Combining gorilla trekking in Rwanda with Lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Planning a combination of gorilla trekking in Rwanda with a visit to the lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park is an opportunity to find the difference between the two gorilla species. Rwanda hosts the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in the northwestern part of the country and these are some of the few of this species left in the world. Kahuzi Biega National Park in eastern D.R.Congo is home to the eastern lowland gorillas.

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For both gorilla trekking in Rwanda or D.R.Congo, you need a permit as this is one of the most important entry documents to present on that day. Whether gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda or Kahuzi Biega National Park in D.R.Congo, a maximum of 8 gorilla permits are open to the public each day.

In Rwanda, the Rwanda Development Board has the mandate to sell and regulate all its gorilla permits. The D.R.Congo gorilla permits are under the watch of the Virunga Tourism Office.

In case you must possess a visa before entering Rwanda or D.R.Congo for the gorilla trekking safaris, it is best to apply for it in advance to avoid last-minute inconveniences. Although visas for both countries can be obtained at immigration, the long queue may disturb your travel plans, and you may also have jetlag.

Reserving accommodation to use during this gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda and D.R.Congo is important. It is best to spend your safari nights within or closer to the gorilla trekking park so that you do not have to wake up early to catch up with the briefing.

In case you have additional safari activities to include in the gorilla trekking itinerary to Volcanoes National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park select in advance all these activities. This helps to draft a suitable itinerary to cover your time on holiday and not to keep moving back and forth as this is time-wasting.

How To Book Gorilla Trekking Permits For Volcanoes National Park And Kahuzi Biega National Park

Choose the dates when you hope to do the gorilla trekking adventures in both Rwanda and D.R.Congo. identify the number of people hoping to travel with. This helps not to keep moving back and forth with checking gorilla permit availability. The status of gorilla permits changes at any time without warning yet a first come first served basis is used to purchase these permits. 

Upon receiving the inquiry about doing gorilla trekking in Rwanda and D.R.Congo, our safari consultant checks the availability of gorilla permits from the list of Rwanda Development Board and Virunga Tourism Office first. A gorilla permit is the entry ticket to be part of the tourist group allowed to visit the gorillas on a particular day.

Our consultant will get back to you immediately after finding gorilla permit availability for both mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Eastern Lowland gorillas. The number of gorilla permits in both countries is limited to a maximum of 8 per family which is a small number opened to the public. This is for conservation reasons. 

It is best to book gorilla permits for the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Lowland gorillas in D.R.Congo in advance because they sell out, especially during the peak season. Note that no gorilla permit is reserved without payment but you may fully pay for this permit or purchase in instalments.

Forward some personal details to include on your gorilla trekking permits like your name as presented on the passport, date of birth, nationality, and others.

How much are the gorilla trekking permits for Volcanoes National Park Rwanda?

At the moment, the cost of gorilla trekking permits for Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is $1500 for international nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents, and $200 for East Africans.

How Much Is The Cost Of Gorilla Trekking Permit For Kahuzi Biega National Park?

At the moment, the cost of a gorilla trekking permit for Kahuzi Biega National Park is $450 for international nonresidents, $250 for international residents, and $25 for Local Congolese 

The cost of gorilla trekking permits includes park entrance fees, ranger guide fees, one hour with the mountain gorillas, gorilla conservation, and others.

Why Do Gorilla Trekking Safari In Volcanoes National Park And Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Gorilla trekking is in lifetime African adventure where tourists can be at least 8 meters from the gorillas. Gorillas elsewhere in the world are kept in cages or confines which deprives them of the opportunity of living their natural life.

It is the only way to find the difference between mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas. These primates may all be gorillas but they differ in many ways the eastern lowland gorillas have a larger body compared to the mountain gorillas. The topography of the habitats where eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas live differs and maybe this is what influences their way of living.

By purchasing the gorilla permit, you make a noble contribution to the sustainable conservation of these gorillas. The existence of the gorillas is affected by many factors like human encroachment, communicable illnesses, and much more. All these need to be under the watch of conservation bodies so that they do not affect these primates. This requires funding to support the existence of these gorillas.

Local communities also benefit from gorillas trekking and this is one way to help them understand the importance of having the gorillas in their community. The locals are employed as ranger guides while others are as porters.

Which accommodation to book during gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Accommodations to use during the gorilla safari in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Kahuzi Biega National vary with category. The accommodations are graded into upmarket, mid-range, and basic.

Volcanoes National Park Accommodation: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Hotel Lebambou, Mountain Gorillas View Lodge, Hotel La Palme, Hotel Muhabura, Kinigi Guest House, Virunga Volcanoes Lodge, Gorilla Solution Lodge

Kahuzi Biega National Park Accommodations: Orchid Safari Club, Coco Lodge Bukavu, Hotel Begonais Bukavu, Panorama Hotel, Exodus Hotel, Hotel Elizabeth

How To Get To Kahuzi Biega National Park from Rwanda?

From Rwanda, you can get into Kahuzi Biega National Park via the Rusizi Border. The distance between Kahuzi Biega National Park in Eastern D.R.Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is approximately 220 kilometers. 

