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Congo Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park

The beauty of the thick lush green forests in Virunga NP is highly unleashed by tourists who trek these endangered magnificent mountain gorillas that are rarely caught sight of. Tourists intending to trek the amazing apes should have a certain level of physical fitness because the terrains they go through to excite their eyes are both challenging and demanding but the climax of the journey is highly rewarding.

 

Usually, the adventure is done in groups of 8 people led by highly experienced game rangers who are armed to offer protection to visitors and on the day of trekking find visitors all set for this memorable tour.

 

The park has had a series of growth and development from its inception in 1925 and the gorilla trekking activity is a top tier of the activities that tourists want to engage in while in the country. Trekking is done from Bukina and Rumangaro sectors both have a collection of 8 habituated gorilla families ready for trekking. The safety of visitors while trekking these gorillas is guaranteed because visitors are accompanied by armed and well-trained rangers and the beauty about this park is that it’s among the very few that have female game rangers.

Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

Kahuzi-Biega National Park gives visitors an opportunity to glimpse the largest species of gorillas, also called the grauers. Kahuzi-Biega National Park was gazetted in 1970 and three years later the first gorilla trekking tour was done in the park since then the activity is ranked among the most popular in the country. The park is blessed with 12 amazing gorilla families However only two are available for trekking. Chimanuka and Mugaraku are the amazing families in the park however visitors are most interested in Chimanuka given the fact that it’s a big family with over 36 members.

 

Visitors who wish to trek the Eastern lowlanders access the park through the international airport of Rwanda and connect to Gisenyi town. Tourists get to cross over to Congo through the Rwanda-Congo border in Kamembe and take a two hours drive to reach the park headquarters.

 

The park has had a series of growth and development from its inception in 1925 and the gorilla trekking activity is a top tier of the activities that tourists want to engage in while in the country. Trekking is done from Bukina and Rumangaro sectors both have a collection of 8 habituated gorilla families ready for trekking. The safety of visitors while trekking these gorillas is guaranteed because visitors are accompanied by armed and well-trained rangers and the beauty about this park is that it’s among the very few that have female game rangers.

The ease with which the gorillas are seen depends on where they stay and hunter food from but trekking time is usually between 20 minutes from mid-October to August and more than three hours in September. As the sun rises, visitors are always already set for this gorgeous memorable activity that commences at 7:00 am and is done in two groups.

Gorilla trekking rules and regulations

  • Trekkers are supposed to be escorted by an armed and well skilled park ranger to protect them from any danger that can arise while they are trekking the forest fantasies.
  • Tourists engage in trekking while in groups and each family receives a group that is composed of 8 members. This is usually done to minimize on the stress and anxiety that gorillas can get due to people.
  • Individuals with 15 years of age and above are the only one allowed to carry out gorilla trekking because kids sometimes have childhood diseases like measles that can be spread to the apes.
  • It is advised that tourists who fall sick the night before trekking should volunteer not to come to prevent the apes from contracting the diseases. Tourists can either get a full refund or get another gorilla trekking session in case they genuinely miss the activity due to sickness.
  • Trekkers should ensure that they keep a distance of at least seven meters away from the gorillas and in case the gorillas intend to attack the tourists, they should listen to the instructions of the rangers.
  • Waste material and left overs shouldn’t be left in the park. This is because the apes can eat from them and contract diseases.
  • Flashlights threaten mountain gorillas and make them aggressive hence it is encouraged that tourists use cameras that do not have flash lights.
  • Tourists who eat, drink and smoke should do so in a distance of at least 200 meters away from the gigantic apes.
  • Visitors who get to ease themselves in the park should endeavor to bury their waste in a hole of at least 30 cm because human waste is infectious and carry diseases that can spread to the forest gems.

Gorilla trekking fees in Congo.

The green light to seeing these wonderful forest giants is obtained by tourists who buy gorilla trekking permits at 400 USD for foreigners for both low land and mountain gorillas and Congo citizens and East African residents get the opportunity to track at a cost of just 200 USD hence making D.R Congo the cheapest gorilla destination.

How to book Congo gorilla permits?

There are two ways in which tourists can get gorilla permits. They can either book them directly from the park’s management or use a trusted tour company to secure a slot for trekking the gorillas. Tourists can reach out to the park offices in Goma or contact them remotely by calling them or sending them emails. Using a trusted tour company is another solution that takes on the client’s burden of obtaining the permits.

 

Visitors should contact the tour company with the date, month and year in which they wish to trek the great apes. The permit is instantly reserved upon making a deposit of the trekking permit and sending a scanned copy of their passport details and provided on arrival. It is advised that the permits are booked in 3 to 6 months before the actual date the tourists wish to undertake the activity because they usually get sold out due to competition.

Congo Gorilla Safaris