DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AS A GREAT GORILLA TREKKING DESTINATION FOR BOTH LOWLAND AND MOUNTAIN GORILLA TREKKING.
Unlike other gorilla trekking destinations in Africa like Uganda and Rwanda where only the mountain gorillas can be tracked, the Democratic Republic of Congo is richly endowed that both the eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas can be tracked in both of its gorilla trekking spots that include Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park.
Congo is one of the only three countries that host the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. There are about 350 gorilla individuals in Congo and the chances of sighting mountain gorillas are very high, especially in Virunga National Park.
VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK.
Congo’s Virunga National Park is the leading gorilla trekking destination, especially for mountain gorillas in the country and one of the most popular ones on the African continent and the whole world at large. The park is one of the most visited tourism destinations in Congo and shelters several other mammal species including elephants, zebras, buffaloes, duikers, bush backs, to mention but a few.
Situated in the eastern part of Congo, Virunga National Park covers about 7800km square miles and shelters about 200 gorilla individuals in the Virunga ranges. The chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Congo are very high and Virunga National Park allows its visitors to track about 11 habituated gorilla families in their natural habitats.
Gorilla trekking in Congo starts at around 8:00 am after a small briefing that involves proper guidance from the tour guides to the visitors on what to do for a full ultimate experience while on the activity and what to avoid.
The informative knowledge, history and all about the mountain gorillas are also shared during the briefing process.
Participants are then divided into groups of eight members and each group is assigned to trek one particular gorilla family that can be tracked between 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on its location as mountain gorillas tend to move in deeper forests in search of food and water, especially during the dry season.
Once the mountain gorillas are located and spotted, participants can only spend about 1 full hour with them while learning about their behaviour, breastfeeding and feeding habits while having the best memorable shots of these beautiful human-like species. While in search of mountain gorillas, several other animals, birds and plant species can be sighted in the park hence giving a full gorilla trekking experience.
KAHUZI BIEGA NATIONAL PARK.
Kahuzi Biega is the second leading gorilla trekking destination in Congo and only the Eastern lowland gorillas can be tracked from this park. Eastern lowland gorillas are the largest of the gorilla subspecies and very closest in appearance to the mountain gorillas.
The first gorilla trekking activities in this park occurred in 1973 and up to date, the park has always been registering progress as far as tourism is concerned. While at the park, all gorilla trekking activities start from Tshivanga station at the park’s headquarters where briefing is carried out by the park’s professional tour guides and rangers.
Gorilla trekking will then commence at about 8:00 am and there are about 4 Eastern lowland gorilla family groups in Kahuzi Biega National Park. The park is arguably recognized as one of the best places on earth to see the Eastern lowland gorillas.
One of these groups can be sighted right close to the park’s office and the rest tend to move longer in dense forests in search of food. Gorilla trekking of Eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega takes about 2 to 4 hours and involves hiking steep slopes and getting through deeper forests in search of gorillas.
GORILLA TREKKING FEES IN CONGO.
Gorilla trekking charges in Congo are quite fair compared to her counterpart in Rwanda. Depending on the season, gorilla trekking permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be secured at 600 USD and sometimes 400 USD during the low season.
Visitors on a budget safari yet to wish to have a touch of this lifetime experience can opt for a low season period.
HOW TO BOOK CONGO GORILLA PERMITS.
Booking a Congo gorilla trekking permit requires visitors to call or send an email to the Virunga National Park’s office for proper legal means of accessing the gorilla trekking permits and visitors are advised to book in advance for the ultimate full experience and better preparations.
Another alternative and the most convenient way is through a trusted tour operator. Tour operators are licensed and therefore have the right to book the permits on your behalf and the whole experience is less stressful and less challenging.
Our Partners
Uganda Tourism Board
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Uganda Wildlife Authority
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The Buhoma Gorilla Camp
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The Bwindi Kids Charity
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