Congo safaris offer some of the most thrilling wildlife experiences in Africa. The country is popularly known breathtaking primate experiences such as gorilla and chimpanzee tracking. DR Congo has got three subspecies of gorillas which include mountain gorillas, lowland gorilla and western lowland gorillas. Mountain gorillas in DR Congo are found in Virunga national park while eastern lowland gorillas are found within Kahuzi-Biega national park.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking in Congo is carried out in destinations such as Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park.
The type of gorillas which can be seen during tours around Democratic Republic of Congo are mountain gorillas and also lowland gorillas.
Gorilla permits for Virunga national park is $400 per person and allows tourists to spend 1 hour with gorillas in their natural habitat. The cost of gorilla permits in Congo is cheaper as compared to gorilla trekking in Rwanda where it costs $1,500 and $700 for gorilla trekking in Uganda.
The gorilla trekking experience in Congo is done in groups of 8 individuals visiting one gorilla group each day. There are about 10 habituated gorilla groups which can be visited in Virunga national park in the eastern part of Congo.
The starting point of gorilla tours in Virunga national park is at the Bukima patrol post. After a briefing is done, tourists head into the natural habitat of the gorillas and spend about 2 hours hiking in search of the gorillas in Congo.
Children below the age of 15 years are not allowed to take part in gorilla trekking in Virunga national park. The gorilla treks in Congo are led by ranger guides and trackers who guide tourists during the search for the gorillas.
Some of the items to pack for gorilla trekking experiences in Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park include good hiking shoes, long sleeved trousers, long sleeved shirts, long socks, rain jackets as well as water for drinking and snacks.
Gorilla permits in Congo are issued by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) .it is advised that the gorilla permits are booked in advance during tours around Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park.
Other destinations where mountain gorillas can be seen during tours include Volcanoes national park in the north western part of Rwanda and also Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park which are located in the south western part of Uganda.
Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
Gorilla families found in Virunga national park include the Humba gorilla family, Kabirizi gorilla family, Bageni gorilla family, Lulengo gorilla family, Baraka gorilla family, Mapuwa gorilla family, Rugendo gorilla family, Wilulunga gorilla family, Nyakamwe gorilla family and Munyaga gorilla family.
The Humba gorilla family consists of about 15 individuals and was formed after splitting from the Rugendo gorilla family. The silverback which leads this gorilla family is called Humba and the gorilla group consists of silverbacks, adult females, juvenile gorillas and also infant gorillas.
Kabirizi gorilla family is another gorilla group which can be seen during gorilla trekking in Virunga national park and it consists of 24 gorillas. This gorilla group can be seen around the Bukima area and the gorilla family is also known as Ndungutse.
Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park also involves visiting the Bageni family which is made up of about 48 gorillas. The gorilla group was formed after splitting from the Kabirizi gorilla family and the group is named after a silverback called Bageni.
Lulengo gorilla family is another gorilla group which can be seen during tours in Virunga national park. There are about 11 gorillas found in the gorilla family which can be seen around Bikenga area.
Tourists can also interact with the Baraka gorilla family when visiting Virunga national park and there are about 19 members found in the group. The dominant silverback in this gorilla group is called Baraka.
Mapuwa gorilla family in Virunga national park consists of about 26 members and the dominant silverback is called Mvuyekure.
Rugendo gorilla group is another gorilla family which tourists interact with during gorilla trekking experiences in Congo. The gorilla family consists of about13 members and the gorillas can be seen around the Mikeno area.
The Wilulunga gorilla family is another gorilla group which can be visited during tours in Virunga national park and is made up of about 42 individuals which can be seen around the Gikekeri area in the national park.
Nyakamwe gorilla family consists of about 15 members and was formed after splitting from the Humba gorilla group.
Munyaga gorilla family in Virunga national park is made up of 12 individuals and is found in areas around Bukima and is made up of adult females and male gorillas, juvenile gorillas and also infant gorillas.
Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park
Another destination for gorilla trekking in Congo is Kahuzi Biega national park where eastern lowland gorillas can be seen during tours.
Kahuzi Biega national park is located in the eastern part of Congo and there are about 2 habituated gorilla families at the destination. Many other primates can also be encountered when visiting the national park such as olive baboons, vervet monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys and also different bird species.
The gorilla trekking experience in Kahuzi Biega national park also starts with a briefing before heading into the forests to look out for the eastern lowland gorillas which have a different habitat as compared to that of mountain gorillas.
There are also many other differences between mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas in Congo including appearance, feeding habits and also the social structures.
Best time for gorilla trekking in Congo
Gorilla trekking in Congo can take place all around the year and the dry season is considered the best time to see the gorillas.
The dry season takes placed around June, July, August, September and also around December, January and February when the trails for gorilla trekking in Congo are easy to trek through during tours around Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park.
How to get to Congo
Tourists can get to Democratic Republic of Congo from Goma or the Gisenyi border and can also access the gorilla trekking destinations by flight.
The drive from Kigali to Kahuzi Biega national park takes about 6 to 7 hours via Cyagungu to Le Grande Barrier to Goma and then to Bukavu town. Flights can also be booked to Kahuzi Biega national park using the Kamembe airport and then proceeding to Bukavu.
Virunga national park can be accessed by flying to Goma international airport during gorilla trekking experiences. Another way to get to the national park is through driving from Rwanda to Congo via the Gisenyi border and proceeding to Goma which takes about 4 hours.