The primate is a Geoffroy's (a.k.a. black-handed) spider monkey native to Central America.
When the script called for the planet to have a friendly alien primate, a spider monkey was found which, on command, could stand erect on its hind legs, using its tail to form a tripod. When shown photos of the monkey doing this, Rick Berman laughed and said, 'That looks alien enough to me. Book him!'
The chemistry of Janeway and Chakotay on the planet is very reminiscent of The African Queen (1951). Kate Mulgrew is noted for her resemblance to Katharine Hepburn (a role she has played on stage), and Robert Beltran has a passing resemblance to Humphrey Bogart. The African Queen appears to have been one of the favorite movies of Trek Universe creator Gene Roddenberry.
This takes place in 2372.
This is the first episode in which Chakotay addresses Kathryn Janeway by her first name.