A golden monkey is a subspecies of the blue monkey endemic in the Virunga Volcanic mountains that are shared by three countries namely: Mgahinga Gorilla National park in Uganda, Volcanoes National park in Rwanda and Virunga National park in Democratic Republic of Congo. The other location in the world where to find a Golden Monkey is: Kahuzi beiga in Eastern Democratic of Congo.
Golden monkeys in Mgahinga share the same habitat with Mountain gorillas of the Virunga Mountains and feed on bamboo shoots at the start of the rainy season. They live in groups of 30-120 individuals and headed by the alpha male. They can be tracked through out the year but chances of seeing them close is during the bamboo shooting season of May to August and on lucky days when it has not rained: They come on ground. Guests will have the opportunity to see them playing, jumping, grooming, feeding and mating. The experience is therapeutic.
Golden monkeys roam in the primary forest and more especially in the bamboo zone and trekking in the forest requires one to be active hiking up to 2,600 m asl where the bamboo zone starts; From the starting point at briefing point is about 2,300 m ASL implying an elevation gain of an average of 300 m to reach the Golden monkeys .
The direction of the trek is determined by the trackers who monitor the Golden monkeys on daily basis. Golden monkeys are very active and can move long distances in search for food and hence trekkers need to be prepared to spend around trip of about 4 -5 hours in the forest. A walking stick, 02 liters of drinking water, gators to protect against ants, Garden gloves, a face mask to wear while hanging the the golden monkeys.
Guests are advised to wear long sleeved t- shirts and pants to avoid interacting with sharp plants like stinging nettle that is common in the forest and also to be mindful that there are no clear access paths to follow except the trail of the golden monkeys depending on where they are feeding.
The rangers guiding guests communicate with the trackers through vocalizations in the forest to establish the direction of the monkeys and it is very interesting how this is done in the Jungle by both parties.
Once you are about to reach them you will be alerted by the ranger and you will place the walking sticks and bags on ground and prepare to enjoy the viewing.
The golden monkeys are very active and playful: You will have one hour to observe their behaviour; stay alert and ahead of the Monkeys’ actions to take beautiful pictures and videos. Observing the Golden Monkeys is quite emotional . These small creatures care less about our presence in their natural habitat and go on with their business .
After spending an hour with them you will descend to the base and drive back to Lake Chahafi Resort and relax in the afternoon before an over night in our beautiful and very comfortable tented and Deluxe Mountain View Cottages. The trek is demanding and hence dedicating the afternoon after the trek to relaxation while enjoying the lake and mountain views at the exclusive and boutique facility is highly recommended.
Getting to Mgahinga from Entebbe to Kisoro is a nine to ten hour drive for a 500 km distance that is typical of heavy traffic jams out of the city via Entebbe -Masaka-Mbarara- highway or by air from Entebbe to Kisoro airstrip managed by aerolink in a light Cessna Caravan aircraft that may take you 1hr 15 minutes on a scheduled flight that departs Entebbe airport at 7 am . The other alternative is flying to Kigali International airport and transfer for 3 hours to Uganda Rwand Border at Cyanika. Be sure to arrive before time;t this border gets busy in the evening and closes at 9:00 pm. It is advisable to plan your journey basing on flight arrival at Kigali International airport. Guests are advised to apply for Online East African visa for a seamless transfer between Uganda and Rwanda.
Lake Chahafi Resort is just located 30 minutes away from Kisoro airstrip and Rwanda border giving you the opportunity to avoid tiring distances before the actual date of trekking and hence assured of a peaceful rest before the adventure starts. The hotel can arrange your transfer from Kisoro airstrip, Kigali airport and book your trekking permits with the park.
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