A gorilla trekking permit in Kahuzi-Biega National Park costs USD 400 per person. Purchasing a gorilla permit grants you access to Kahuzi-Biega National Park in eastern DRC to enjoy a guided gorilla trek. Acquisition of a gorilla permit is possible at the park but it is much more convenient if you purchased with a reputable tour operator. Standard Safaris is a local tour operator based in East Africa and able to purchase a gorilla trekking permit on your behalf.
Best time to get a gorilla trekking permit in Kahuzi-Biega National Park?
Gorilla trekking permits are available at Kahuzi-Biega National Park throughout the year. But for the sake of your convenience, you should reserve in advance. This is because great apes are sought-after species that attract visitors from all parts of the world. Even if DRC has been faced with several armed conflicts in the eastern part of the country, visitors could still come. This happens especially in the dry seasons when the weather is quite favorable for gorilla trekking.
The dry season is generally experienced from June to August and another in February. This weather makes it possible for a number of visitors to come and see the eastern lowland gorillas. However, the wet months of the year offer a more reliable time to purchase a gorilla trekking permit. This is due to the few numbers of visitors who come for the adventure. Wet months of the year are mostly experienced from March to May and also in November.
How is gorilla trekking done in Kahuzi-Biega National Park?
Arrival at the trailhead is at around 7:00 am, to be briefed first. The park ranger offers insight into trekking respectfully to avoid harm to the forest wildlife and yourself. You will be placed in a group of not more than 8 people. Then you will be led into the forest by armed ranger guides to track a habituated gorilla family. The guides will allow you to spend 1 hour. Watch the eastern lowland gorillas and take photos.
You will then return to the trailhead with a big smile in your face. The gorilla trek will most likely take somewhere between 2 to 4 hours. This is because the eastern lowland gorillas are quite mobile and they can spend their nights in different parts of the forest. Sometimes they move deeper into the forest looking for food. You might want to track a habituated gorilla family close to the trailhead thus taking a much shorter duration to find.
How difficult is trekking gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park?
Compared to mountain gorilla trekking, doing so for the eastern lowland gorillas is relatively less difficult. The eastern lowland gorillas prefer foraging and living in the lowland areas compared to their cousins, the mountain gorillas. This makes them easier to find while trekking. Kahuzi-Biega National Park has like 250 eastern lowland gorillas living in it. There are at least 4 habituated gorilla families available for trekking throughout the year.
Is it safe to go gorilla trekking in Kahuzi-Biega National Park?
Safety depends. The Kivu area of eastern DRC is quite unpredictable in regards to armed conflict. They have been several of these over the years, making it quite unstable. This implies that you should be in contact with a reputable tour operator like Standard Safaris for updates on security threats to the region. Global news can also offer such significant updates. Make an effort to travel with all the necessary documents when visiting the region to avoid suspicion.
Other fauna to see in Kahuzi-Biega National Park while gorilla trekking?
While trekking the gorilla family, you enjoy a forest walk and at the same time get views of birds, primates, butterflies, and mammals etc. Kahuzi-Biega National Park being situated within the Albertine rift, shelters a diverse range of fauna. Including the eastern lowland gorillas, there are 14 primate species in the park. Others are the common chimpanzee, owl-faced monkey, L’hoest’s monkey, needle-clawed bushbaby, blue monkey, and olive baboon etc.
Kahuzi-Biega National Park has around 136 mammal species recorded. Some of the mammals are bongo, forest elephant, forest buffalo, giant forest genet, aquatic genet, leopard and hippopotamus etc. Bird species recorded in Kahuzi-Biega National Park are around 349, and 42 of them are endemic. Examples are red-eyed dove, handsome francolin, Senegal coucal, African swift, Rwenzori turaco, great cormorant, Tawney eagle and common barn owl etc.
All the mentioned fauna and more can be found in the many habitats in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park ecosystem. The habitats comprise marshland, swamp, riparian forest, streams, and others. You can also visit the Lwiro Chimpanzee Sanctuary to see the orphaned chimps found there. Birdwatching, photography, and hiking are other activities. You can get excellent views of the volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biega.
