UGANDA Gorilla, chimps Golden Monkeys HABITUATION experience SAFARI - 6 Days
The 6 days tour allows you gorilla habituation experiences in Bwindi, Kibale chimps habituation experience and 4 hours with golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. We also have a guided primates trek/ walk in Kibale National Park to see more primates. Besides there is a lot of great sightseeing, lots of opportunities to interact with local Ugandan culture, beautiful scenery along the routes.
This is the ideal safari to Africa for travellers who would love a deeper than ordinary experience with Africa’s unique wildlife.
Uganda Habituation experiences for Gorillas, Chimps, Golden Monkeys - 6 Days Tour
The 6 days tour allows you gorilla habituation experiences in Bwindi, Kibale chimps habituation experience and 4 hours with golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. We also have a guided primates trek/ walk in Kibale National Park to see more primates. Besides there is a lot of great sightseeing, lots of opportunities to interact with local Ugandan culture, beautiful scenery along the routes.
This is the ideal safari to Africa for travellers who would love a deeper than ordinary experience with Africa’s unique wildlife.
We have made special arrangements with the national park authorities so that you have 2-5 times more the traditional amount of time with the rare and endangered mountain gorillas guided by scientific researchers and contributing to their research, wild chimpanzees and other primates, and intimate contact with gorillas, plus safaris for chimpanzees, and more.
Our new Insider’s Uganda Safari is an incredibly unusual combination of truly “once-in-a-lifetime” safaris that feature scientific researcher-led up-close wildlife interactions for gorillas, chimps, and golden monkeys.
- Day 1: Kibale National Park, guided primates walk in Bigodi Swamp
- Day 2: Kibale Chimpanzee habituation experience plus other primates
- Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 4: Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Day 5: Golden monkey habituation exercise in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Day 6: Return to Kampala - Entebbe
Bikingi Gorilla Family member - for Gorilla Habituation Experience Bwindi
Day 1: Start the Uganda Primates tour from Airport or your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala, drive Kibale National Park
Briefing on the safari before we drive westwards towards Fort Portal to the Kibale Forest National Park (about 5 hours).
Traveling on both asphalt and unpaved roads, you pass through traditional Ugandan villages where you see people at work tending their traditional crops of millet, sorghum, beans and maize. The lush rolling hills of this region provide good photo opportunities.
As you approach Fort Portal in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, you enter Uganda's famous tea plantation region. A carpet of green spreads before you, as far as the eye can see, and seems an unusual contrast to the countryside through which you have just passed.
You arrive at Fort Portal, then, continue toward Kibale Forest, one of the great African rainforest research reserves. Years of study by scientists (who have cut a grid through the forest) have habituated many of its animals to human observers. This forest is famed for the variety of primates found here and it is a terrific area for birds. This rural Ugandan town (Fort Portal) is locally famous for its weaving and basketry, and we can spend some time briefly to examine some of this local art.
In the afternoon we visit a nearby forest swamp that is excellent for viewing primates and other forest animals. At the eastern edge of Kibale forest is Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary which is maintained by the local community. You will expect birds like the great blue turaco, blue monkeys, baboons, otters, mongoose, bushbucks, bush pigs and among others.
Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Primate Lodge Kibale | Ndali Lodge
Moderate: Isunga Lodge | Turaco Treetops
Low Budget: Kibale Forest camp | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
Day 2: Kibale Chimpanzee Habituation Experience Plus Other Primates
Today we’ll accompany Kibale’s researchers in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to a “soft” habituation project with chimpanzees. You’ll learn to safely observe the chimps during their daily activities, so they get comfortable with human presence without changing their natural behaviors. You will be able to experience the chimp families as they wake up, hunt, patrol, play, fight, copulate, and breastfeed.
Guided by biologists and researchers, we will enjoy unprecedented intimate access to these wild chimps for the entire day until they build their nests at bedtime.
Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Kyaninga Lodge | Primate Lodge Kibale | Ndali Lodge
Moderate: Isunga Lodge | Turaco Treetops
Low Budget: Kibale Forest camp | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast we drive further south through stunning savannah grasslands as we head towards the breathtaking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles for over 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list.
This includes 310 species of butterflies, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths and an exceptional 120 species of mammals including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzee, L'Hoest's, red tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.
Bwindi is a prime destination for bird- watchers. Its 350 species include seven which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics – species which are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.
Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Chameleon Hill Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Camp
Moderate: Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Havens Lodge
Day 4: Mountain Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
We have an early morning entry into the mountain gorilla’s sanctuary. Our intimate gorilla habituation experience allows you to accompany the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Bwindi gorilla habituation team for the entire day, allowing you to have a minimum 4 hours in the presence of a mountain gorilla family.
Since regular permits only allow 1 hour, this is 4 times the amount of time spent up close with gorillas – more than any other safari operator! During this time you will be able to experience the gorilla family as they wake up, hunt, patrol, play, fight, copulate, and breastfeed until they build their nests at bedtime.
The thrill of spending time with and observing these gentle giants is a rare and moving adventure that will leave you with long lasting memories. Spending more time with them than the norm means you are assured of the best possible experience, with 4 full hours for better photography, researcher access for more questions, and enough time to experience more intimate and unusual behaviors. The gorillas are shy and peaceful animals and it is an unforgettable experience to watch and photograph them as they interact with each other.
The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. Once the gorillas are sighted, you will be guided to within 6 meters of the gorillas, and be able to sit all around them while gazing into their big round eyes as the researchers note health, behavior and other characteristics.
A gorilla habituation process takes a period of 2-3 years and it involves an advance team from the Uganda Wildlife Authority making frequent visits to the gorilla family. Upon establishing that the group is used and welcoming to tourists, the gorilla family becomes ready for tourists’ visits.
With the gorilla habituation experience, you move with researchers to experience how mountain gorillas are habituated. The price for mountain gorilla habituation experience is now at USD1500.00 and one can stay for up to four hours.
A maximum of only 4 visitors per day are being allowed to visit the gorilla habituation experience, compared to the 8 visitors on a normal Trek. One thing is certain, the Gorilla Habituation Experience is a one of a kind, exclusive activity in which only a select few can participate. It is a learning experience, you learn from the researchers, trackers, rangers, conservationist, who are all part of the Habituation Process.
Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Chameleon Hill Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Camp
Moderate: Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Havens Lodge
Day 5: Golden Monkey Habituation Exercise, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, after, transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After an early breakfast set off for the national park for the Golden Monkey habituation experience which allows you up to 4 hours with the monkeys.
The Golden Monkey may not be the most well known primate, but is certainly an enjoyable, little creature that is worth visiting. It is a small curious monkey, golden in colour and loves to scamper around the trees. Golden monkeys are named after their golden-orange fur, and like mountain gorillas, are also considered endangered species. Conservation efforts have been put in place by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to ensure that the monkeys are protected – especially from poachers.
There is a habituated family of monkeys in Mgahinga, where tourists can track and stay with them for a period of four hours depending on where they nested the previous night and how far it is from the starting point.
It is estimated that Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has between 3000-4000 golden monkeys grouped in troupes of 30s led by a principal adult male. Golden monkeys are primarily to be found in the bamboo forest that skirt the lower slopes of the volcanoes. They are quite more active in the bamboo canopy. Golden monkeys are opportunistic feeders. What they feed on could be by the availability of fruits, leaves of bamboo trees, shoots of bamboo, shrubs, flowers, invertebrates and these makes it to be restricted to highland forest, mostly the bamboo forest.
Uganda Wildlife Authority now offers you the golden opportunity to experience a Golden Monkey Habituation in Mgahinga National Park. Accompany the researches in the morning or afternoon to track the Golden Monkeys and stay with them for 4 hours. You will have the unique chance to get close to these little primates and study their behavior in their natural habitat. A unique experience that will enhance your primate safari in Uganda!
