Mara North Conservancy
How hard is gorilla trekking in Bwindi
How to photograph Golden Monkeys in Rwanda. Photographing golden monkeys in Rwanda, particularly in Volcanoes National Park, can be a rewarding experience. These primates are lively and beautiful, making them excellent photography subjects. Here’s a guide to help you capture stunning images of Golden Monkeys in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda:
Preparation
- Gear:
- A DSLR or mirrorless camera with a telephoto lens (70-200mm or 100-400mm) for close-ups.
- A wide-angle lens for environmental shots.
- A monopod or lightweight tripod for stability in low light.
- Extra batteries and memory cards.
- Rain protection for your camera, as the area is often damp.
- Clothing:
- Wear neutral colors to blend into the environment.
- Bring sturdy hiking boots, a rain jacket, and insect repellent.
- Permits:
- Obtain a golden monkey trekking permit through the Rwanda Development Board or a tour operator or Eco Adventure Safaris a Rwanda local tour operator
- Fitness:
- The trek can involve navigating steep and uneven terrain, so prepare physically.
During the Trek
- Lighting:
- Arrive early for softer morning light, which enhances photos.
- Use natural light as flash may disturb the monkeys and cause harsh reflections.
- Focus on Behavior:
- Capture their playful interactions, feeding habits, and expressions.
- Golden monkeys are active and may leap between trees, so be ready for action shots.
- Composition Tips:
- Use the rule of thirds to frame your subject.
- Include elements of their environment (bamboo forest) to tell a story.
- Experiment with angles, like shooting upward as they climb trees.
- Camera Settings:
- Shutter Speed: Use a fast shutter speed (1/500s or faster) to freeze motion.
- Aperture: A wide aperture (f/4 or f/5.6) isolates the subject from the background.
- ISO: Adjust ISO for low light but avoid excessive noise.
- Focus Mode: Use continuous autofocus (AI Servo/AF-C) for moving subjects.
- Respect Wildlife:
- Maintain a safe distance to avoid stressing the monkeys.
- Avoid sudden movements or loud noises.
Post-Processing
- Enhance details and colors using software like Lightroom or Photoshop.
- Adjust exposure, contrast, and sharpness for a polished look.
- Reduce noise in low-light shots if necessary.
Additional Tips on How to photograph Golden Monkeys in Rwanda
- Hire a knowledgeable guide to help locate the monkeys and provide insights into their behavior.
- Be patient; wildlife photography often requires time to get the perfect shot.
Golden Monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park is amazing experience to do on your trip in Rwanda. Golden Monkey tracking refers to visiting the rare and very beautiful golden monkeys in their natural environment. Volcanoes national park has two habituated golden monkey communities for trekking every day, these communities have about 80 members each and the number of visitors is not limited. The golden monkey trekking permit costs USD$100 for all nationals and can be obtained from Rwanda development board to allow you visit the endangered golden monkeys. The activity starts at the park headquarters at 7:00am with briefing on dos and don’ts by the park wardens and later the park guides and rangers lead you to the forest to find them, you can walk for 30minutes to hours depending on the location and movement of the golden monkeys, once you find them you are allowed to view and stay with them for only one hour and after you return.
Other things to do during Golden Monkey Trekking photo safari
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
The mountain gorillas are the famous attraction in Volcanoes National Park with gorilla trekking happening every day throughout the year. Gorilla trekking is an activity that involves visiting the habituated endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environment, as you view the way they feed, move, rest and live in harmony. Volcanoes National Park has 10 habituated gorilla families for trekking every day, only 8 visitors per gorilla family are allowed to trek every day. The chances of seeing the mountain gorillas are 99% as you are guided by trackers, guides and park rangers. Gorilla trekking starts every day in Kinigi at 7:00am with briefing on guidelines to follow while on the trek, even though the gorillas have 99% DNA as the humans, they still remain wild and you are advised to follow the dos and don’ts from the guides. The gorilla trek can take 30 minutes to more hours depending on the movement and location of the gorillas in the forest.
