Discover DR Congo
Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country that can best be described as being blessed because tourists can trek both the endangered mountain gorilla species and the eastern lowland gorillas in the country.
Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo is one of the top wildlife species that attract tourists to the country, making it the best-known destination for gorilla trekking safaris worldwide. The activity Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo is extremely popular with tourists from around the world. The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country that can best be described as being blessed because tourists can trek both the endangered mountain gorilla species and the eastern lowland gorillas in the country. The most popular Congo gorilla trekking locations in the Democratic Republic of Congo are the Virunga and Kahuzi Beiga national parks, which offer travelers one of the best gorilla trekking opportunities in the country.
There are many species of gorillas in the world, including the mountain gorillas which are the world’s largest primates, and mountain gorillas are much larger than the lowland gorillas where the mountain gorillas are too heavy, weighing from 135 kg to 220 kg, and the lowland gorillas weigh between 68 kg and 181 kg. One of the best ways to witness this is to embark on Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo. Normally, in Congo, there are about five to ten members of the silverback gorilla group called the band, and the male silverback gorilla leads the rest in each family where it can live in an area of 16 square miles, where it can stay for many years. It is very easy to identify the silverback gorilla in each family by the gray hair on the back, and it will be distinguished from any other gorilla in the family by the gray hair on the back.
Trips To Inspire
Normally, in Congo, there are about five to ten members of the silverback gorilla group called the band, and the male silverback gorilla leads the rest in each family where it can live in an area of 16 square miles, where it can stay for many years. It is very easy to identify the silver back gorilla in each family by the gray hair on the back, and it will be distinguished from any other gorilla in the family by the gray hair on the back. In the case that it happens and the a male leaves its family, then he will probably look around alone for a while before he makes a family of his own, as it’s well known that each family can have one dominant male of his own.
On a daily basis, gorillas are known for being herbivorous in type of animals and they spend a lot of their time eating fruits, shoots, tree roots, leaves, and they also can consume insects like ants, caterpillars, and termites which they consume on a daily basis, which is why they are known as herbivorous animals. When it comes to the gestation period, gorillas take a similar time frame to that of human beings, which is around nine or 8.5 months. Most of the time gorillas give birth to a single baby gorilla with a few cases of twins. As soon as the gorilla reaches the age of seven, it is referred to as a fully grown gorilla, and as such can have a child, and at the same time can be allowed to leave his or her mother’s family in order to join another one.
As compared to most of the animals in the world, gorillas live a significantly longer lifespan than most of them, even reaching up to 35 years when they’re living in the wild. The ones in zoos, sanctuaries, and so on may even live to the age of 50 or even longer. It is interesting to note that gorillas also lead an amazing life, to an extent that they are not dependent on drinking water to get their nutrients. That is to say, they get a lot of moisture and succulent food from the feeds they consume throughout their lifetime, so they do not depend on drinking water a great deal.
Furthermore, besides the fact that the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the amazing gorillas, it is also possible to go gorilla trekking primarily in two other countries in East Africa, namely the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, as well as the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, which are both famous for going on gorilla treks.
Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo's Virunga National Park.
Virunga National Park is one of the best places where you can visit gorilla trekking safaris in Democratic Republic of Congo, and more than half of the gorillas that are found in the sub Saharan Africa are found in this national park among other places within the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is important to clarify that the Virunga National Park was established and gazetted primarily for the purpose of protecting the endangered mountain gorillas, therefore making gorilla trekking safaris an exciting activity in the country.
In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo near to the border with Rwanda and Uganda that borders the Virunga National Park, home to some of the region’s most densely populated species, Virunga National Park is a part of the Virunga massif, which includes Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Virunga National Park is 7800 sq. There is also an extension of the park to the Virunga Mountains in the south, as well as to the Rwenzori Mountains in the north, with a lot of attractions that offer tourists a sense of adventure, and it is the Gorilla trekking safari that is the most popular one in the park that spurs tourism in the country.
It is I believe the most stunning national park in Congo, Virunga National Park, that is well known for being the number one destination in the world to go gorilla trekking safaris, as this park is blessed with the rarest of gorillas. Gorilla trekking in the Virunga national park is the most attractive experience for travelers on safaris to Congo because it costs less and the park can be less crowded than Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, which makes the trek easier for trekkers. In my opinion, Virunga National Park is an incredible place that is capable to provide extra research and new discoveries since it has low tourism levels than other national parks in South East Africa. This makes it the best place for gorilla trekking while at the same time giving you to do any kind of study that you may feel like.
In spite of the fact that the park was considered to be unfit for tourism because of rebels, today we are pleased to inform you that the park is now free of rebels, and it is very safe for you to travel and set out on an African gorilla trekking safari. During the gorilla trekking in the Virunga National Park, one must be in good physical condition so as to be able to walk for a long distance by means of hiking when going on a gorilla trek. The terrain in Virunga is unpredictable, and you might even go beyond the hills and valleys, and cross streams to get close to the gorillas.