How the activity is conducted
Golden monkey tracking starts at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park headquarters at 7:30am for pre-tracking briefing (on the dos and don’ts of tracking the golden monkeys). The actual trek begins at 8:00am. Hiking through the forests to sight the golden monkeys is not so strenuous like gorilla trekking because golden monkeys live in lower areas, so tourists do not track for more than 3 hours. When tourists encounter the golden monkey family, they are given one hour (0r 4 hours in case your are doing the habituation experience) to spend with them (to take photographs and observe their behavior). With this activity, there is no minimum number of tourists who track each group and age limit is 12 years.
What to carry during Mgahinga golden monkey tracking.
There are several requirements that tourists need to have a memorable experience during golden monkey tracking. These include waterproof hiking boots, wear long sleeved shirt, long trousers, and carry a backpack for your lunch and documents. Also carry drinking water and snacks, carry a walking stick to support you during hiking, you can hire a porter to support you during hiking in slippery places and they carry your backpack, and do not forget to carry an insect repellant.
Accommodation Options (Full Board)
Up-market: Mt. Gahinga Lodge
Moderate: Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge
Low Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel
Day 6: Return to Kampala - Entebbe (flights could also be arranged) or end tour in Rwanda
Early breakfast before embarking on our return to Kampala, driving down the grassed and terraced escarpments of southwestern Uganda while taking in the breathtaking sights of the hills of the region dubbed ‘the little Switzerland of Africa’. This area is a rows. Not to miss as we traverse Mbarara are the impressing longhorn Ankole cattle. A remarkable highlight of this journey is the Equator line and surely you will cross it as we have a brief stop here. We will be in Kampala in the evening before for your flight back home.
Kyaninga Lodge (Upscale Option)
The Lodge and Cottages
The exceptional design and sheer scale of the main lodge is immediately apparent from the moment one crests the hill and Kyaninga Lodge comes into view. Once inside, the lodge offers comfortable seating areas set around an imposing double-sided open fireplace where one can enjoy a cozy evening over a good book, a boardgame or a drink from the bar. The main building also houses the restaurant, where delicious meals compete with stunning views on both sides. Two raised galleries offer intimate spaces for those wishing to absorb the panorama in a more private setting. On the lake side, the main lodge leads to two decks furnished with comfortable loungers, while steps hewn from local volcanic rock lead down to the swimming pool and on to two lawned terraces overlooking the deep blue water and primeval forest of Lake Kyaninga itself. For those not quite wishing to really get away from it all, wireless Internet access is provided throughout the main lodge building.
Kyaninga Lodge’s eight cottages are built on platforms and set apart to offer privacy and tranquility. Access to the cottages from the main lodge is via a raised wooden walkway. Each spacious cottage is beautifully appointed with a choice of twin or double beds made up with the softest bedlinens and feather pillows. An indoor sitting area leads out to a private deck where one can enjoy morning tea or coffee and views over the lake and the Mountains of the Moon beyond. The en suite bath- rooms boast marble countertop basins set atop beautifully crafted Elgon Olive pedestals, claw footed freestanding baths, glass walled showers and plenty of hot water from solar water heaters. Lighting in the cottages is also solar powered, and each cottage features an electrical socket for the charging of laptops and other appliances, providing the comforts of home in an extraordinary setting. Extra beds, hypoallergenic pillows and bedding are available on request.
Primate Lodge (Mid-Level Option)
Primate Lodge in Kibale is an exclusive eco-lodge situated in the heart of Kibale Forest National Park. It is surrounded by a lush tropical forest that is home to 13 different species of primates, including the chimpanzees.
Privately secluded in the rainforest, this safari lodge offers you a truly authentic jungle experience and is the perfect gateway for tracking the primates in Uganda.
