Congo national parks
Congo National Parks : National parks which are found in the Democratic republic of Congo include the following;
Virunga national park
Virunga national park of Congo is a national park which is famous for gorilla trekking. The national park is located in the eastern part of the Democratic republic of Congo.
The national park is made up of two active volcanoes that is Mount Nyiragongo and Mount Nyamuragira as well as diverse habitats. Virunga national park is also home to various wildlife species such as gorillas, antelopes, elephants as well as over 700 bird species.
A gorilla permit in Virunga national park costs 400 USD per person which is lower compared to other destinations which offer gorilla trekking packages such as Rwanda where a permit is at 1500 USD and Uganda where a gorilla permit costs 700 USD.
Activities which are carried out in Virunga national park include the following;
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is a major activity which tourists engage in during safaris to Virunga national park.
The type of gorillas which are seen during a safari around Virunga national park are the mountain gorillas. There are 8 gorilla families in the national park and they include the Kabirizi family which is popular among tourists engaging in gorilla trekking during their safaris in Congo.
Other gorilla groups in Virunga national park include Humba, Rugendo, Mapuwa, Lulengo, Munyaga, Nyakamwe and Bageni. The gorilla trekking activity includes spending about 1 hour with the gorillas.
The gorilla trek starts from Bukima post where briefing is also done before continuing into the habitat of the gorillas in Virunga national park. There is also a gorilla orphanage known as Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage center where tourists can contribute to a conservation effort and also interact closely with the gorillas.
How to get to Virunga national park
The national park can be accessed by flights from Kigali international airport and another way of getting to Virunga national park is by driving via Gisenyi and then connecting to Goma in the Democratic republic of Congo.
Flights are also available to Goma using the Ethiopian airlines and from the airport, tourists are picked up using private transport arranged by the park.
From Uganda, Virunga national park can be accessed by driving to the Bunagana border and then driving to Bukima which is a point where gorilla treks in the Democratic republic of Congo begin.
Kahuzi biega national park
Kahuzi biega national park is named after mount Kahuzi and mount Biega which are found in the national park.
The national park is also located in the eastern part of Democratic republic of Congo near the town of Bukavu. The eastern lowland gorillas can be seen during a visit to Kahuzi biega national park.
The lowland gorillas of Kahuzi biega national park are bigger in size compared to the mountain gorillas and are considered critically endangered.
Gorilla trekking is an activity which is carried out in Kahuzi biega national park and the gorilla permit costs 400 USD. There are 2 gorilla families which can be encountered in the national park during a gorilla trekking activity.
Other activities which are carried out during a safari to Kahuzi biega national park include gorilla habituation, birding, hiking and community encounters. Wildlife species in the national park include elephants, buffalos, black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, blue monkeys, antelopes among others. There are also over 300 bird species in Kahuzi biega national park.
Kahuzi biega national park is found close to Lake Kivu and the national park is generally a lowland area and also rainforests, woodland, bamboo, a mountainous area and grassland. The national park is managed by Congolese institute of conservation of nature and the Congolese government.
The national park can be visited at different times of the year as tourists enjoy exploring the rainforest and also engage in the activities carried out around Kahuzi biega national park during a safari.
How to get to Kahuzi biega national park
Kahuzi biega national park can be accessed by driving from Bukavu town as well as by charter flight to Kavuma airport.
Other national parks of Congo include Upemba national park, Maiko national park, Okapi wildlife reserve, Garamba national park.
During safaris around the Democratic republic of Congo parks, tourists can also engage in hiking experiences on Mount Nyiragongo.
Mount Nyiragongo is an active volcano which is located in the albertine region in the Democratic republic of Congo and is famous for its lava lake which can be seen during hikes on the mountain which go up to the summit.
Some of the equipment which is recommended for hiking on Mount Nyiragongo include hiking shoes, warm clothing since its cold at the peak among others.
To get to Mount Nyiragongo, tourists can drive from the Goma border and there are also flights to Goma airport or Kigali international airport.
