Golden monkeys live only in the bamboo of the Virunga volcanoes and one neighbouring forest. They are endangered, spectacularly coloured, and completely uninterested in holding still.
- Where
- Mgahinga (Uganda) and Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)
- Permit
- US$100 for one hour
- Habituation
- US$200 for four hours, Mgahinga
- Troop size
- Up to 80 animals
- Habitat
- Bamboo zone, 2,300–3,000 m
- Walk
- Usually 1–2 hrs
What they are
A subspecies of the blue monkey, restricted to the Albertine Rift, with orange-gold flanks and a dark face. They live almost entirely on bamboo shoots, which is why they are found in a narrow altitude band and why the troops move constantly.
What the hour is like
The walk is short and the altitude is the hardest part. Then you are standing in a bamboo thicket with sixty monkeys moving through it — over you, past you, occasionally onto the bamboo you are leaning against. Bamboo cracks and sways; the noise is constant.
It is a genuinely joyful hour and it costs an eighth of a gorilla permit. Most people who add it to a trek rate it far above their expectations.
Photography
Harder than gorillas. Dark bamboo, fast subjects, dappled light. Push the ISO, use a fast shutter, shoot bursts, and accept that most frames will be a tail leaving. A 70–200 mm is about right.
The habituation option
Mgahinga offers a four-hour golden monkey habituation session at US$200. As with gorillas, the extra time is spent with researchers and a less settled troop. At that price it is one of the outstanding value experiences in the region.
Questions
Frequently asked
Where is golden monkey tracking best?
Can I do golden monkeys and gorillas on the same day?
Not advisable. Both start in the morning and both are permit-controlled. Do them on consecutive days — our 4-day itinerary is built that way.
Next
Keep planning
- Mgahinga Gorilla National Park — the quieter option
- 4-day gorillas and golden monkeys — the itinerary
- Volcanoes National Park — the Rwandan option
- Permits and costs — all permit prices