Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda
Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda is only possible in volcanoes national park Rwanda.The park is located in the Virunga region on the northwestern side of the country on the borders of Uganda and DR Congo. Golden monkeys are subspecies of Sykes monkeys and they do live in troops of 30 to 100 individuals on the slopes of Virunga volcanoes inside the park. The Virunga volcanoes are Bisoke Gahinga, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, and Muhabura where these golden monkeys have found themselves a home in the bamboo vegetation.
The golden monkeys do feed on bamboo shoots most of the time and will sometimes feed on ripe fruits as well as insects. They are also referred to as endangered just like mountain gorillas because their habitat was destroyed by the civil wars in the Virunga regions. You can trek golden monkeys in volcanoes national park at any time of the year as long as you have a valid trekking permit. Other activities you can do in volcanoes national park include; mountain gorilla trekking, birding, cultural visits, and nature walks.
Where to do golden monkey trekking from in Rwanda
Tourists can only trek golden monkeys in bamboo vegetation volcanoes national park of Rwanda. The golden monkeys have found their home in the bamboo forests of Volcanoes national park on the slopes of Virunga mountains – Bisoke, Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Muhabura, and Karisimbi.
In volcanoes national park, you will start with a briefing at the park headquarters, and thereafter the armed ranger guides will lead you through different trekking trails until you locate the golden monkeys. As you are looking for the monkeys, you will be able to see different park animals such as buffaloes, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, hyenas, birds, several primate species, and much more.
Once you located the golden monkeys in the bamboo shoots on the slopes of Virunga mountains you will be given 1 hour to observe these primates, watch them do daily activities, learn about their habits and take photos. The golden monkeys live in troops of between 30 and 80 individuals or sometimes they can be even 100 golden monkeys.
Golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park
Not only Mgahinga national park, even in volcanoes national park the golden monkey trekking starts with a briefing at the park headquarters where trekkers are expected to be early in the morning at around 7:30 am. During the time at the park headquarters, the trekkers are taught about the dos and don’t of golden monkey trekking as an activity and later the armed ranger guides lead them into the jungle to search for the fully habituated monkey trope.
During the search, the trekkers do meet numerous park animals such as giant forest hogs, mountain gorillas, duikers, buffaloes, bush pigs, several primates, and birds such as Baglafecht weaver, Bateleur, Blue-spotted wood dove, and Cinnamon-chested bee-eater among others. When you locate the golden monkey troop assigned, you will be given 1 hour to observe it, watch them do daily activities like the little ones jump from one tree branch to another, hunt, nest, and you will be able to learn about their habits and also take photos.
How much is golden monkey trekking in the volcanoes national park?
To trek golden monkeys in volcanoes national park you need to get a permit from Rwanda Development Board. The permit is sold to all persons above the age of 15 years and they go for a fee of cost $100 for foreign non-residents, $85 foreign residents, and $65 East African citizens. If you are intending to visit the park in the dry season, we advise you to book in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences.
If you are out there and want to trek golden monkeys in volcanoes national park, you can send an email at Africa adventure vacations limited containing details of when you want to travel and using the dates we shall check for availability of the permits with the Rwanda Development Board and once they are available we shall ask you to send us money and we shall book the permits for you.
When is the best time to go golden monkey trekking in the volcanoes national park?
Golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park can be done through out the year though there are some months that are better than the rest and these are the dry months. The drier months occur from June to September and December to February and are characterized by little or no rainfall which leaves the trekking trails dry and the roads to the park passable. During the dry season, the vegetation is thin which gives you a clear view of the golden monkeys and other park animals.
Tourists most especially the budget travelers can still volcanoes national park Rwanda for golden monkey trekking in the rainy season so as to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. The rainy season in volcanoes Rwanda occurs from March to May and October to November and is characterized by plenty of rainfall which makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation in the park is thick giving unclear views of the golden monkeys, and roads to the park are impassable.
Packing list for golden monkey trekking in Rwanda?
When coming to Rwanda for golden monkey trekking you need to come along with equipment such as waterproof hiking shoes, a camera and extra batteries, long-sleeved clothes, a rain jacket, a hat, rain jacket, insect repellents, drinking water, insect repellents, face mask, and sanitizer. On the day of golden monkey trekking, you can hire a porter at the briefing point in case of heavy luggage.
Accommodation on a golden monkey safari in volcanoes national park
Tourists intending to have a golden monkey trekking safari in volcanoes national park don’t have to worry about where they will stay for the park is well developed with several accommodation facilities that do range from budget to mid-range to luxury options. Some of the accommodation facilities in volcanoes national park you can use on a golden monkey trekking safari include Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, One $ Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Bisate Lodge, and Amakoro Songa Lodge among others.