Discover a place where the serene silence is only interrupted by the melodious sounds of the numerous forest birds. A place that combines comfort with adventure and perfectly blends with the natural environment...
Primate Lodge Kibale features an exclusive camp with eight superior safari tents, seven comfortable forest cottages and an adventurous Tree House. All rooms are privately situated within the forest, making it an ideal place to unwind and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you.
Free WIFI is available in the public areas.
Chameleon Hill Lodge
Chameleon Hill Lodge no other lodge like it in all of Africa – a unique – one of a kind luxury lodge sitting on Chameleon Hill.
We live in a sea of sameness, of similarities, where even lodges follow certain styles and patterns and then there is the one of a kind Chameleon Hill Lodge, unlike any other lodge in Uganda.
Just driving up the ridge and seeing the lodge for the first time with of its varied hues of colours that seem to twinkle in the sun like Joseph’s multi-coloured coat is an experience in it- self.
Chameleon Hill Lodge is the creation of someone who walks to their own drumbeat, someone who is uniquely themselves and brought to fruition an inner dream of a castle on a hill overlooking Lake Mutanda and like the bright array of colours you will find in the chameleons of this area so Chameleon Hill with its array of brilliant colours lives up to is name “Chameleon Hill Lodge.”
Step through the castle doors into the main lodge and you are entering a world of utmost comfort – a dining area where you can enjoy a superb breakfast, great lunch and a most memorable three course dinner – if you have special dietary needs of one kind or another the capable chef can accommodate you to your satisfaction.
There is most comfortable sitting area here and in the evening a crackling fire will warm you – it does get a bit cold in this part of Uganda but you will be delighted by the fine selection of wines the lodge has to offer – simply all around class and style.
Enjoy the sunset from here – take in the majestic – almost mystical Lake Mutanda below you and the majestic Mufumbiro Mountains – Mountains that cook – the Virunga Volcanoes. It all is an amazing array of sights, colours – one of Uganda’s most amazing, comfortable and luxurious locations along Lake Mutanda.
Your room is an individual cottage and of course it is en-suite with bath and the water is heated with propane which means a superb hot shower, something that on safari at times can be lacking.
The room of your cottage is colourful in and out, very functional and practical with quality furniture throughout as in the main lodge. There is also excellent bedding with another out of the normal things and needed in this colder part of Uganda...a duvet on your bed and if that is not enough, extra blankets are there for your comfort. There is also a safe for each cottage to keep your things safe and secure during your stay here. It seems almost everything seems to be thought of.
Activities – there are many – some such as canoeing in a dugout canoe on Lake Mutanda, hikes through villages and forest, birding and of course activities that we have you scheduled for such as volcano climbing, golden monkey tracking, an interactive walk with the first people of the forest, the Batwa people all in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, There are also the activities in the southern end of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. That is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things to do and see while staying at Chameleon Hill Lodge - no other lodge like it and the added plus is the view.
Included
- Our exclusive 4 hours gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Kibale National Park
- Golden monkeys habituation experience in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Accommodation with meals indicated on programme
- Bottled drinking water on the vehicle
- Services of a good experienced English speaking tour guide/driver
- Transport on tour as well as hotel transfers in safari land cruisers
Excluded
- Tips for drivers and other staff
- Flight tickets and departure taxes
- Travel documentation (visas)
- Travel and medical insurance
- Optional excursion
- Beverages other than mineral water in the vehicle
Talk to a Uganda Safari Consultant
Enquire about this special wildlife experience and habituation safari and tour prices.
Talk to one of our destination experts to start planning your Uganda safari.
