Welcome to the guide of gorilla trekking in Congo. Visit Virunga National Park for the ultimate gorilla tracking experience in Africa.
TREKKING GORILLAS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the 3 countries in East Africa that have these Mountain Gorillas. In the DRC, there are a number of astonishing physical features that attribute to its tourism industry and these among the many include its well-known River Congo which takes second place in being the longest in Africa after the famous River Nile. Another common characteristic of the Democratic Republic of Congo are the chain of Volcanic Mountains in the Virunga Massif bordering Rwanda and Uganda. Among these are the two only active volcanoes; Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira.
Mountain Gorillas Of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is famously known for being a habitat to some of the Mountain Gorillas found in one of its major National Parks; the Virunga National Park. In the park are eight groups of these habituated gentle giants that are open for tourism by guests. These include Kabirizi, a group comprised of only 19 members, Humba which has 9 members, Rugendo with 9 gorillas, the Mapuwa gorilla family that has 22 mountain gorillas, Bageni with the largest group with 26 gorillas, Munyaga with 7 member gorillas, Nyakamwe having 11 gorillas and the Lulengo Gorilla Family with only 9 gorillas.
For those interested in tracking these Mountain gorillas should consider the seasons from June all the way to August which is said to be the best time to go tracking. The other seasons include the time from March to May and October to November which are very low seasons and June to September in the high season. Only 8 persons are permitted in a gorilla group and briefing is a must for all before setting off for tracking. It is advised that you carry the proper tracking gear since the distance will be determined by the gorilla group you are tracking and how far it will have moved the previous day.
Congo Gorilla Trekking Permit
If you are looking for low-cost permits, then the Democratic Republic of Congo has just that. The Mountain Gorilla tracking permits go for a fee of US$400 which is way cheaper than those of Uganda and Rwanda. However, the Democratic Republic of Congo has a major problem of insecurity which is the main hindrance to their tourism sector. This is mostly at the Eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo and travelers that go there put their safety at a high risk. It is thus recommended that those that love to track these Mountain Gorillas do so only and only when it is vital. Another reason that might make you think twice about tracking from the Democratic Republic of Congo is the fact that there are very few gorillas there as compared to the other two nations; Uganda and Rwanda.
However, the Democratic Republic of Congo is undoubtedly a great place with great views and is not a bad place to go Mountain Gorilla Tracking.