The roads are still in poor condition especially those in Eastern D.R.Congo so you need to hire a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition with an experienced professional driver guide with good knowledge of D.R.Congo routes. Note that most of the local guides in or ranger guides D.R.Congo are French-speaking and just a few can articulate issues in fluent English.

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

Gorilla trekking is open in Volcanoes National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park all year but the dry season attracts more bookings. The dry season is normally June, July, August, September, December, and January when the forest is also busy. The gorillas feed closer to the ground and other forest dwellers are quicker to spot.

Both Kahuzi Biega forest and Volcanoes forest are dense with a thick canopy which allows less sunray penetration to the ground. The dry season allows more sunrays creating a perfect ambiance even for those wishing to take perfect photos of the gorillas and other forest dwellers. 

Even though these tropical rain forests have a dense network of rivers that may flood in case rains fall heavily, during the dry season these flow within normal course. The trails in the forest while searching for the gorillas are drier allowing quick movement to find the gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park may include hiking steep slopes sometimes but in the dry season, the slopes are drier.

Due to the high demand for gorilla trekking permits in the dry period, the permits sell out in advance so one needs to secure the gorilla permits in advance.

Do not ignore the wet season which is March to May and November even though it is the low tourism season. For those wishing to have less disturbance during the time with the gorillas, this may be the perfect timing. In case you have a limited budget, the low season may be an opportunity to get an upgrade while on a gorilla safari.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park Or Volcanoes National Park?

The time taken on a gorilla trekking safari either in Kahuzi Biega National Park or Volcanoes National Park varies with factors happening in the forest. Sometimes locating the gorillas may take two hours to more. Find the gorillas, some of the factors that influence this may include food location, weather conditions of the day, death of a family member, the pace of fellow trekkers, and others.

To still maintain the excitement of finding the gorillas, open your mind to seeing other forest dwellers like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey olive baboons, and others. A plethora of birds spend their day in these forests including Albertine rift endemics.

Finally, when you locate the gorillas, only one hour is allowed with them. The time with the gorillas is minimized to reduce on the effects of being with these primates. Gorillas have to deal with their day-to-day life like napping, feeding, disciplining, playing and much more but human presence disrupts this.

Which Is The Best Country For Gorilla Trekking Rwanda And D.R.Congo?

No matter where you go gorilla trekking, the experience of being just a few meters from these primates is unmatched. This is why gorilla trekking is referred to as a lifetime holiday. To find the difference between gorilla trekking in Rwanda and D.R.Congo some factors considered include:

Cost of gorilla permits

At the moment, the cost of gorilla permits for Kahuzi Biega National Park is $450 per person per trek while the cost of gorilla permits for Rwanda is $1500 per person per trek.

Security during gorilla safari

The Eastern side of D.R.Congo is politically unstable sometimes which antagonizes gorilla trekking sometimes. Rwanda is enjoying peace and is a safe destination for gorilla trekking.

Accommodation options during gorilla trekking

Compared to Kahuzi Biega National Park, Volcanoes National Park has more options for accommodations to book during gorilla trekking.

Topography of the gorilla trekking destinations

The topography of Volcanoes National Park is steeper because of the heavy volcanic action in this area compared to Kahuzi Biega National Park. This makes the trek to find the gorillas of Volcanoes National Park more challenging.

What to Pack For Gorilla Trekking Safari?

• Waterproof Backpack to carry with your belongings in case you have to hand them over to the porters and in case you tripe they don’t scatter.
• Warm wear as the temperatures of Kahuzi Biega and volcanoes Forests drop as low as 7 degrees centigrade sometimes. The mornings and nights are extremely cold.
• Tracking boots that can withstand slippery slopes when you hike to find the gorillas.
• Energy snacks to keep munching on because breakfast is taken too early to last the entire time you are in the wilderness.
•  Water bottle to carry with drinking water to use for rehydrating as you trek to find the gorillas.
• Garden gloves to wear and keep your palms warm also help you catch a tighter grip on the entangled vegetation when you slide.
• First aid kit with emergency medication in case you get an accident
• Energy treats give you more reason to carry on to locate the gorillas.
• A camera to capture every moment of your experience with the family of gorillas.
• Some hard cash in case you have to make on-ground purchases.
• A poncho or raincoat in case it rains without warning.
• A pair of stockings to tack in your clothes and prevent creepers from getting in.
• Larger brim hat that is foldable to protect yourself from the buzzing insects in the jungle.
• Insect repellant to protect your skin from stinging insects

Why Book Gorilla Trekking with Encounter Africa Safaris?

Our over 10 years of experience in planning and organizing gorilla and other African safaris has given us so much experience which is helping us to make better plans for our customers. We pride ourselves on our experience and have built great working relationships with several service providers in this industry. We always look forward to providing our clients with the best safari experience and making the best memories of their African safaris.

This has won us repeat and referrals, and we are still growing as a safari company in Africa. Contact us for more information.