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MAIN NATIONAL PARKS FOR YOUR UGANDA GORILLA HABITUATION EXPERIENCE AND CHIMP HABITUATION EXPERIENCE TOURS, AND GOLDEN MONKEYS HABITUATION
UGANDA GORILLA HABITUATION EXPERIENCE TOURS
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (for your Gorilla Habituation Experience)
The park is located in south western Uganda, covering parts of Rukungiri, Kisoro, and Kabale Districts. It is situated in a hilly country-side that, together with some remnant lowland forest outside the boundary constitutes an important water catchments area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural land of the surrounding region.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a true equatorial jungle, inhabited by four gorilla groups. Amongst the dense vegetation the Columbus monkey jumps from branch to branch, chattering its warning to its fellows hidden by the foliage. Chimpanzees, in families of 20 or 30, make the rounds, searching for fruit and edible plants.
It is situated in a hilly country-side that, together with some remnant lowland forest outside the boundary constitutes an important water catchments area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural land of the surrounding region.
The best time to visit Uganda is late December to late February, and from June to September, as the weather at this time of year is generally dry, and warm. Temperatures average at around 25 degrees Celsius.
Mountain gorilla are trained for tourism with humans through a process known as gorilla habituation. This process is conducted by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and could go on for at least 2 years. After the habituation, mock tourism (a kind of trial tourism) is conducted on the gorilla group, allowing a limited number per day for about a year. After this the gorillas are opened for real tourism.
In Bwindi, the gorilla habituation experience is done with Bikingi gorilla group. The group is moderately challenging to trek although all elderly people trek it with mild difficulty. Needless to say, physically challenged people will find it difficult to reach the gorilla group. It will take about 3-4 hours to reach these gorillas. Once you reach them, you are allowed to witness the counting of the nests, dung heaps, and how many gorillas are in the group, you participate in the researcher note-taking just as you continue going about your usual tourist experience.
THE MOUNTAIN GORILLA HABITUATION EXPERIENCE
Gorilla habituation is the process through which a gorilla family gets used to human visits. A great opportunity to spend 4 hours with the Bwindi mountain gorillas instead of the standard 1 hours for USD1500 per permit per person. The habituation experience is done Bikingi Gorilla Group of Bwindi, in Rushaga Sector.
A gorilla habituation process takes a period of 2-3 years and it involves an advance team from the Uganda Wildlife Authority making frequent visits to the gorilla family. Upon establishing that the group is used and welcoming to tourists, the gorilla family becomes ready for tourists’ visits.
With the gorilla habituation experience, you move with researchers to experience how mountain gorillas are habituated. The price for mountain gorilla habituation experience is now at USD1500.00 and one can stay for up to four hours.
Mountain gorillas are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed. However, for the last 14 years, no one has trekked the gorillas and failed to see them in Uganda. Certainly, you won't be the one with bad luck! On the trek, once you find the gorillas, you will be allowed an hour with the gorillas and you can only go not more than 6 meters from them. As the gorilla tracking can sometimes take a full day, you will need to go with your packed lunch and lots of drinking water when trekking to the gorillas.
Gorilla trekking timings and conditions vary tremendously as the gorillas move continuously through the rain forest. It is good to be prepared and remember the weather can change with very little warning. The terrain is often steep and through areas where there are no marked paths.
TIPS FOR THE BEST GORILLA HABITUATION EXPERIENCE IN UGANDA
Secure Gorilla Habituation Experience permits early
Gorilla Habituation Experience is the most popular foreign tourist activity for Uganda. On every single day, only 5 tourists can do the gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi. Uganda's gorilla habituation experience is USD1500 per person and allows you 4 hours with the mountain gorillas. This means the competition is quite high for the few gorilla habituation experience permits in Uganda and it becomes hard to secure gorilla habituation experience permits a few days to your Uganda gorilla habituation tour (although it is often possible with luck more so in the green season months of October, November, April and May). It is best to have your gorilla habituation experience permit fully confirmed at least 4 months in advance.
