Rumangabo Town

Rumangabo town is a military base located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the province of North Kivu. Rumangabo town which is only 3.5 kilometres away from Virunga National Park headquarters is where many military troops settled, government troops which constantly fought Laurent Nkunda’s rebel team. This military presence works to protect the area from enemy attacks especially in Virunga National Park. Given that there are so many military troops in Rumangabo, it ultimately makes it one of the safest places in the Democratic Republic of Congo where anyone could stay in or do business in.

Given the proximity of Rumangabo to Virunga National Park and other Congo national parks and other tourist destinations like Tchegera Island, it is a good stop area or starting area for various Congo safaris tours. For travellers on Congo safaris to visit Nyiragongo Mountain famous for the large lava lake at the rim, as well as gorilla trekking safaris, Rumangabo town is the perfect place to stay in, given the availability of accommodation options.

It is in Rumangabo that the famous luxury Mikeno Lodge is found, in the very heart of Rumangabo town. It is here that most travellers stay in for utmost luxury treatment and great service from experienced staff who are always friendly to their guests. Mikeno Lodge has 12 luxury rooms in which guests can stay in, in a safe environment with a number of tourist activities that guests can do while visiting say visiting Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage and bird watching. Mikeno Lodge is about only 90minutes of road drive from Goma town, and therefore easily accessible from there as well.

For travellers on a lower budget, Bukima Tented Camp is an option available. Bukima Tented Camp is a great place to stay in for it is just a few minutes’ walk from the starting point of gorilla trekking. Bukima is also not far off from where hikes to the Nyiragongo Mountain start. Guests who stay at Bukima Tented Camp are rewarded with stunning views of Mount Mikeno and the red-top Mount Nyiragongo which gives a red glow from the lava lake in the night, thereby captivating guests. Mountain gorillas, yes mountain gorillas, are sometimes seen in the compound of Bukima Tented Camp, you just might be lucky to spot them during your stay here.

While staying in Rumangabo, there are a number of tourist activities that one can take part in and they include among others gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, chimpanzee habituation, hiking Mount Nyiragongo, hiking mountains like Mount Mikeno and Mount Nyamulagira, bird watching, nature walks in the jungles, visiting Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage, community visits and cultural visits as well. Most of these activities apart from gorilla trekking and chimpanzee habituation do not require prior booking, but do have to have armed rangers to protect and guide you during the activities. Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage is a free visit for travellers who stay in Mikeno Lodge.

Getting to Rumangabo Town

Rumangabo can be accessed by either road or air. By road travellers can get to Rumangabo town from Goma or Kigali by private means or with public means say buses which leave Kigali for Goma, from where one can catch a taxi to Rumangabo town. By air, there are a number of airports that travellers can use to get to the town say Ruhengeri Airport, Goma International Airport, Gisenyi airport.

Some of the facts about Rumangabo town include;

Closest UNESCO heritage sites are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park only 59km away, as well as Kahuzi Biega National Park about 60km away.
Currency used is the Franc
Spoken languages include French, Lingala and Kongo
Local electricity is at 230V-50Hz with plugs at G
Sunrise and sunset times is 6:11am and 6:21pm respectively.

Rumangabo town is a great town to stay in and visit despite the heavy security deployment. Make it a point to visit and stay here and be able to do a number of activities on a Congo safaris tour say gorilla trekking, hiking Mount Nyiragongo among so many other Congo Safaris Packages available to choose from. Rumangabo town is also a great place to stay in for volunteers, given its much security. Get in touch with a reputable tour operator to help you secure your stay and visit to Rumangabo.