Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda.
In Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is recognized for its mountain gorillas, but you will discover an exciting primate adventure on its lower slopes: a forest walk on the lookout for the colorful golden monkeys.
This special trekking experience provides a fun and engaging interaction with this endangered species, set against the backdrop of the bamboo forests of the Virunga Mountains. The search for golden monkeys is generally less challenging than gorilla trekking, so this is a really entertaining (and often very energetic!) experience for many visitors to enjoy.
Their Habitat: The World of Bamboo
The golden monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) are a subspecies of the blue monkey, distinguished by their bright golden-orange patch of fur on their backs. The monkeys are endemic to the Virunga Massif, meaning they can only be found in this region of the world, which makes a compelling case for their conservation.
Golden monkeys prefer the bamboo forest zone, typically growing at the base and lower slopes of the volcanoes, and usually found between 2,500m and 3,000m of altitude. This location and habitat is important to their survival because young bamboo shoots comprise a significant portion of their diet. The closely-packed, interlaced bamboo stalks serve not only as a plentiful food source but as a protective canopy and an intricate roadway for their agility of motion.
The journey into this bamboo realm feels different than the denser, high-altitude gorilla habitats. The trails are typically less steep, and while they can still be muddy and uneven, the underbrush is often somewhat more open, with better visibility of the monkeys feeding.
The Trekking Temperature: An Active Pursuit. Your journey to the golden monkey experience starts at the Kinigi Park Headquarters at Volcanoes National Park early on the day of trekking. You will review some of the rules regarding the trekking and the monkeys themselves. Once complete, a trekking group will be assigned to you, and you will be accompanied by experienced park guides and/or a tracker. These trackers will set out before dawn to potentially uncover where the usual golden monkey troops are habitually found, providing visitors with a high level of certainty.
The journey to see the monkeys generally does not take very long – usually less than an hour’s from the trailhead, depending on the troop’s position. The hike is often more of a chase, as golden monkeys are extremely active and always on the go.
They are highly regarded for their playful behavior, bouncing clumsily between bamboo stalks, foraging on the ground for dropped fruit or insects, and running back and forth between the tree branches. As the guides navigate through the thick bamboo, they need to push ahead and sometimes even run to keep up with the swift troop, adding a level of excitement to the expedition and guaranteeing that trekkers are on their toes and have many opportunities for photos.
The Experience: One Hour of Gold
Once the troop is found, trekkers get a maximum of one hour with the golden monkeys. The hour is exhilarating and a real test of your photography skills. The monkeys are used to human closeness, so they are typically not shy, and they may come up to you out of curiosity, allowing for incredible close-up experiences. You will see their social structure, their eating habits, and their remarkable agility in their bamboo habitat.
As you enjoy this hour, keep in mind the ethical considerations: keep at least seven meters away, don’t use flash photography, and do not eat or drink in their presence.
Your guide would ensure that you will abide by these, so you can enjoy yourself and nothing takes you out of that magical moment, and you can thoroughly embrace it. The golden monkey walk is a very rewarding experience and gives you a unique view of these beautiful primates, and you will leave with that golden impression of them against the lush landscape of Rwanda’s volcanic region.
