Welcome to Democratic Republic of Congo, in the Sub-Saharan Central Africa, is one of the only three countries in the world protecting the endangered mountain gorillas, other countries being Uganda and Rwanda. Gorilla trekking is such an exciting activity that every African tourist should opt for while in the continent as the activity offers a very memorable experience. Gorilla trekking is a tiresome activity that may last up to 8 hours implicating, thus you will need refreshments and eats (probably snacks) during the activity.
However, though the trekking of gorillas is somehow tiresome, when you access these gentle apes (gorillas) you will forget all the difficult time you passed through. When you come in touch with the gorillas, you will only be given one hour to interact with them as you see how they feed, play, communicate, walk and also have their photo shoots to show your beloved ones back home, and also have great memories of the gorillas.
Democratic Republic of Congo is the only country all over the world where one will encounter both the eastern lowland gorillas and the endangered mountain gorillas. Virunga National Park is the only residence for mountain gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo well as the lowland gorillas in the country can only be trekked from Kahuzi-Biega National Park, of which both Parks lie in the eastern parts of Democratic Republic of Congo. Besides being the only country with both the lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas, Democratic Republic of Congo offers the most affordable gorilla expeditions as compared to the other gorilla trekking countries such as Uganda and Rwanda.
Democratic Republic of Congo gorilla trekking permit is arguably the cheapest as it costs only US$ 400 unlike those of Uganda and Rwanda which cost US$ 600 and US$ 1500 respectively. Gorilla permits are booked by your tour agency that you book a safari through such as Eco Tours Congo and among others.
On your day of trekking, you head to the Park headquarters for briefing and also get a family of gorillas to trek. You will then head to the forest with the park rangers who help search for you the assigned family of gorillas and chase away the dangerous animals. Hiking the forest is a difficult exercise that needs you to be energetic but porters are always there to support you on an affordable price.
You will always have a fantastic gorilla trekking safari in Democratic Republic of Congo as you see different families of gorillas and enjoy the unique experience. Democratic Republic of Congo comprises of eight habituated gorilla families that are open to trekkers and these are Kabirizi, Bageni, Mapuwa, Munyaga, Nyakamwe, Humba, Rugendo and Lulengo.
During the trekking process, trekkers are advised to maintain maximum silence and other rules and regulations to consider during gorilla trekking include, keep at least 7 meters away from the gorillas while viewing them, do not litter in the Park, do not smoke from the park, do not use flashlight cameras while taking gorilla photos, and all the trails in the park are led by park rangers.
In Democratic Republic of Congo, a gorilla trekker will have a great opportunity to trek both the eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas without leaving the eastern province of Congo. The eastern lowland gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo are found in Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the Park comprises of over 12 gorilla families with only four being habituated and open to trekkers. These habituated gorilla families include: Chimanuka, Mpungwe, Bonnani, and Mugahuka with Mpungwe being the largest gorilla family in the park.
Still in the eastern province of Democratic Republic of Congo, in Virunga National Park, a tourist will also get engaged in many other interesting activities such as; a two days hike to Nyiragongo volcano to view the bubbling lava lake at the summits of the volcano. Chimpanzee trekking is another enjoyable activity that tourists will do and bird watching plus many other activities. As of now and due to your secure safety, gorilla trekkers in Virunga will base in Kibumba tented camp.