Travel expert advice on golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Travel expert advice on golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda has become increasingly popular attracting more tourists each year worldwide. The golden monkeys are an endangered species that can only be found in the Virunga ranges offering a unique experience where tourists get to meet the playful Golden monkeys in their natural habitat. The excitement that comes with golden monkey trekking has grown over the years doubling in the past five years. In this article, we are going to guide you and provide expert advice on what you need to know about golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park.

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Planning the golden monkey trek in Volcanoes NP

As you think about golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes NP, there are steps and a few things that you need to put into consideration and these include:

1. Getting the right tour operator:

This is the first step in planning a golden monkey trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park. There are so many operators that can help with this but you need to find one that has years of experience, read reviews from TripAdvisor and carry out extensive research to see if the company is fully registered to operate. Encounter Africa Safaris is the best operator to contact when planning a golden monkey trekking safari in Volcanoes NP. They will not only help with booking and purchasing the trek permits, they will also help with other logistics, including accommodation, transport and other safari activities, among others.

• The golden monkey trekking permits:

This is the first thing you should think about when planning a golden monkey trek safari. Although the permits are not in high demand like the gorilla trekking permits, you are advised to purchase the trekking gorilla permits in advance for proper planning. Tourists who are 12 years and above are the only ones who are allowed to purchase the golden monkey trekking permits, and these can easily be purchased through a tour operator or the Rwanda Development Board.

The application process is quite simple and all you have to do is come up with the dates of trekking so that the permits can be checked for availability. You have to also provide the full details of the client’s names, contact information (email and phone number) and a copy of the passport (names, passport number, date of birth, and country of origin visible). These details will be used to issue the permit after confirmation of payment.

Note that the bookings and reservations for the Golden Trekking permits are done on a first-come, first-served basis.

All Rwanda Nationals are expected to pay the full amount of the permit at the time of booking.

The cost of the golden monkey trekking permit: The cost of the permit depends on the type of tourists you belong to and below is the current cost of the golden monkey trekking permit.

Foreign non-residents:$100

Foreign residents in Rwanda:$65 for adults and $45 for children

East African Citizen:$65 for adults and $45 for children

East African Foreign residents:$80 for adults and $45 for children

Rwanda Citizen:RWF4000 for adults and RWF2000 for children.

When to go for golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes NP

There are two seasons in Rwanda, the dry and wet seasons. As you book the permits, you need to find out whether you are going to be trekking in the dry or wet season. The dry season is from June to September and December to February. The wet season is from March to May and October to November. There are a few factors that you need to consider when choosing when to go for the trek and these include the following:

• The different safari activities you plan on participating in while on your safari. Activities like game drives, trekking, and nature walks are best done during the dry season whereas bird watching and photography safaris are best done during the wet season.
• Large crowds are mostly experienced in the dry season, and the wet season comes with fewer crowds of tourists.
• Your budget will also determine when to go. For tourists travelling on a budget, the wet season is the best time to travel since the dry season is characterised by increased costs of the safari services.
• Transport

Volcanoes National Park is located 3 to 3 hours from Kigali International Airport, and the best mode of transport is by road. If you are doing a solo and DIY safari, there are 4x4 safari vehicles you can hire although we recommend that you use a registered tour operator. The operator will provide well-maintained safari vehicles and these are booked in advance. An experienced guide will pick you up from the airport to Volcanoes National Park for the trek and then make sure that you get around the country with ease as per the itinerary provided.

• Accommodation

Accommodation is key when planning this safari, and it comes in three categories, which include budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities. Accommodation has to be booked in advance, especially during the dry season with the large crowds. Search and book the accommodation in advance or talk to your operator to help you find the best facility that has the amenities you need and fits in your budget.

Some of the facilities that you can use include Villa Gorilla, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, Faraja Hotel, Hotel Muhabura, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, La Palme Hotel, Kinigi Guest House and Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge among others.

The golden monkey trekking experience

The thrill of golden monkey trekking starts in Volcanoes National Park, the primary destination for tracking the golden monkeys. It officially starts at the park headquarters early morning where expert guides meet with the trekkers and brief you about the experience, the rules and guidelines to follow. Since the golden monkeys are an endangered species, trekkers are divided into small intimate groups of 8 per group to make sure that the primates are not overwhelmed by the large crowds.

The trek can take between 2 and 4 hours, depending on the location of the golden monkeys on the day of the trek. After locating the assigned group, you have an hour observing, recording and taking photos of the golden monkeys.

