Virunga National Park is located in Eastern DRC Congo. Many tourists ask whether this park is safe or dangerous for tourism. Don’t be swayed by the rumors you hear about the Democratic Republic of Congo, such as whispers of wars, Ebola, and so on.
This destination has a lot to offer on your safari to Africa, ranging from wildlife and physical features to accommodation and culture. This Congo national park has very nice accommodation facilities ranging from budget, mid-range to luxury.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, initially known as Zaire, is the second largest country in Africa, bordering Uganda in the East, the Central African Republic in the North, Zambia in the South, and Gabon in the West. For all travelers, Congo has one of the most interesting National Parks that harbors Mountain Gorillas – Virunga National Park.
Virunga National Park is located in the Eastern province of D.R. Congo, bordering Uganda and Rwanda. It happens to be the oldest National Park in Africa and the second oldest in the world (after Yellowstone National Park).
This park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, covering 7,800 sq kms. However, due to political conflicts and poaching in 1994, it was declared a site in danger. The park is named after the Virunga Mountain ranges that lie south of the park.
However, after three years of unrest, the southern sector of Virunga National Park has been considered safe for visitors, with over 100 travelers visiting these sites every month.
The park consists of a magnificent variety of habitats, ranging from swamps and steppes to the snow fields of Rwenzori, and from Savannah rangelands to the lava plains on the slopes of the volcanoes.
The park is known to harbor a great number of mountain gorillas, birds from Siberia spending their winter in the park, and hippos in the rivers.
Besides this, the park also prides itself on a number of wildlife species, which include African icons such as elephants, chimpanzees, remarkable okapi, lions, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, among others.
In addition to this, the park boasts commendable biodiversity due to the large diversity of habitats it offers.
A number of activities can be done here, including chimpanzee trekking, nature walks, Nyiragongo hike, gorilla trekking, and landscape viewing.
- Mountain Gorilla Trekking: With eight habituated gorilla families in the park, Virunga National Park is one of the four parks in the world harboring the only remaining endangered mountain gorillas in the world, thus making it the most popular activity in the park. The largest family in the park, with roughly 32 members and one silverback, is called the Kabirizi gorilla family. Other families in the park include Humba, Rugendo, Lulengo, Mapuwa, and Munyaga, among others. This activity takes approximately 1-6 hours, including one hour of interacting with the gorillas. A gorilla permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo costs $400 per person according to the 2018-2019 Virunga tariff.
- Nature Walks: This will give you a chance to get away from the daily noise pollution and boring urban environment, heading instead to destinations that will expose you to the sweet melodies of nature and the romantic colors of the birds. There are many trails tourists follow leading into the interior of the forest and to various birding spots. While on this activity, trekkers encounter different fauna species such as elephants, monkeys, buffaloes, among others. This is because the park is a tropical forest with dense vegetation.
- Chimpanzee Habituation Experience: This is yet another wonderful wildlife activity to undertake while in the park. Thanks to the efforts of Frankfurt (1987), the zoologist who started this activity, chimpanzees have been habituated to get used to people, giving travelers a reason to flock into the park for habituation and trekking experiences. The chimpanzee habituation permits in Virunga National Park are sold at $100 per person, giving a chance to interact with these amazing species for a whole day.
- Landscape Viewing: Virunga National Park is the best site for viewing the eye-catching landscapes in the neighboring countries, including the jagged relief and snow summits of the Rwenzori Mountains. The volcanoes in the Virunga conservation area are connected with the Afro-alpine vegetation of tree ferns and thick forests. Tourists see the eroded valleys spotted in the Sinda and Ishango regions. This view gives an extraordinary experience to all tourists since all these can be viewed from the comfort of your lodge in the park.
- Nyiragongo Hike: The experience in the park extends beyond wildlife and includes hiking the Nyiragongo volcano. Virunga National Park is home to the active Nyiragongo volcano in its center, whose summit harbors the largest lava lake in the world. Records show that it has erupted over 30 times, with the last eruption in 2002 draining the lava lake and flowing into nearby communities, partially destroying Goma town. Tourists hike up to the summit of the volcano and have a clear view of the dazzling lake with lots of fumes coming out of melilite and nephelinite.
Accommodation in Virunga
Accommodation options in Virunga National Park range from budget to luxury. Some of the lodges here include the Nyiragongo Volcano Summit Shelters, Mikeno Lodge, Lulimbi Tented Camp, Bukima Tented Camp, and Kibumba Tented Camp for mid-range and budget travelers, among others.
In view of all the above, don’t let fear hold you back. Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo has a lot to offer on your African trip. Come and find your fundamental experience.