Assess your fitness levels
There is a likelihood you could walk for 3-6 hours on a gorilla trek. Gorillas are located deep in Bwindi forest with thick undergrowth over several steep volcanic slopes. Gorilla groups keep roaming this forest looking for their favorite food. They are never stationed in the same place over days. Your gorilla habituation trek will follow this same trend and it is quite unpredictable knowing how long or tough your gorilla trekking shall be. The longer trek is not necessarily a problem, just something to be prepared for. A bit of moderate physical fitness is needed for gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Guides & Porters for the gorilla trek
You will be guided through the forest on your gorilla tracking by a Uganda Wildlife Authority guide whom you will meet at the departure point in the morning of your trek. Your guide can help you book a porter (or two!) so that you can track without having to carry the few essential items listed below in a day pack which you should bring with you. The porters are from the local community and very used to the local conditions and can assist in pushing, pulling and supporting you during your trek to the gorillas. They are usually an additional fee, over and above your safari cost, and you should budget on approximately USD15-20 per porter per day as a fee with additional tipping being optional.
As the porters do not have tracking permits they will be stopped a short distance from the point you will be viewing the mountain Gorillas. Please remember to take whatever you may need from your bag to view the gorillas and rather leave valuables at the lodge/camp.
You will be allowed up to one hour for viewing of the gorillas from when they are sighted by your group. This is to ensure that the wild animals are not overexposed to human presence. Whilst in their presence you will also be required to keep minimum distances from them – generally between 5-7 metres and your guides will ensure this is enforced.
What to pack on gorilla habituation experience tour
• Plenty of water – 1-2 litres per person
• High energy snacks in addition to your packed lunch provided by the lodge/camp
• Spare film and batteries for videos and cameras
• Gloves (gardening type are good)
• Waterproof bag to protect photographic equipment
• A hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and band-aids might be useful
• A lightweight waterproof jacket/poncho
• Walking sticks are made available at the start of the trek for some of the steeper and more slippery tracks and may prove to be very handy.
Gorilla Habituation Experience Age Limits
The age limit for gorilla habituation experience is 15 years and the authorities are very strict on this! With special written permission however, a 14yr old might pass.
Videos & Photography for Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda
In Uganda, it can be difficult to capture good photos under the dark canopy of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, as the name suggests! If you are very lucky, you may encounter your gorilla family in a clearing.
Here are a few tips for photographing the gorillas in Uganda:
- If you’re taking photos using a standard point-and-shoot camera, then make sure your camera is fully charged.
- Always take extra memory cards.
- Remember that flash photography is not allowed when you are with the gorillas. Make sure you have your camera manual with you so you know how to disable the automatic flash and automatic focus light functions.
- We recommend a good SLR camera. The best lenses are those with a wide aperture such as f2,8 which allow in max light and are best in gloomy conditions. A 24 – 70 mm and a 70 – 200 m is a good combination. If you have space then consider a 300mm and a wide angle but it’s a steep walk so consider hiring a porter. A 50 mm 1.4 lens is also ideal for low light shooting and something to consider as a standard lens.
- Professional filmmakers require permission and need to purchase filming permits in advance from UWA (Uganda) or RDB (Rwanda).
- Keep your camera and/or phone in a waterproof bag (such as a large Ziploc bag). Cue: you’re in the rainforest.
Professional photographers, film makers or media should advise us at the time of booking as special procedures are required as well as costs to be incurred for photographing and filming.
Kibale National Park for Chimps Habituation Experience
Once this tropical rainforest provided a (very substantial) dinner, bed and breakfast for large herds of migrating forest elephants and, even now, the park contains the largest population of this subspecies in Uganda. Although they're rarely seen, and dangerous, the signs of these elephants' presence are abundant.
However, Kibale's claim to fame is its enormous variety of primates and its families of habituated chimpanzees - it's home to an astonishing 12 species of primate and provides one of the highest primate densities in the world. Here, on a daytime or evening guided forest walk, you may find families of chimpanzees and red colobus monkeys chattering and swinging through the ancient forest trees.
The sightings of birds in the forest are no less impressive - there are at least 325 species, many of which are found nowhere else. In addition, there are over 144 species of butterflies.
