3-Day Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trekking Review: Expert Insights

3-Day Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trekking Review: Expert Insights

Looking for an incredible African wildlife experience? Maybe the 3-Day Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trekking package could be something you should consider. What’s really great is that this tour lets you come face-to-face with both majestic gorillas and playful golden monkeys in their natural habitats. This review goes into detail about what you might expect, and gives helpful tips so you can decide if this type of trip suits you. It could be that an opportunity to watch these fascinating creatures up close would be pretty appealing, right?

What to Expect from Your Gorilla Trek

Close-up of a gorilla in the forest

What you’ll find is that gorilla trekking is really the highlight of this trip, it often happens in either Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, or perhaps in Volcanoes National Park found in Rwanda. Keep in mind that the trek itself can actually be fairly strenuous. It is that the length and difficulty may vary, you see, sometimes depending on where the assigned gorilla family is located that day. It could be that your journey might lead you through fairly dense forest, over hills, and at times, across streams. Guides are certainly skilled trackers, they really know the forest so well. It’s often very possible to learn a lot from them about the local ecosystem, they share all this insight. It is that spending an hour observing a gorilla family is a really, profoundly moving experience, it will also be one you’ll treasure, so people say.

Coming across gorillas is pretty awe-inspiring. Seeing these huge, yet really gentle, animals in their natural environment makes for very powerful, emotional stuff. You see them eating, grooming, interacting. You could observe them, sometimes it is their really human-like qualities, right, they become super clear. Keep this thought: keeping a respectful distance is really crucial. At the end of the day following your guide’s instructions assists you in protecting both you and these critically endangered apes. Very much a key to sustainability in these wild environments.

Preparing for the Trek

Trekking gear for gorilla tracking

If you want to get prepared for your gorilla trek, remember that appropriate gear is also extremely important. This may very well include very sturdy hiking boots (it could be that ankle support will prove useful!), also think of packing long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, garden type gloves, plus a waterproof jacket because it is often the case that the weather conditions can change very quickly. You should also seriously consider bringing along insect repellent to keep the bugs away. It appears that a walking stick is very helpful for stability. It’s not uncommon for these to be provided at the park headquarters, so make use of it, too, right?

The Joy of Golden Monkey Tracking

Golden monkey in bamboo forest

You will find that the golden monkey trek tends to be far less tiring when it is compared to the gorilla trek. Anyway, the experience? So too it is genuinely unique. These amazing monkeys, usually they are quite a sight, that bright golden fur of theirs really pops in the sunlight! Golden monkeys usually live in the bamboo forests found in the Virunga Mountains. That is that they seem pretty playful. It’s easy to watch them jumping from branch to branch as they are also feeding. Taking pictures of these cute little creatures, with it often happening they are darting around, proves more challenging but certainly pretty fun!

Tips for a Successful Monkey Trek

Photographer taking pictures of golden monkeys

Remember to dress in layers so you are more comfy. Then what can happen, right? Adjust to different temperatures that you will possibly experience during the trek. What may be interesting is that photography fans might like to bring a camera equipped with a telephoto lens because this helps you catch pretty great shots. In a way this can assist so they can zoom in on the monkeys’ antics. Above all what is worth keeping in mind is that these monkeys are wild, yes. And they are more sensitive to human presence than gorillas, right. Moving a little slowly and trying to keep quiet allows for what it is. Greater opportunity for observing these monkeys behave as they typically do in the wild. Too it’s almost just a case of letting them settle around you.

Choosing the Best Tour Operator

Reputable tour operator logo

For a pretty wonderful experience you want to pick a really good tour operator. This way you have it more or less all in hand and well organised. Begin your search, in fact, with reading internet reviews and finding testimonials because this lets you pick out which tour guides have great reputations, which you should look for because those ones usually provide amazing experiences, apparently. What is that reputable operators do because you see, they often take responsibility to secure all necessary permits and, sometimes, also organise transportation and also accommodation. These sorts of benefits should prove really useful when one plans the logistics related to these excursions.

And just so you know, to go gorilla tracking a permit must be had, they aren’t cheap! What may interest you to know is that each one, when considering prices for a permit, these go a very long way to support the wildlife efforts and sustain local community programs. Anyway the thing is, these can get sold out a while ahead. A really great tour operator sees to it, they help you reserve these permits way in advance which obviously prevents all that stress and possible upset!

Accommodation Options

Lodge near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

You have the option to think through a great array of accommodation solutions, basically including lodges for different tastes plus budgetary considerations. It seems like it, anyway, so options are open for you to settle on comfy places around both Bwindi and Volcanoes National Parks! You know, after trekking those places can feel really rewarding! The variety in accommodation should very likely consist of everything ranging between really rustic styled camping and luxurious resort type suites that provide pampering and superb amenities. To make the most sensible choice, very much see which hotels, camps, or lodges get a buzz. Pick one you just feel would meet specific criteria, it should offer great rest periods so as one prepares himself each morning or winds right down when sunset approaches. Then, arguably, consider proximity with meeting points as often time can turn into huge constraints. Make an effort, what’s there to lose!

For really good stays and top ranked venues, anyway it always seems to turn up useful that, again, reviews might come useful because visitors mention how their experience was on TripAdvisor or booking pages. You’d usually pick straight off their vibes alone, as a matter of fact. If hotels feature any shuttle types, it may turn out really very suitable after trips, right!

What to Pack

Backpack packed for trekking

Let’s not forget a really well thought packing, arguably that would affect travel success considerably, might be. First off there are items needed whilst you are trekking plus other clothes needed throughout travel time generally to bear. Items listed might cover long trousers/ shirts, preferably fast to dry versions since heat as often as temperature can fluctuate, yet waterproof/ breathable materials. Those can really become invaluable as temperatures come unpredictable at times too. To protect from injuries, a bit rugged hand glove can save against insect bites. Then there come first aid kits just for anything! All important documentation deserves waterproof containers always, definitely. The right mindset as too can do a difference! That’s what might ease anxiety along some periods though it needs a clear head at certain situations as well perhaps.

  • Very comfortable Hiking boots (provide good ankle support)
  • Raincoat/Poncho.
  • Insect Repellent.
  • Sunscreen lotion.
  • Camera, memory cards, lenses.
  • Binoculars.
  • Headlamp and extra batteries
  • Snacks/Water Bottle
  • Gardening gloves.
  • Quick dry long sleeved shirts/ trousers.
  • Light weight backpack.

What also becomes useful entails the correct photography pieces since some people fancy stills captured amongst wild flora around. Powerbanks/ chargers could always get a save as too! Just imagine when such precious shots might fill every screen on earth following your memories along too… And if all items find rooms into lightweight carrying type luggage bags? So how pleasing that becomes for you and any assistance accompanying either. Plan far ahead as even simple checklists usually ensure no vital bits forgotten after one takes a deep consideration here, now… I tell you!

And really, that 3-Day Gorilla plus Golden Monkey trekking brings awesome memories, more or less. But just do think carefully what one desires, really it then makes one’s experience all amazing through there! What it does very uniquely, these natural sights are not too very often offered elsewhere. Therefore consider well, seriously.