The importance of being physically prepared is very important, because it allows you to reach the gorilla group that you would like to trek at a much faster pace once you get there. It is also crucial that you consider the right clothing and shoes before you go trekking in Virunga National Park to protect you from unpredictable rain, insects, and sharp tree branches. Boots that are designed to protect you against unpredictable rain, insects, and sharp tree branches are also vital. The fact that you need to carry other vital items is important, such as the sun glasses, cameras, repellents, water, snacks, among other essential items.
A group of up to 8 people may trek a gorilla group in a day in Virunga National Park where you first gather and get briefed at the park headquarters on the rules and guidelines of gorilla trekking that is in the early morning. You then go on to be led on these treks by the Virunga park rangers and local guides. It is important to remember that when hiking, it is imperative to take either way depending on the exact location of the group along the way.
In the aftermath of finding the gorilla family, trekkers are given a half hour with the gorillas to take pictures. Here, trekkers can see the dominant silverback gorilla grooming another gorilla, or watch the other gorillas grooming the dominant silverback gorilla, or converse with the gorillas themselves. The tourists can observe how they feed, roam around, mate with breastfeeding mothers, climb trees, and communicate with each other. As you know, trekking in the Virunga National Park is a very special experience because trekkers are also able to spot the gorillas during their trek as they are nesting for the afternoon or night, so it is a really wonderful gorilla trekking safari experience for trekkers in Congo where they get the opportunity to take pictures of gorillas and keep their safari memories for years to come.
Cost of Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo's Virunga National Park.
There are a number of gorilla trekking safaris available within the Virunga National Park, despite the fact that the permit price for this trip is the lowest, which is 450 USD, this is not a prohibitive price that encourages many people to go on a gorilla safari in the Congo as opposed to Uganda, whose permit price is 700 USD and Rwanda, which is more expensive, at 1500 USD. During your gorilla trekking safari in Congo, it is imperative that you book your permits ahead of time with your trusted tour operator, so that the permits are held in order and on schedule, and your tour operator should also be in charge of booking your accommodations in advance in order to ensure that you have the best moments on your gorilla trekking safari. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a gorilla trekking permit is an official document issued to any visitor who is over the age of 15 years old in order for them to be able to carry out gorilla trekking activities in the country.
Best time for Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo's Virunga National Park
When it comes to trekking gorillas in Virunga National Park, the best and most suitable time is during the dry season, as during this period, the trekking trails in the forest are dry, making it easier for trekkers to navigate them, and also during the period, there’s less mud on the trails, unlike in the rainy season when the trails are too slippery and muddy making it difficult for trekkers to navigate. However trekking the gorillas during rainy season has some benefits. One being that it can be a period when there are less gorilla trekkers in the park, enabling a more private tour, and the gorillas can be spread throughout the whole park due to the presence of a lot of food.
In addition to gorillas, Virunga National Park has a variety of amazing primates and mammals, such as colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, golden monkeys, blue monkeys, elephants, buffaloes, topi, forest hogs, and Uganda kob among others, as well as endemic bird species in the Albertine Rift. With two stunning volcanoes in the park, including Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira with rich soils in the slopes that support forests and other vegetation types, which gives the park a truly unique landscape. An important part of the Virunga National Park is that it is listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo's Kahuzi Biega National park.
Located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi Biega national park is one of the top destinations for gorilla trekking, as well as a home to the largest gorilla species in the world that can be found nowhere else. Kahuzi Biega National Park gets its name from two dormant volcanoes, which are called Mount Kahuzi and Mount Beiga. Kahuzi Biega National Park is one of the best places in the world to see the amazing Eastern lowland gorillas. Visitors to the park are familiar with the eastern lowland gorilla trekking experience.
In order to go Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo’s Kahuzi Biega national park, the trekkers are given a briefing by a ranger at 7am, following which the trekkers are divided into different groups of 8 members each, which then takes about 1 to 3 hours depending on where the gorillas are located, after finding the gorillas the trekkers are given one hour to be with them while watching their behaviors, watching them as they are climbing the trees, and taking pictures with them that are the best Gorilla trekking safari memories.
Cost of Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo's Kahuzi Biega national park
In Kahuzi Biega national park, gorilla permits cost 400 USD each, then during the low season, prices for gorilla permits drop to 200 USD per person, thus attracting more trekkers to the park for gorilla trekking due to the friendly prices
Best time to go Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo's Kahuzi Biega National Park.
Kahuzi-Beiga national park is located in the midst of the vast rain forest, so predicting the best time for Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo’s Kahuzi-Beiga is a challenge, but the dry months of January and February and the rainy months of May to October are always recommended. In the park, tourists should be prepared for rain at any time during gorilla trekking; however, other trekkers prefer going during the rainy season since gorillas are easier to locate depending on the abundance of food in the park hence trekking trails are often muddy and slippery.
