Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda

Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda

Volcanoes national park is a stop center for all   Rwanda gorilla safeties sheltering the highest number of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Conservation area. The strategic location of the Volcanos National Park roughly 2 hours’ drive from Kigali international airport makes it the most accessible gorilla national park in the world. Besides gorillas, Volcanoes National Park is a home for golden monkeys, a variety of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects among other creatures which together make a complete Rwanda safari package

Golden Monkeys trekking takes place in Volcanoes national park and at the same time at 7:00 just like gorillas. These rare species are also listed as endangered. And Volcanoes national park currently has two habituated golden monkeys’ troops. These are available for visiting by tourists in the park, both of which make up about 80 members.

Golden monkeys in Rwanda live in the bamboo vegetation towards the base of the volcanoes. Habituation has helped them to overcome their initial shyness to accept their daily visit by researchers and tourists. Trekking golden monkeys and gorillas is a similar experience. In a small group of no more than eight peopled, you can spend one hour with the monkeys once you find them. The endangered species are very active creatures, and jump from tree to tree which is really interesting and a little difficult to photograph!

volcanos National Park

 What you need to know about golden monkeys – Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda

There are a lot of things that you need to know. For you to understand more about the golden monkeys and these are:
Golden monkeys got their name because of the gold coloring on either side of the cheeks. Around the eyes, and on the stomach sometimes which is a contrast to the rest of the body which is black. Communication between the monkeys is done using gestures, facial expressions, and sounds and this has been proved by scientists.

Female golden monkeys initiate mating and they give birth every after two years with one baby each time they give birth. The females also take care of the group because the male keeps on moving from one place to the next in search of other females for the mating process. The female only stops feeding their babies when they are preparing for the next baby and once a monkey hits puberty, it joins the other older monkeys and starts looking for its food. While golden monkey trekking, you will be able to see other primates like colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and verve monkeys among others.

They also live in groups of 30 to 80 monkeys and one male can act as dominant in different groups. Golden monkeys sleep in groups on top of the bamboo trees and research shows that they can live up to 20 years. Golden monkeys feed mainly on bamboo shoots but in cases where there is a scarcity, they can also feed on flowers and fruits.

Note that the golden permit fees are exclusive of accommodation and other services like park entry fees and transport.
Golden monkey habituation permit is a little bit higher and it goes for $100.

Golden Monkey packing list;

Most of the things that you should pack while going golden monkey trekking should be able to keep you warm because the Volcanoes National Park receives rainfall even during the dry season. Since you are going to be trekking through the jungle, below is a list of what you should pack.
Lightweight hiking boots will help while trekking because heavy boots will make the trek more tiresome.
Long-sleeved shirt
Trousers
Insect repellent
Raincoat
A backpack
Walking stick
A camera with extra batteries

Bottled drinking water
Garden glove

Golden monkey trekking and gorilla trekking are similar in most ways especially when it comes to trekking in the National Parks but some differences make each session unique in its way.
Golden monkey trekking is less strenuous compared to gorilla trekking and this is because gorillas normally build new nests each day in new locations making it hard to trace them from the previous location whereas the golden monkeys usually keep in the same place for as long as there are bamboo shoots to eat. The golden monkeys only move to a new location if the food in a certain area is getting done.

Golden Monkeys and photos

Golden monkeys are very active and do not stay in one position like the gorillas making it hard for tourists to take much-needed photographs. You might end up taking random photos of the monkeys and later on, choose the ones that came out right.
Mountain gorillas are endangered species and therefore the number of people that visit per day is limited by printing a few gorillas trek permits. 8 people per group are allowed to visit the gorillas for an hour. Golden monkey trekking on the hand is not restricted and tourists can visit the primates irrelevant of how many they are.

Gorilla trekking receives a wide range of tourists per year. Even when there are restrictions and this is not the case with the golden monkeys. Gorillas also can usually be seen sitting in one place. For a very long time, golden monkeys keep on moving from one place to the next. coming close to the visitors before jumping into the trees.

Where to Stay Before and After The Trek?

There are numerous accommodation facilities that you can use. While on your golden monkey trekking safari. These are into three categories that is basic, mid-range, and luxurious accommodation facilities. Some of the best facilities that you should look out for include:
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Five Volcanoes, Ingagi Park View Lodge, Gahinga Lodge.

Best time to go for golden monkey trekking in Rwanda

The best time for golden monkey trekking is during the dry season. The dry season is from June to August and January to February. These are the best months because the trail treks are drier. Easy to trek, and less slippery. It can, however, be carried out all year round if you are planning on carrying out golden monkey trekking. In the wet season, you should be prepared for the rains and slippery and wet trail routes.