Golden monkey Tracking in Mgahinga
The Golden Monkey may not be the most well known primate, but is certainly an enjoyable, little creature that is worth visiting. It is a small curious monkey, golden in colour and loves to scamper around the trees. Golden monkeys are named after their golden-orange fur, and like mountain gorillas, are also considered endangered species. Conservation efforts have been put in place by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to ensure that the monkeys are protected – especially from poachers.
There is a habituated family of monkeys in Mgahinga, where tourists can track and stay with them for a period of four hours depending on where they nested the previous night and how far it is from the starting point.
It is estimated that Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has between 3000-4000 golden monkeys grouped in troupes of 30s led by a principal adult male. Golden monkeys are primarily to be found in the bamboo forest that skirt the lower slopes of the volcanoes. They are quite more active in the bamboo canopy. Golden monkeys are opportunistic feeders. What they feed on could be by the availability of fruits, leaves of bamboo trees, shoots of bamboo, shrubs, flowers, invertebrates and these makes it to be restricted to the highland forest, mostly the bamboo forest.
Golden monkey tracking starts at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park headquarters at 7:30am for pre-tracking briefing (on the dos and don’ts of tracking the golden monkeys). The actual trek begins at 8:00am. Hiking through the forests to sight the golden monkeys is not so strenuous like gorilla trekking because golden monkeys live in lower areas, so tourists do not track for more than 3 hours. When tourists encounter the golden monkey family, they are given one hour (0r 4 hours in case your are doing the habituation experience) to spend with them (to take photographs and observe their behavior). With this activity, there is no minimum number of tourists who track each group and age limit is 12 years.
Golden Monkey Habituation Experience in Mgahinga
Uganda Wildlife Authority now offers you the golden opportunity to experience a Golden Monkey Habituation in Mgahinga National Park. Accompany the researches in the morning or afternoon to track the Golden Monkeys and stay with them for 4 hours. You will have the unique chance to get close to these little primates and study their behavior in their natural habitat. A unique experience that will enhance your primate safari in Uganda!
What to carry during Mgahinga golden monkey tracking.
There are several requirements that tourists need to have a memorable experience during golden monkey tracking. These include waterproof hiking boots, wear long sleeved shirt, long trousers, and carry a backpack for your lunch and documents. Also carry drinking water and snacks, carry a walking stick to support you during hiking, you can hire a porter to support you during hiking in slippery places and they carry your backpack, and do not forget to carry an
It is hard to get to – You either fly-in, which is very expensive or you drive to the park. The drive (12-Hours) takes a lot of time due to the distance from Kampala. The more scenic route from Sipi Falls to Kidepo Parks breaks up the journey and you are driving through Karamoja which is quite interesting.
The lodging facilities are few, however, more are coming on-line as the popularity of the Park is on the increase plus the Apoka Rest Camp has been greatly improved to the delight of budget travelers.
Presently there 2000-3000 visitors per year, less per ten per day, in spite of being the best park for wildlife viewing in Uganda plus unique and enriching cultural experiences with the Karamojong and the Ik People who live near the park.
Kidepo Valley Park where the stunning scenery simply takes your breath away. It is just you and a stillness only broken by the cry from the wild. The sounds of the winds sweeping through the valley – you are amazed that such a place as Kidepo Valley Park even exists – an abundance of wildlife – rough-hewn scenery and an absence of people, no caravans of vehicles meandering down the game tracks- it is simply a scene from Karen Blixen or Ernest Hemingway’s Africa – it is Africa as you imagined it but rarely find in the 21st Century.
There are Lions in abundance-especially during the dry season of the year (even some tree climbing ones) – Elephant and Buffalo herds roaming – Giraffe – leopards – cheetahs – wild dogs – ostriches-pangolins –the bat-eared fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal, and hunting dog – antelopes such as eland, bushbuck, bush duskier, defassa waterbuck, bohor reedbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, and oribi.