Golden Monkey Trekking

The golden monkeys are primates listed among endangered species with risk of extinction due mainly to the destruction of their natural habitat, frequent wars in their region and poaching activities that targets primates in general. They are currently living in the High mountain of Volcanoes shared between three countries namely Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The golden monkeys are characterized by a golden- orange patch on the upper flanks and back. They live in a social group ranging between 30 and 80 individuals. Their diet consists of fruits and bamboo leaves. The Volcanoes National Park on the side of Rwanda offers good, safe and reliable trekking. Golden Monkey Trekking in The Volcanoes National Park is easier since most of them live just right below the Volcanoes and can be seen swinging from the bamboo trees in the forest.

As it is for gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes National Park starts with a briefing at the Park headquarter at 7:00 in the morning before starting the trekking. The trekking happens in a group of no more than 8 individuals and a park ranger accompanies each group and will help to locate the golden monkey group to visit and they are always tracking their movements.

Golden monkey trekking in the Volcanoes National Park is not as demanding as Gorilla trekking since golden monkeys do not need to travel long distances to find them. Once found, you are given one hour of staying with these shy primates as you will be observing how they feed, how they play together and their internal organization in which a predominant male is the leader of the group and always provides orders to the rest of the group.

There are several things to note when you are trekking golden monkeys in the Volcanoes National Park. These includes the following:

You need to take a rain coat as the weather in the volcanoes is unpredictable as it can rain any time of the day. Also you need to bring good hiking shoes that do not slide down to the wet ground as well as repellent to avoid insect bites.

You need to carry food, snacks and drinking water as there are no stops for shopping as you hike for the golden monkey trekking. When taking pictures ensure that the flash of your camera is off as they can scare them and make sure you always leave 5 meters between you and the golden monkeys.

Golden monkey trekking in the Volcanoes National Park can be performed along with other activities within the Volcanoes National Park like gorilla trekking, volcano hiking and Dian Fossey tomb hiking or around National park like Ibyiwacu cultural village visit, Buhanga Eco park visit, boat trip or canoe ride in the twin lakes as well as nature walk in the communities around the Volcanoes to experience how Rwandans are living.

Golden monkey trekking in the Volcanoes National Park can also be combined with activities in other National Parks like chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park and game drive to see the big five animals in National Park. When doing the golden monkey trekking in the Volcanoes National Park and staying overnight, you don’t need to worry about the accommodation since Rwanda has got good hotels and lodges. There are various accommodations around the Volcanoes ranging from standard, midrange and luxury Hotels. The same places also have high-end and super luxury lodges in the region.

The Volcanoes National Park is accessible by road from Kigali International Airport on a 2.5-hour drive and helicopter transfer for only 40 minutes. The same place also can be accessible from Uganda as it is close to the Cyanika border between Rwanda and Uganda on a one-hour drive and two hours’ drive from Gatuna border. All the roads are tarmac and well maintained to offer a comfortable drive. The only thing you need to care about is the speed limit as traffic cameras are installed all along and a fine is straight charged to the car with over speed.

For the better preparation of the Golden monkey trekking in the Volcanoes National Park, check out to tour operators for advice and itinerary quotation. We at Unique Rwanda Vacations Experts make sure that your trip is memorable and is tailored to your interests, budget and time. Share with us your request and leave us with the rest.