Golden Monkey Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Golden Monkey Trekking in Volcanoes National Park is one of the most fascinating activities done in Rwanda as travelers love to enjoy spotting these colorful monkeys in the forest thicket. Volcanoes national park is famous for housing half of the world remaining mountain gorillas that are found on Mount Muhabura, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, Mount Karisimbi, and Mount Bisoke. However, the park is also home to the golden monkeys that can be seen after the virunga mountains hike to the bamboo trees where they can find the different golden monkey troops and here are some of the reasons you should participate in golden monkey trekking;

Virunga Mountains

During golden monkey trekking, you will have to hike the Virunga Mountains to access the bamboo trees where the golden monkeys can be seen in the park. The Virunga Mountains will offer you a number of primate species like Dent’s Monkey, red tailed monkey, vervet monkey, black and white colobus, you will see a number of bird species in the park like Miombo wren warbler, Rwenzori Batis, Dusky turtle love, paradise flycatcher, marsh harrier, Ross’s turaco, coqui Francolin, long-tailed cisticola, bubbling cisticola, double collared sunbird, Chubb’s cisticola handsome Francolin Ruwenzori turaco, common moorhen Ruwenzori nightjar, long-crested eagle among other interesting attractions in the park.

Exceptional views

During golden monkey trekking in the park, you will hike the different Virunga mountains to access the monkey species in bamboo trees. During your hike, you will see exceptional views from the different Virunga mountains. Some of the different views that can be seen include the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, Lake Kivu, Dian Fossey’s grave and other Virunga mountains in the park.

Safety

The safety of Volcanoes National Park is another factor that should drive to visit Volcanoes National Park and participate in golden monkey trekking. Volcanoes National Park put up different safety precautions to ensure that tourists have a safe activity in a safe environment. Before entering the park you will go through the security checkpoint where you will be checked of any weapons and any other security threats that can cause harm to the people and the animals.

During your golden monkey trekking activity in the ark, you will be accompanied by an armed ranger who will offer security during your entire golden monkey trekking in the park. in case of any animal attacks although they are not common in case they do happen the ranger will be there to scare away the animals by firing shots in the air other than killing them.

Well trained staff

If you want to know more about the golden monkeys in volcanoes national park then you should participate in golden monkey trekking in the park reason being there are well-trained guides that will offer amazing primate safaris Volcanoes National park by offering all the relevant information about the endangered primate.

Little is known about the golden monkeys in the country, but when you participate in golden monkey trekking, by the end of your trip you will have all the relevant information about the monkeys, for instance, the golden monkeys are endemic to the Albertine Rift in the Virunga mountains and can only be found in Mgahinga National Park, Volcanoes national park and in Virunga National Park.

The guide will also tell you about the diet of the golden monkeys that you will also see them eating bamboo trees as their source of food and also different fruits in the park. At the end of your golden monkey trekking tour in the park, you will know more about the primate species.

Dian Fossey’s grave

While you hike the different Virunga mountains in order to access the golden Monkeys, you can come across the Dian Fossey’s grave since they are in the same forest. Dian Fossey was an American primatologist that carried out research on the mountain gorillas and in the long run, fell in love with them. With her research, she got to find out that the gorillas where being poached in the park.

Dian Fossey carried out regular patrols with the park management to ensure that there were snares in the park, Dian Fossey burnt houses of the poachers among other activities to ensure that poaching was combated in the park however she was murdered and buried at the gorilla cemetery, therefore, you should visit Dian Fossey’s grave as you hike Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. It is her works that gorillas in volcanoes national park are increasing in numbers and conserved which are celebrated during the Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony.

Primate species

Although golden monkey trekking is an amazing activity in the park, other attractions that can be seen while participating in the activities make it even more interesting for tourists participating in the golden monkey trekking activity. Although Nyungwe National Park is one of the ultimate primate destinations in Rwanda, Volcanoes national park is another place where tourists can see a number of primate species during golden monkey trekking, for instance, the Dent’s Monkey, red tailed monkey, vervet monkey, black and white colobus tracking which can also be seen during colobus tracking as another activity in the park, Mona Monkey, Mountain Gorillas that can also be seen during gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.

Time to participate in other activities

Golden monkey trekking in the park does not take the entire day like the Gorilla trekking in volcanoes National Park, tourists will have the opportunity to participate in a number of activities in the park, like visiting the Musanze caves, birding among other activities in Volcanoes National Park.