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Golden Monkey trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

  • By Admin
  • 07/29/2024

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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