Travel Guide for Golden Monkey Trekking | Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Travel Guide for Golden Monkey Trekking is a wholesomely inclusive article about the activity and will give you a great insight into what to expect in this activity. Volcanoes National Park is known for its Rwanda gorilla tours and gorilla trekking but the park is not only home to the endangered mountain gorillas but also the endangered golden monkeys which is another interesting primate species that can be seen during the primate safaris in volcanoes national park. If you are interested in participating in golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park, below is the travel guide that should guide you while participating in golden monkey trekking;
Packing list for golden monkey trekking (Travel Guide for Golden Monkey Trekking)
- Light clothes which will ease hiking while in the park
- A camera should also be included on your packing list in order for you to take pictures of the golden monkeys for purposes of keeping memories
- Hiking boots are helpful during golden monkey trekking because it involves hiking the different virunga mountains some of which can be hard to hike because of its steepness.
- A Raincoat should be also included among the packing list of the items you are supposed to pack for your hiking adventure in Volcanoes National Park
- You should pack an insect repellent to avoid being bitten by insects in the park. Some of the insects can spread diseases while bitten for instance mosquitoes that can spread malaria to tourists.
Best time to carry out golden monkey trekking
The best time to carry out golden monkey trekking in the park is during the dry season when the mountains are not slippery to cause any accidents and for any tourist interested in the activity they can visit the park during the months of June-mid September and from December- February. However, tourists can also participate in golden monkey trekking during the short rains from the months of September – mid-December in order to have an amazing time while in the park because, during the wet season, there is plenty of food for the golden monkey which will limit their movements in the park.
How to access the golden monkeys (Travel Guide for Golden Monkey Trekking)
Golden monkey trekking is carried out on the slopes of the different Virunga mountains and because golden monkeys like bamboo trees because they are use bamboo as their source of food. The different virunga mountains where tourists can carry out golden monkey trekking include Mount Muhabura, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Bisoke and Mount Gahinga. During golden monkey trekking you will have the chance of being a number of attractions and exceptional views while golden monkey trekking, for instance, the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, Lake Kivu, Dian Fossey’s grave among other attractions.
Golden monkey trekking guidelines
- You should be a distance away from the primates to avoid contracting diseases to the primates.
- Unnecessary movements should be avoided because they can scare off the primate species
- You should avoid using a flash on the camera while taking pictures of the golden monkeys because it can scare the golden monkeys away or lead them to attack you which can be fatal.
- Littering should be avoided in the park during golden monkey trekking in Rwanda because it can cause diseases to the primates.
- Unnecessary noise in the park should be avoided because it can trigger the primates in the wrong way that might scare them off.
Golden monkey trekking permits and permit inclusions
A golden monkey trekking permit can be got from a trusted tour company or from the Rwanda Development Board at a fee of 100USD which comes with different inclusions like
Briefing sessions
The purpose of the briefing session before participating in golden monkey trekking is to avoid accidents while carrying out the activity in the park. During the golden monkey trekking briefing session, the guide will brief you on the do’s and don’ts of golden monkey trekking where you will briefed on the guidelines to follow during golden monkey trekking, what the activity will involve among other golden monkey trekking.
A ranger: An armed ranger will follow the golden monkey trekking group and will offer protection to them by avoiding any attacks from any wild animals in the park like the forest elephants, bushbucks, hyenas among other animal species. It should be noted that the golden monkey trekking permit gives you a chance to have a guide that you do not have to pay to protect you during your activity.
A guide: With golden monkey trekking, you will have the chance to have a knowledgeable guide who will offer amazing experiences as you hike to the golden monkeys on the different slopes of the Virunga Mountains. The guide will make the trip memorable for you by offering the most viable information about the golden monkeys; you will get to know facts about golden monkeys in volcanoes national park, their diet, the behavior and co-existence between one another which is quite an interesting activity.