Mount. Kahuzi, D.R. Congo

Mount. Kahuzi is an extinct volcano in eastern D. R. Congo. It is one of the prominent landmarks in the region located near Kahuzi- Biega National park which is a UNESCO world heritage site found in Bukavu region. Mount. Kahuzi co-exists with Mount. Biega, hence the origin of the “Kahuzi- Biega National park” name.

It is believed to have been last active at the end of Pleistocene and stands at an elevation of 10,850 ft / 3,310m above sea level. Mount. Kahuzi is also the summit of three mountains of Mitumba range and lies on the Eastern side of Kahuzi-Biega National Park. It also borders the western shores of Lake Kivu, situated within Albertine rift valley and is the second most active volcano in the area as it is believed to have erupted many times.

This mountain is enriched with biodiversity of wet lowland tropical rainforests and Afromontane vegetation with tree heathers. Hiking through the mountain, you get to encounter bamboo forests, sub-alpine vegetation and many varied flora species. It is an ideal destination for tourists visiting DRC as it is habituated by the Eastern lowland gorillas, thus a great avenue for a lowland gorilla trekking tour different from that of the Virunga mountains, which is mainly mountain gorilla trekking. Visitors get to enjoy tracking the much unique eastern low land gorillas, characterized by stocky bodies, broad hands and short muzzles. There are mainly two gorilla families habituated in this park and others still undergoing habituation.

The mountain is home to various birds and mammal species and these move freely within the park. These include many types of monkeys, unique and having varied characteristics. On Mount. Kahuzi, you get to encounter white and black monkeys, red monkeys and owl faced monkeys. One can also get a chance to encounter forest elephants which live in this park.

The mountain also harbors the unique species of animals including the Mt. Kahuzi climbing mouse. Two species of this mouse have been sighted on this mountain and these live in a distance of 100 metres from each other. They are brown colored on the top and whitish or yellowish at the bottom.

Chimpanzees are also encountered on this mountain, however, these are rare and can only be seen by chance, thus chimpanzee trekking is another activity that is done on this mountain.

Tourists often visit this destination to do mountain climbing and enjoy many other activities that the mountain has to offer. Hiking this mountain in itself is an enriching and memorable experience since one can get to the summit of Mitumba ranges.

Nature walks in the rainforests are a rejuvenating adventure, coupled with great bird watching experience all make a visit to mountain Kahuzi very memorable.

Kahuzi mountain is home to many unique bird species flying through the forests and making beautiful sounds altogether. Some species include Rockefeller and Congo peafowl. A climb of this mountain also allows one to enjoy the spectacular views of Lake Kivu from the mountain. Tourists could combine a trip to this mountain with one to Lake Kivu and get to enjoy beautiful bat rides and swimming in the lake.

One can also get to explore the beautiful Kahuzi-Biega National Park in all its richness, as well as Mt. Biega which is itself interesting to hike as well. It takes averagely four hours to ascend and three hours to descend this mountain. Visitors also get to explore the local communities and get to know more about the lives and traditions of these people.

When to hike Mount. Kahuzi?

This mountain can best be visited during dry season when the slopes are not wet, usually January to February and June to September. This is because the trails get slippery during rainy seasons hence hiking is difficult during this season.

However, the wet season is perfect time to hike Kahuzi mountain for those travelling on budget as most hotels and other charges are discounted during this period. There are variety of accommodation facilities for visitors in the nearby Bukavu town like Coco lodge and orchid safari club. All in all, Mount. Kahuzi is open to visitors throughout the year and offers a variety of fulfilling experiences.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

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Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

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18:31 27 Oct 23

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MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.Game drive security is assured.Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

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