Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is an offers a fun visit to the playful Golden Monkeys. As the name suggests, the monkeys have a orange/yellow patch of fur on the backs.
The golden monkeys are endangered species, and are unique to the Virunga mountains range which covers the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Rwanda and Uganda are the only two countries where visitors have the opportunity of trekking to see them. The golden monkeys live in the bamboo forests and vegetation at the base of the mountains, and mostly feed on bamboo shoots.
There is only one session in a day for golden monkey tracking and takes place in the morning. Visitors report to the Kinigi Park Headquarters at 7AM where they meet the park ranger guides for a trip briefing and then drive to the start of trek which is 15 minutes away at the edge of the park.
The monkeys can easily be found as they stay at the low areas of the forest. The park rangers follow their trail of food leftovers and usually are able to locate them in less than an hour. Once we have made contact, visitors spend a maximum of one hour watching the beautiful monkeys as they make huge leaps from tree to tree and eat.
The monkeys spend a lot of time at the top of the bamboo, but also do climb along the tree to eye level and even move on ground. They are some of the bolder monkeys; you can get close to within several feet.
Golden Monkey tracking is a mildly strenuous activity. The hike is short in time and distance while the terrain is relatively flat and easy to hike.
