When Booking Golden Monkey Permits in Uganda and Rwanda, Avoid these mistakes.
Particularly travels to the Virunga Mountains, booking golden monkey permits is widespread among visitors to Uganda and Rwanda to see primates in their native habitat. Living on the slopes of the Virungas, the Golden monkeys resemble Chinese snob-nosed monkeys.
Often clambering for residual attention from the world-class mountain gorillas, who share their environment, are they?
On the Virunga Volcanos slopes, these sociable animals mostly consume bamboo (Sinarundinaria Alpina) found between 2,101-3,550-meter heights. Attracting visitors to these regions of Africa to see their adorable little faces, this is the only area you will discover these threatened tiny monkeys.
Habituated golden monkey families may be seen at Mgahinga National Park near the southeast point of Uganda or on the side of Rwanda from adjacent Volcanoes National Park. But you will need a ticking generally known as the golden monkey permit.
Particularly with Westerners on another continent, booking golden monkey permits in Uganda and Rwanda is hardly a stroll in the park. Sometimes costing money, travellers make various blunders attempting to arrange golden monkey safaris.
For this reason, in this essay we go over some typical errors to avoid when requesting golden monkey licenses in Rwanda and Uganda.
Not booking golden monkey permits via an operator.
Travel logistics are still a headache in Uganda and Rwanda as their infrastructure does not yet meet international standards. Traveling alone could cause unfortunate errors in planning.
While some individuals may arrange their own travel, it is advisable to use a tour operator to assist in purchasing the permission from UWA or RDB and also organize your whole vacation. Tour agents will handle your permits and provide appropriate advice as they know the operations of local service providers.
Usually, the operator will ask you your desired trip date and then look for permission availability. When they do, they will ask you to email them your passport copy along with the permit fee and payment. They will provide you a copy of the permission and begin organizing the other things for your trip once the reservation is made.
Though the golden monkeys get less attention than gorillas, reserving them is like arranging gorilla permits. The result availability is not very difficult.
Ordering the incorrect hiking passes for the incorrect location
Trekking golden monkeys is possible in Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Both of these locations also include gorilla treking. Many tourists mistakenly believe that obtaining a gorilla permit also grants access to the golden monkeys, which is untrue.
While hiking one of them may be rather fantastic, you cannot visit both on the same ticket even if you could run into the other.
Because of mountain gorillas, some visitors often mistake Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda for golden monkeys. Buying gorilla permits, they hope to see golden monkeys.
This is why we suggest visitors to book with a tour operator who would guide them on which permits to purchase and prevent the usual bugling error.
Not being ready for the encounter.
The golden monkey adventure calls for some athletic ability even if it is not as demanding as gorilla treks. Although guests could buy the event looking for a stroll over, they must climb somewhat a difficult distance to reach the little monkeys.
While Mgahinga has one group of around the same size, Volcanoes National Park offers two golden monkey groups totaling roughly 80-100 individuals for tourists. They search for the little buggers from the bamboo forest zone of the highlands, which calls for almost an hour’s climb up the mountainous slopes to reach. Although it is impossible to say exactly how long it takes to go to the monkeys, be ready for anywhere between one hour and three.
Starting at 08:00 am, the daily golden monkey hiking visits span nearly half of the day. You will join a small group of trekkers at the briefing point, at the visitor center of the park, accompanied by two armed park guards and a trekking guide.
Your guide will bring you through the initial forest vegetation until you find the bamboo zone and then be in radio touch with trackers on-site to make sure you see the golden monkeys.
Once you locate the golden monkey tribe, you will have exactly one hour to watch the cheeky monkeys. They could first be in bamboo trees and jumping all over the place, but after a few minutes they will descend to the forest floor where you can appreciate them close by.
Falling for a fraud and paying more than the quoted cost
For one trip, the golden monkey licenses in Rwanda and Uganda cost $100 for person. The permit lets guests see the endangered primates only one hour. Still, you can spend more time with the golden monkeys in Uganda if you reserve a $140 individual golden monkey habituation ticket.
One may easily misunderstand paying an operator more than the stated fee because the golden monkey licenses were less costly and less rare than gorilla permits. Recall that only RDB and UWA are authorised to sell the permits at the stated price, so you pay only the stated fee and nothing more.
Although there are plenty of golden monkey permits available, especially in the busy season, we advise reserving yours early so that you may simply handle the logistics and ensure the gorilla permit for the same journey. All required booking details, including lodging and travel, may be handled by Katland Safaris LTD.
Looking for more than what the permits cover.
Nothing more provided with the permits than the guided walk and ranger security. Therefore, avoid making the mistake of booking golden monkey permits hoping for lodging, food, or drinking water.
Booking a golden monkey ticket requires a minimum age of fifteen years. Up to sixteen (16) visitors may accompany two armed rangers, a senior tracker guide, and several porters to assist carry your equipment in a single trekking group.
The permit doe excludes meals, snacks, porter fees, lodging, drinking water, or for that matter anything beyond the trip time.
How can one purchase golden monkey permits?
Although availability determines booking golden monkey licenses, especially in hot seasons, availability is more certain than with gorilla permits. Online applications from Rwanda call for completing required forms, uploading relevant documentation, and paying the relevant costs online. Conversely, you must visit the UWA headquarters in Kampala to get golden monkey permits for Uganda.
Whether online or with a tour operator, all permit applications call for your complete information—including a copy of your passport leaf, contact email and phone number, and of course, whole payment of the amount. First come, first-serve forms the foundation of the system.
Last-minute bookings may cause disappointment.
Although a few people are interested in the primates and last-minute booking is usually accessible, it might sometimes disappoint you least expectedly. Perhaps the only time the permits were not available was the one you visited the park without reserving.
Generally speaking, particularly if they want the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys on the same trip, we suggest our visitors get purchase permits weeks ahead. Early booking guarantees obtaining both travel date permits for your trip.
Get the most recent booking information for Uganda and Rwanda permits by contacting our safari staff.
Not looking over booking terms and conditions before to booking.
One typical error that results in customers complaining about results when they could have theoretically prevented them is not reading booking conditions. Although it is usual to dismiss terms when learning anything, make exception when booking golden monkey permits in Uganda and Rwanda.
First of all, unless you reschedule not more than seven days before the visit date, golden monkey permits are valid two years from the purchase date.
Second, you have to make an advance book with whole payment; a partial cash deposit is not allowed.
Thirdly, every guest has to check-in at the tourist center with the golden monkey permit or booking reference number and passport for permit validation from 07:00 am to 7:30 am before the experience.
Fourthly, changes in your intended itinerary or unanticipated events allow you to postpone your permits. Subject to availability, you may do that not less than seven (7) days in advance with notification and once within 15 months after purchase or booking date.
Using Encounter makes booking golden monkey permits in Uganda and Rwanda simple.
With Katland Safaris LTD., book your golden monkey permits and safari tour in Uganda and Rwanda. We handle all the little details for a great primates experience, including additional required local logistics such travel plans, hotel bookings, and other activities.
We can arrange a fantastic trip in the Virunga mountains with you whether your goal is to walk golden monkeys and mountain gorillas on the same path.
Get a free quotation by contacting our safari team to assist you with planning.
