Golden Monkeys in Volcanoes and Mgahinga
Golden monkeys are uniquely beautiful primates. Their beauty is due to the combination of colors in their coat fur: gold, bright orange on their upper flunks and black. When swinging in bamboo trees, they never fail to catch the attention of photographers so they can be captured on camera.
They are an endangered species, with their numbers standing at less than 4,000 individuals. Golden monkeys are endemic to Virunga massif, a chain of volcanoes found across the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
It is only in Uganda and Rwanda where troops of golden monkeys have been habituated to humans and therefore the only places tourists are able to track and see them up close. They live in montane bamboo forests on the upper volcano slopes in the same habitat with mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda. During the gorilla trekking expeditions, tourists often visit golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Golden monkeys are attracted by the bamboo shoots as their food and most of the time they stay in bamboo forests at higher altitude of the volcanoes about 2,000 meters above sea level.
The large habituated troop of more than 100 individuals is found in Mgahinga gorilla national park. Volcanoes national park has 2 troops and is a fantastic place to observe golden monkeys too. Golden monkey tracking fee is $100 inclusive of the park entry fees both in Uganda and Rwanda.
In Mgahinga this activity takes place in the morning and afternoon while in volcanoes national park there’s one session in the morning. Golden monkey tracking starts at the respective park visitor centers kinigi and Ntebeko at 7:00 a.m in the morning. Your guides will give you all the information through briefing and take you to the forest trail at edge of the park just a few minutes from the visitor center. The monkeys are easy to find, the guides follow the trails, look out for the bamboo shoots eaten. Just an hour of hiking, you get to see monkeys.
You can observe a troop of golden monkeys and be delighted to watch them for about an hour as they feed and swing in bamboo trees. Learn more about the behavior of the golden monkeys from your Uganda wildlife authority or Rwandan development board guide accompanying you.
These monkeys are camera shy but you could take lots of pictures. And the only advantage is that flash photography is permitted but prohibited while with the gorillas and chimpanzees.
If you are lucky on your golden monkey trek, you may find the monkeys feeding in the open potato fields at the edge of the forest in volcanoes national park. There you will be very intrigued to capture their expressions and behaviors such as how they dig out potatoes for eating.
Hiking fitness for golden monkey trek
Treks to golden monkeys don’t require any basic level of fitness because they aren’t difficult and lengthy. Golden monkeys are also restricted to highland bamboo forests and the hike is straight forward despite the steep volcano terrain. In general you will be hiking anywhere between 3.5 km for about an hour.
What to carry for the golden monkey trek in Uganda and Rwanda
We outline the things you can pack to perfectly prepare for the golden monkey trek
Hiking boots
Rain jacket
Drinking water
A camera
Accommodation facilities
Places to stay in volcanoes national park Rwanda and Mgahinga Uganda. They range in quality from very simple camps, to very comfortable budget, mid-range and luxury lodges.
In volcanoes national park, most lodges are set inside the forest to offer you an eco-friendly experience of being close to nature. Others are found at the edge of the park or in the community but still nearby Kinigi, the visitor center. Staying at the lodges found in the communities is a great way to get an insight into the lives of the local people. Because most activities start early morning, we recommend you to stay close to the visitor center to allow you get there on time. For the sake of convenience, we do not recommend staying in Kigali unless if you have less than 24 hours to see gorillas or golden monkeys. Bold tourists can stay in Kigali and prepare to wake up at 4:00 a.m to drive to volcanoes national park.
In Mgahinga gorilla national park, tourists can find 2 lodges at Ntebeko the visitor center. Most of the accommodation is found in Kisoro town within a range of 10-14 km to the park. Visitors who want to stay on Lake Bunyonyi should expect to wake up early for the 30 minutes drive to the park.