The cost of the Golden monkey trekking safari in Volcanoes NP

The cost of the Golden monkey trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park depends on several factors that need to be put into consideration and these include when to travel, the cost of the trek permit, the size of the group of tourists, other activities added on the itinerary, personal purchases and the type of accommodation chosen.

When to travel: It is more expensive to travel during the dry/peak season as compared to when you travel during the wet season which is also known as the low season.

The group size: The larger the size of the group, the lower the cost of the safari because some of the costs like accommodation and transport can be shared among the group as compared to when you travel solo (all the costs fall on one person).

Accommodation: The type of accommodation chosen will determine the cost of the safari that is budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities. Choose a facility that is within your budget.

Other safari activities: The number of activities in the itinerary will affect the cost of the golden monkey trek safari. The more activities that are added to the trek, the more money you are going to spend and vice versa.

The length of the safari: The longer the cost of the safari, the higher the cost of the safari and fewer days spent on a safari mean a lower cost of the safari.

The Golden monkey trek rules and regulations

Just like gorilla trekking, there are rules and regulations that need to be followed by tourists when tracking golden monkeys to protect both the tourists and the primates and these include the following:

• Always keep your voice down during the trek and avoid sudden movements to keep the mood around the monkeys calm. Although golden monkeys are habituated, they are still wild animals and can react unexpectedly when disturbed.
• You have to be 15 years or older to be allowed to participate in the exercise.
• Keep a distance of about 7 meters from the golden monkeys. This is to protect the monkeys and not overwhelm them
• Groups of 16 are allowed to trek an assigned golden monkey family/community per day. Large crowds tend to scare away the golden monkeys.
• Keep the park clean by taking all rubbish with you as you leave the national park. Follow the unwritten rule that says leave the park the way you found it.
• Dig a hole of 30cm deep for human waste because there are no toilets in the park. And after you are through, make sure that you cover the hole well so that the golden monkeys do not find it.
• Take photos of the golden monkeys with the flash off. The flash usually scares the golden monkeys and that is why it has been prohibited.
• Each group has an hour with the golden monkeys after finding them
• Communication should be done in low tones so as not to disrupt the peace in the forest.
• Eating and drinking when close to the golden monkeys is prohibited.
• You are also not allowed to smoke when with the golden monkeys.

What to pack for the golden monkey safari

Packing right for the golden monkey trekking safari is part of enjoying your safari. The essentials that should be packed for the Golden Trek safari in Volcanoes National Park include the following.

• Waterproof rain jacket/rain coat
• Waterproof knee-length hiking boots.
• Long-sleeved shirts
• Trousers
• Sweaters, scarves and ponchos
• Socks
• Gaiters
• Gardening gloves
• Waterproof backpack
• A camera
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• A pair of binoculars
• Snacks and bottled drinking water.
• Cash for personal purchases and tipping

What you need to know about the golden monkeys

The Golden monkeys with their striking golden-orange fur that sets them apart from other primates in Volcanoes National Park are an endangered species that live in groups of 100 and are under the leadership of the dominant male.

They are social primates that, unlike the mountain gorillas that live in higher altitudes, live in the lower parts of the national park and can easily be spotted. They are playful and feed on bamboo shoots, fruits, vegetation and insects among others. The easiest way to track them is by following the bamboo shoots that are left in the ground after feeding.

They can often be seen grooming each other, foraging for food and playing with others. To be able to protect the Golden monkeys, habituation was introduced and several trekking rules and regulations have seen an increase in the number of Golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park.

Other activities to add on golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes NP

When you decide to go for golden monkey trekking, there are other safari activities that you can add to your safari to make your adventure more extraordinary and entertaining and these include:

An encounter with the gorillas: You have a chance to add gorilla trekking in Volcanoes NP to your itinerary. Mountain gorillas and golden monkeys share a natural affinity with each other despite their differences. Purchase a gorilla trekking permit and enjoy each of these unique primates in their natural habitat. Other activities include bird watching, guided nature walks, cultural walks, attending the Kwita Izina Ceremony carried out every year where baby mountain gorillas are named, visiting the local communities, hiking up one of the Virunga ranges in the national park and the twin lakes, among others.

Beyond the Volcanoes National Park, there are other activities and safari destinations to add on and these are chimpanzee trekking, taking on the canopy, and cycling in Nyungwe Forest National Park, game drives in Akagera National Park, a visit to the museums and the different genocide memorial centres. Contact Encounter Africa Safaris for more information.