Congo Gorilla Trekking – Tips & Advice for Congo Gorilla Safaris

At the mention of the country Democratic Republic of Congo, an impression of war and instability comes in the minds of tourists. However, the country is one of the three only countries where mountain gorilla tracking can take place.
Mountain gorilla tracking takes place in Parc National des Virunga (Virunga national park) in DRC. It was established in 1925 making it the oldest and second oldest national park in Africa and the world respectively and is a home of a quarter (200) of the world’s mountain gorillas. This Park is located in the Eastern part of the country about 32kilometers West of Goma in South, the capital of North Kivu province, with an area of 7800 square kilometers. At Virunga, Gorilla tracking starts at Bukima Patrol Post.

Eight habituated groups exist in this park and they include Kabirizi, Bageni, Humba, Rugendo, Mapuwa, Nyakamwe, Munyaga and Lulengo. Besides the mountain gorillas, the Park is a home to other species of great apes that is Eastern lowland gorillas and the Chimpanzees. Three sectors constitute the Virunga Park and they include the Northern, Lake Edward and Southern sector. The country has been struggling due to conflicts especially around Eastern Congo and these primates have suffered whereby some of them being murdered during clashes from rebel groups for example in 2007 over 10 of these wonderful creatures died when Laurent Nkunda invaded Mikeno sector and poaching from the surrounding communities. Stability has continuously been restored around the park and the number of these apes has steadily increased as the years went by.

Cost of a gorilla permit in Congo

A mountain gorilla permit in DRC costs $400 for international tourists and $150 for Congolese citizens. During the wet seasons from around May to October, the cost of gorilla permits is reduced to $350 which is cheaper than in Rwanda which is at $750 and Uganda at $600 in peak seasons and $450 during low seasons (April, May and November).

Gorilla trekking guidelines

Before embarking on a gorilla trek, make sure you have your gorilla permit, wear an appropriate dressing including long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, water proof rain coats because it’s difficult to predict whether it will rain or not, wear water proof boots to allow you hike easily. Also, wear garden gloves because in some instances you will touch leaves and branches during hiking and that protects the hands from thorns and rough branches. Carry a water proof back pack for your food, water, documents and cameras. Wear surgical masks which are usually provided by the Park Management and all tourists are advised to use while in the presence of the mountain gorillas.
Tourists below the age of 15 years are not allowed to trek Gorillas in Virunga National Park.
The activity takes place from 8:30am to 7pm and a maximum of one hour is allowed to spend with these wonderful primates for a group of 8 individuals.
When with mountain gorillas, tourists are recommended to maintain a distance of 7 meters away from them to reduce the chances of spreading diseases to them. Do not touch them, make sure your hands are clean enough before you embark on a gorilla trek
Do not litter rubbish in and around the park and in case you want to use a toilet while on a gorilla trek, inform a ranger who will dig for you a hole which you will use after which it will be covered since there are no toilets in the park. Avoid using flash cameras when taking pictures of these creatures.
Avoid making noise or moving up and down while with the gorillas but keep quiet and when these creatures charge remain calm and avoid eye contact, Do not Imitate them when they scream or beat their chest because they can become agitated and end up being aggressive.
Avoid touching the gorillas to avoid spreading diseases and also since they are wild animals they can also be aggressive
Accommodation in Virunga National Park. Different options for accommodation exist in Virunga National Park and they include Mikeno Lodge, Tchegera Island Tented Camp, Bukima Tented Camp and Nyiragongo Volcano-Summit Shelters and Virunga Lodge.

Booking for a gorilla permit

Unlike Uganda and Rwanda with many tour operators and travel agents, they are few in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The following are the recommended tour operators who can book for you a gorilla permit for Virunga; Kivu travel, Amahoro Tours which organizes trips to Rwanda and Congo, Green Hills Ecotours, Kasitu Eco Tours, Inspired Journeys, Live to Travel and Okapi Tours.

Getting to Virunga national park

The Fact that Virunga national park is easily accessible from Rwanda, the majority of the tourists access the park via Kigali International airport after which they use a taxi which takes 3 hours up to the Border at Gisenyi charging about $100 to $120. Alternatively, it can be accessed from Kisoro through Bunagana border after which it is around 15 kilometers to reach the park and 35kms to reach Goma. However, it is not advisable to access the park from Goma because the roads can become impassable during the rainy seasons

Before traveling to Virunga national park, make sure you have a Visa at US$ 100 to enable you to enter the country. This visa should be acquired after purchasing a gorilla permit, trek permit to Nyiragongo or when you book for accommodation at Mikeno Lodge. Also make sure you have an inoculation certificate against yellow fever, Hepatitis A, typhoid, Rabies, and Meningitis.

Besides mountain gorilla trekking at Virunga National park, other attractions worth visiting include Nyiragongo Strata volcano, chimpanzee habituation walk, Tchegera Island and Rwenzori mountain climbing and trekking.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is truly endowed with unique tourism attractions especially the mountain gorillas, however, due to conflicts on the Eastern part of the country, it creates fear among tourists. With time peace and stability have been restored in the region which has increased the number of tourists visiting the park for gorilla trekking.