to find them.

Hiking is quite tiring, but you can overcome the chances of getting muscle pulls with some fitness level. Hiring a porter to carry some of your Gorilla or golden monkey safari gear saves you from getting so tired from carrying the safari gear. 

Before starting the trek, request a walking stick to give you extra support as you trek to find the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys.

How Much Is the Cost of Gorilla and Golden Monkey Safari for Mgahinga National Park?

 At Encounter Africa Safaris, we package our safaris according to luxury, mid-range, and budget. The commonest cost among all these primate safari costs is the permit cost. The cost of a gorilla or golden monkey permit doesn’t discriminate against the safari category you choose.

As we calculate the safari quotation for the Gorilla and golden monkey safari, we consider the following:

The number of eligible people traveling, number of days on safari, additional activities to combine with this Uganda primate safari, time of booking the safari, and others.

We aim to give value for money and help you create positive, everlasting memories of your Gorilla and golden monkey experience in Uganda.

What is The Age Limit for Gorilla and Golden Monkey Safari in Mgahinga National Park?

15 years and over is the age limit for Gorilla and golden monkey safari. This is because of the nature of the terrain you must walk through to find these primates. This may be challenging for a child below this age.

Taking the rules of the Gorilla and golden monkey safari is a must for every tourist on safari; however, children below 15 years may unknowingly break these rules, which may lead to the mountain gorillas getting agitated. This may push the entire gorilla family into hiding, shortening the gorilla or golden monkey trekking adventure.

What to Pack for the Gorilla and Golden Monkey Experience?

• A camera that does produce flash lighting during photography. Carry one with a great lens that can catch a good photo amidst dripping water from the tree and surfaces of leaves.
• A pair of garden gloves to grip the creepers you pass by tightly.
• An extra fully charged battery to exchange with when one runs low.
• A shawl or sweater to keep you warm because this area is generally cold throughout the day and night
• Energy snacks to feed on when you get hungry in the forest. Trekking sometimes gets challenging and tiresome, so you need some energizers.
• A torch for extra light during the night when lights go out.
• A waterproof backpack to carry with your belongings and to keep them from getting scattered in the forest in case you fall while trekking in the wilderness.
• Some cash to change into local currency if you wish to do any transactions while on the ground, like buying souvenirs. In Africa, credit cards are rarely used for marketing because the procedure of collecting money from them is lengthy.
• Toiletries, just in case your lodge doesn’t provide
• Travel adapter and charger in case your electronic gadgets need to be recharged
• Warm flip-flops are to use while in the room because the floors get cold in most rooms, yet the slippers available may be cold, too.
• Pajamas to wear at night and keep warm because this area gets cold at the night
• A cap or large brim hat to cover your hair from dripping water from the tree branches and leaves. Even stinging flying insects in the forest may fall on your hair.
• A pair of stockings to tack in your trousers and offer protection during the walk
• Another pair of batteries to exchange with in case some run low in power.
• Insect repellant is friendly to your skin to protect your skin from stinging insects in the wilderness.
• Sunscreen Because Africa is a tropical continent, you need to protect your skin from sun rays that may affect your skin.
• A water bottle to carry drinking water to quench thirst while you trek to locate the mountain gorillas.
• Sunglasses to protect your eyes from buzzing insects in the wilderness.
•  Binoculars to see far-ranging features that exist in the wilderness
•  A notebook or journal to put down your moments with the mountain gorillas
• Duffel bag to carry in your belongings when traveling for gorilla habituation.
• Bug spray in case your room has these bugs

Contact us for more information to plan your safari from Masaka to Mgahinga.