How to Visit Eastern Lowland Gorillas

How to Visit Eastern Lowland Gorillas

Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a big park in Congo, near Lake Kivu. It was started by a person named Adrien Deschryver in 1970. The park is special because it has a lot of rainforest and special animals. It’s been important since the 1980s, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The park is named after two big mountains nearby: Mount Biega and Mount Kahuzi. It’s about 6,000 square kilometers big and has different kinds of land, like lowlands and mountains. One special thing about the park is the Eastern lowland gorillas, which are very rare and in danger. There are only a few thousand left, and most of them live in this park and another one in Central Africa.

The park used to be a small reserve in 1937 but got bigger over time to protect more animals. There are about 137 kinds of mammals and 350 kinds of birds in the park. Gorillas are the main attraction, but there are also other animals like monkeys, elephants, and birds.

Taking care of the park is hard because of some problems. One problem is that there are rebels and militias in some parts of the park, which makes it dangerous. Also, people living nearby sometimes do things like cutting down trees or hunting animals, which is bad for the park. But the park is trying to solve these problems by involving local people, improving security, and getting help from organizations.

Tourism is good for the park because it brings money and helps locals. People can see gorillas and other animals, and locals can sell food and things to tourists. But there are still challenges like not enough money and illegal activities like mining in the park

Getting Around Kahuzi Biega National Park

If you’re planning to visit Kahuzi Biega National Park, you have a few options to get there. One way is to take a ferry from Goma town, which takes about 5 hours. Or, you could take a speedboat, which takes about 3 hours, but it depends on the wind. The ferry or speedboat will take you to Ihusi port or Orchids Safari Club, where a driver from the park can pick you up. It’s a good idea to stay overnight in a hotel in Bukavu because there are no hotels in the park, only camping.

If you’re coming from Rwanda, you can cross the border at Rusizi border 1. The park driver can meet you there with the right paperwork to make crossing into Congo easier. Many visitors to Kahuzi Biega National Park come from Goma or Rwanda via the Rusizi Border. The park’s entrance is at Tshivanga on the eastern side.

If you’re flying internationally, you’ll likely land at Kigali international airport. From there, you can drive to Bukavu, which takes about 7 hours. It’s best to spend a night in Kigali and then travel to Bukavu the next morning, especially since flights often arrive in the late afternoon or evening.

Transportation between Kahuzi Biega National Park & Bukavu

Kahuzi Biega National Park is only about 40km away from Bukavu town, and there are different ways to get there. Most visitors prefer to go by road using 4×4 vehicles because the terrain can be rough. It takes about 90 minutes to drive to the park.

One reliable way to reach the park is by using trusted tour operators from the Association of Congolese Tours Operators and Travel Agents (ATOAV-RDC). They offer lowland gorilla safaris in Congo. From Bukavu, you can drive to the park’s entrance, then head toward Kavumu airport and turn left at the intersection of the town of Miti, and finally stop at the Tshivanga visitors center.

If you’re coming from Burundi, it takes about 3 hours to cross from Rwanda border of Ruwa to Ruzizi, which is the shortest route to the park. Crossing from Uganda might be more complicated because it requires an overnight stay in Musanze if you’re crossing via the Cyanika border to Rwanda, and then you’d have to drive to Bukavu the next day.

There are also airlines available, and you can take domestic charter flights from Kigali to Ruzizi border, then cross into Congo (Bukavu town). After that, you’ll need to take a 4×4 vehicle to the park, which takes about 90 minutes.