Combing East lowland gorilla trek and birding in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Planning a combo of gorilla trekking and Birding adventure in Kahuzi Biega National Park is a rich nature safari arrangement. Other than being a rich primate safari destination, a plethora of birds including Albertine rift endemics find solace in living in Kahuzi Beige forest. Over 342 bird species are so far recorded as residents of this ancient forest.

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To have the best of this safari combo, tailoring a suitable itinerary and having time on holiday is very important. Our safari consultants are available to work with you in drafting a suitable itinerary that Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Kahuzi Biega National Park is home to the eastern lowland gorillas of D.R.Congo. The lowland gorillas are scientifically referred to as Gorilla Beringei Graueri and their large body with shorter fur distinguishes them from the other four gorilla species.

To participate in gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, one must book a gorilla permit from the Virunga Tourism office. To book the gorilla permit for this park, you need to select a date and number of people traveling with you for this adventure. These details help find availability from the gorilla permits without having to move back and forth.

Book accommodation to use during the gorilla trekking and birding safari in Kahuzi Biega National Park as both activities yield the best results with an early start. The accommodation to book for this safari must be closer to Kahuzi Biega National Park to avoid the inconvenience of having to wake up early morning to drive to the park from a far location. The roads leading to Kahuzi Biega National Park are still in poor condition.

How To Plan A Combo Of Gorilla Trekking And Birding Safari In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Day 1 Drive to Kahuzi Biega National Park

Early morning your driver guide will pick you up from your overnight hotel and drive to Kahuzi Biega National Park. You may also commence the journey from Rwanda or Uganda and cross into D.R.Congo via Rusizi Border and Goma Borders.

 The roads heading to Kahuzi Biega National Park are bumpy and get messy during the severe rainy season so expect no smooth ride. Enjoy the stunning scenery along the way as this area was affected by volcanic action leaving behind several highlands.

Check into your accommodation 

Day 2 Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Get up early for breakfast and head to the ranger station for a briefing. Do not forget to carry your packed lunch because the return time from the gorilla trek is quite hard to determine. Listen to the guidelines of gorilla trekking which you must abide by throughout the search for the lowland gorillas.

Along the way, look out for other forest occupants like the black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, and others. You may also spot several birds like the Handsome Francolin, African Black Swift, African Goshawk, Black-winged Kites, African Golden Oriole, Martial eagle, Long-tailed Cuckoo, and others.

Have some patience while searching for the eastern lowland gorillas because their location may change based on factors prevailing in the forest. 

Finally, when you locate these gorillas only one hour is allowed with them. exhaust profitably the time allowed with the eastern lowland gorillas to keep as memories of being just meters away from these elusive primates. The time with the gorilla is restricted to one hour to minimize the effects of mass tourism on the vegetation which is food for the gorillas.

 Slowly get away from the eastern lowland gorillas without causing any suspicion as gorillas are very sensitive to intruders in their vicinity.

Day 3 Birding in Kahuzi Biega National Park 

An early rise to birding in Kahuzi Biega National Park yields great results. Wake up early for breakfast and pack your birding gear to start the day in this forest. Together with your birding guide and an escorting ranger guide, start the search for several birds that are residents of this forest.

During the bird search in Kahuzi Biega forest, you may encounter birds like Green-headed Sunbird, Yellow-billed Barbet, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Eurasian Buzzard, Rwenzori Turaco, Ayres’ Eagle, Blue and white crested Flycatcher, African Hobby to mention but a few.

Remember to carry a packed lunch because return time to the lodge is hard to determine as the birding mat takes almost the entire day

Day 4 Birding in Kahuzi Biega National Park

After breakfast, start the trek to find more birds in Kahuzi Biega National Park you may have missed the previous day. You may also look out for other primates living in Kahuzi Biega National Park like the olive baboons, blue monkeys, black and white colobus, and others.

Listen to the sound produced by the birds and identify those you may have missed the previous day. You may spot birds like the Ethiopian Thrush, African Wagtail, Pin-tailed Whydah, Yellow Streaked Greenbul, Rwenzori Collared Sunbird, and others.

Get back to the lodge to relax.

Day 5 Departure day from Kahuzi Biega National Park

After meeting the eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park and spending time birding in this park, return to the airport to catch up with your flight back home.

Which Accommodation To Book For Gorilla Trekking and Birding Safari In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Several accommodation options are available to book while on safari in Kahuzi Biega National Park. The development of infrastructure in Kahuzi Biega National Park is still slow because of the unstable political environment in this area due to rebel activities.

Accommodations at Kahuzi Biega National Park are categorized into high-end, mid-range, and budget. Some of these accommodation options of Kahuzi Biega include Orchid Safari Club, Coco Lodge Bukavu, Hotel Begonais Bukavu, Panorama Hotel, and Exodus Hotel.

