After booking your gorilla permit, accommodation and Visa, you might wonder how you will get to a large country like DRC or more most precisely Virunga National Park. The first step is landing in either Kigali International Airport in Rwanda or Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
Rwanda- Congo route: The flights to Kigali arrive in the late afternoon or evening hours meaning that you might have to first sleep in a hotel in Kigali before embarking on the trip to Congo border early morning the next day. The journey from Kigali to Gisenyi takes about 4 hours by road. A hired private car will cost you $100 while public transport costs way less.
From Gisenyi you can take a local taxi for less than a dollar to Congo Rwanda border. If you are using the services of a tour company, then all you need to do is show up at the airport and you will be picked by a guide who will drive you to your hotel and then to the border and park the next day. You also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate, passport and a Congo Visa to cross the border to Congo. The border officials from Rwanda side will stamp passport and then you will cross for another stamp at the side office.
Uganda- Congo Route: On the landing at Entebbe Airport, it takes less than an hour to drive to Kampala using the new express highway. The journey from Kampala to Kisoro the nearest town to Congo border takes 8 hours. This long journey to the Bunagana border is tiring to take by public means. In case you decide to use public transport anyway, prepare to pay between $15 and $ 20 depending on the season. There are many bus operators, plying the Kampala- Kisoro route and these are so comfortable by the travelers. The most comfortable way is to hire a tour company to help you move freely without any disturbance.
Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Virunga National Park
In the past known as the Belgian Congo and more recently Zaire, the Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced a series of wars that have led to civil unrest. However, as the second largest country in Africa with a population of 78.74 million people, the country has large un tapped human and natural resources. DRC is the only country in the world where you can spot both lowland and mountain gorillas. They have the endangered golden monkeys. DRC is the last country where you can still experience Africa as its used to be, un spoiled.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the only country where you can track both mountain gorillas and lowland cousins in the wild. This is the best country for seeing wild eastern lowland gorillas. Lowland gorillas can be seen in zoos around the world while the mountain gorillas can only live in the wild. The lowland gorillas in DR Congo can be tracked at the Kahuzi Beiga National Park while the mountain gorillas are found in Virunga National Park. Mountain gorillas are larger in size than the lowland gorillas with darker and thicker coats that are designed to help them survive in cold high altitudes. Both sub species feed on leaves, tree shoots and fruits. Both sub species live in families/ groups led by a dominant male silverback that is responsible for the safety of the rest of the group members and keeping unruly individuals in check. These are generally larger with 30 individuals at times. The males in both gorilla sub species stay with the group longer while the females leave to join other silverback or groups once they reach maturity
Gorilla trekking is the most popular and attractive activity among the tourists visiting Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo at the moment. This is mainly because mountain gorillas are close relatives to humans, are extremely rare and are an endangered species. These reasons collectively make watching a family of mountain gorillas a very special wildlife event.
Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park starts very early in the morning on the day of the trek. The trekkers need to wake up early, take breakfast and then carry all the things they will need while tracking the gorillas. These include long sleeved shirts, rain Jacket, hiking shoes, warm long stockings, hand gloves, cameras, water, passport, Visa and gorilla permits. After all is sorted, visitors head to the park headquarters or briefing by park rangers and wardens. The briefing covers several topics among which include the history of each gorilla group, gorilla habitats and gorilla trekking rules. checking passports helps the rangers allocated gorilla groups according to the language of the trekkers. Other criteria such as fitness level and personal preference are also taken into consideration when assigning visitors Congo gorilla families. As you wait to be given a particular group, you may be entertained by traditional local dances. After the briefing and gorilla group allocation is concluded, you will head out tracking in groups of 8 people per gorilla under the guidance of park guides and armed rangers.
Then chances of seeing the gorillas in Congo is high because the rangers always know their last location. However, there are challenges along the way which may prolong the time taken finding the group. These challenges include bad weather, the terrain and the distance from the starting point to the location of the gorilla group. Once you locate the gorilla group, expect some inspection by the dominant silverback. After thoroughly scanning for any possible threat, the silverback will usually let you be. You will be given 1 hour with the gorillas and it’s the time to watch and take photos of the dominant male silverback, other group members grooming each other, breastfeeding mothers, playing youngsters, stubborn adolescents climbing up and down the short trees and the other male silverbacks. You might even see some members making nests for the afternoon nap or in preparation for the night. You will see amazing things and sights which will remind you of just how we humans behave, taking enough photos.
The cost of gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park
A mountain gorilla permits in Congo costs $400 which is lower than Rwanda at $1500 and Uganda at $700 per person. You could even get them on discounts during the low seasons of the year. Gorilla permits can be booked through your tour operator or directly from the Virunga National Park headquarters. The gorilla permits are a fraction of the total cost of gorilla trekking in Congo. One needs to take into consideration the cost of transport, accommodation and Visas. The gorilla permits are just a fraction of the total cost of a gorilla trekking.
A gorilla safari in Virunga National Park involves choosing one of the various accommodation options depending on your budget and choice. The various accommodations are divided into Luxury, Mid-range and budget or basic accommodations. Some of the facilities include; Kibumba Tented Camp and Lodge, Mikeno Lodge, Lac Kivu Lodge, and many more.