To do gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, you must have a Rwanda gorilla permit for a particular date secured from Rwanda development board. The gorilla permit costs USD1500 for all nationals and you are allowed one hour of viewing the gorillas and taking photography. Booking a gorilla trek to volcanoes National Park is a life time experience to complete your bucket list, Eco Adventure Safaris will help you book and tailor a gorilla trek tour that is affordable and memorable.
Visiting Dian Fossey Tomb and Hike
Dain Fossey tomb tour is one the most famous activities done in volcanoes national park by visitors. It is one hour hike to the tomb from Karisoke research camp. The Dian Fossey Memorial hike which is derived from the famous primatologist and Zoologist Dian Fossey from America who spent all her life in the volcanoes protecting the endangered gorillas from extinction and created awareness. She was killed by the alleged poachers and was buried in the park and a memorial was built. She is also famous for participating in the film “gorillas in the mist”. The hike is about 2,500m to 3,000m, this trail leads to the tomb of the late Dian who fought and rescued the endangered mountain gorillas and sensitization on conservation promoted gorilla tourism. Celebrating her charisma, love for the Mountain gorillas, her research and the history makes this experience incredible.
Iby’Iwacu cultural experience
African cultures are very unique and interesting and worth experiencing in Volcanoes National Park when you start your trip from Cyanika boarder. The Rwanda culture is one that is most enjoyable and to Participate in, The locals used to stay in the forest and even participated in poaching of the endangered species, the were later evacuated and organized into a village, the Iby’Iwacu village is found in volcanoes national park in Nyabigoma, Kinigi, Musanze district, Northern Province of Rwanda. We always tailor trips with cultural experience to volcanoes national park for you to have an incredible time, visiting the Iby’Iwacu people, you will share with local people home and heritage treasures including lifestyles, activities, artifacts, dances and ways of living of local people. Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village showcases the ways of life, traditional practices and dances to Visitors.
Bird Watching
Bird watching is another activity to do in Volcanoes National Park, for bird watchers, Volcanoes forest is a habitat to variety of bird species. There are over 300 bird species living in the volcanoes, some of the birds are Grauer’s rush warbler a vulnerable which is a local bird species commonly seen in the swamps, francolin, the Rwenzori turaco, the Archer’s ground robin,the red-faced woodland warbler , the dusky crimson-wing, Rwenzori double collared sunbird, there is the collared apalis and the Rwenzori batis as well as the strange weaver and many others. We do offer birding packages to volcanoes national park, Rwanda and Uganda. The professional birding guides will help you spot the birds and identify their names.
Where to stay during Golden Monkey Trekking in Volcanoes NP from Kigali
There are several options of lodges and hotels in volcanoes national park ranging from budget to luxury, namely; Bisate lodge, Gorilla Nest and Virunga lodge are luxury options, Sabinyo silverback lodge, five volcanoes lodge, Le bamboo Mountain gorilla lodge are Midrange options to consider, Kinigi guesthouse, Hotel Muhavura and gorilla volcanoes lodge are some of the budget hotels. The hotel rooms can sell out quickly especially during the high season; your accommodation choice needs to booked in advance for your visit to volcanoes national park. You will also be able to get a discount on accommodation when you stay more nights.
How to photograph Golden Monkeys in Rwanda Through Eco Adventure Safaris
Eco Adventure Safaris offers amazing experiences to Volcanoes National Park. Contact us for our discounted packages and also tailor-made gorilla trips, birding, cultural experiences and golden monkey tracking to the Volcanoes National Park. Our magic in organizing authentic experience stems from the fact that we have over time assembled a team mixed with young and energetic staff guided by well well-experienced Team and passionate about what they do. Eco Adventure Safaris is highly rated and reviewed on trip Advisor and safari bookings to help you learn on the experiences of the other travelers who have traveled with us to Volcanoes National Park Rwanda.