During the peak season, options for accommodations for Kahuzi Biega run out because of the high influx of tourists in this area.

When Is The Best Time To Book Gorilla Trekking And Birding Safari In Kahuzi Biega National Park

Even though gorilla trekking and birding in Kahuzi Biega is open all year, the dry season is most preferred. The dry season is June to September and December to January. Life in Kahuzi Biega forest is exciting with most forest dwellers moving freely in the forest. A plethora of birds can be seen lingering in the forest during the dry season.

The trails in the forest are drier because there is less rain received and more sunlight is let in through the dense canopy to the ground which reduces the amount of precipitation. The vegetation along the trails in the forest is lower and trimmed in this season. Although Kahuzi forest has a dense network of Rivers that flood especially during the severe rainy seasons, in the dry season they flow in their normal course. 

Because more sunlight penetrates the ground it creates a stunning environment to, take photos, and filming both gorillas and birds of Kahuzi Biega forest is better in this season. 

This is the peak tourism season so demand for gorilla permits is high yet supply is limited for conservation reasons. Most people purchase these permits in advance to avoid last-minute disappointment when they sell out.

 For birding safari in the dry season, different bird species are quicker to locate in the dry season since many are busy constructing nests in preparation for the cold rainy season. 

The wet season is the low tourism season too with less demand for gorilla permits. This opens the chance for late bookings to find gorilla permit availability even at the last minute although not guaranteed. In case you wish to have less or no company from fellow trekkers so that you can spend that precious time with the lowland gorillas without spending extra, opportunities may be available in the wet season.

With fewer gorilla safari bookings in the low season that is March to May and November some service providers may discount their prices to break even. For those with a limited budget but who wish to do gorilla trekking, the low season may open chances for an upgrade.

How Much Time Do You Take On Gorilla Trekking Adventure In Kahuzi Biega National Park

Other than the one hour allowed with the lowland gorillas upon finding them, the time taken searching for these primates is quite hard to determine. The search for the eastern lowland gorillas is influenced by factors happening in the forest like food proximity, in case of a brutal attack from other gorilla families, power internal struggle, weather conditions of the day, and much more.

To comfortably get through the forest, every tourist needs to bear some level of fitness and be patient before locating the gorillas. Keep your mind off the gorillas and look out for other forest dwellers too to still be excited when you finally locate the gorillas.

Finally, when you find the gorillas, only one hour is allowed with them as human presence interrupts the running of the daily life of these primates. 

Are Kids allowed to Do Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Children over 15 years old are the only ones allowed to engage in gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park. The walk in the forest is quite challenging because of the sometimes long time takes to find the gorillas. Children below 15 years may not be in a position to withstand this.

First sight of the gorillas may send a cold chill down the spine which may cause one to react. This may frighten the children and yet any unfamiliar noise that the gorillas hear may cause them to run into hiding. You must not show any signs of fright to the gorillas that are already scared of intruders in their vicinity.

How Safe Is Gorilla Trekking And Birding In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

The Eastern part of D.R.Congo has been politically unstable for so many years however the deployment of other Congolese security officials who work closely with ranger guides in this park has improved the security in this area.

For every tourist adventure in Kahuzi Biega National Park, they must be escorted by these security agencies therefore tightening the security in this area.

Tourists must follow the guidelines of gorilla trekking without fail in order not to cause the gorillas to charge or other forest dwellers as a means of improving security.

Every tourist must not walk into the forest without an escorting ranger guide. The forest has other unhabituated occupants that may hurt you in case you walk alone in the forest.

What to Pack For Gorilla trekking and Birding Safari combo in Kahuzi Biega National Park 

• Extract fully charged batteries to exchange with if one runs low
• Garden gloves to cover your hands in case you need to secure a tighter grip.
• Safari Boots that can withstand water-logged conditions in the forest in case the rivers overflow.
• A foldable safari hat with a large brim that can protect your hair from water dripping off the tree leaves
• Safari long shirt and trousers that can withstand forest conditions. They must be in colors like Tan or Khaki to camouflage dirt.
• A raincoat in case it falls while in the jungle as this area is known to receive downpours any time without warning.
• First Aid kit with emergency items especially if you have a non-communicable infection that may require urgent medical care.
• Medicated Insect repellent to keep away stinging insects in the wilderness
• A camera to capture highlights of the gorilla trekking tour for memories of your safari.
• A pair of binoculars to bring close the far-ranging items of your interest
• Toiletries especially if your skin is sensitive to certain types of body chemicals.
• Energy bites to snack on when hungry and keep you going.
•  Shoe bag to keep in your dirty shoes especially when you have no time to clean them up after the trek.
• Hard cash to change into local currency in case you need to purchase certain items like souvenirs. In Africa, credit cards are rarely used because of the lengthy process of obtaining money from them.

A combo for gorilla trekking and birding is a great experience to encounter. Contact us to plan your combo safari today.