How far in advance should I book Kahuzi Biega National Park gorilla permits?

Booking gorilla trekking permits for Kahuzi Biega National Park may be best done at least 90 days before the trek. To confirm the gorilla trek you need a gorilla permit which you can book through a tour operator or directly confirm yourself. Initial payment is required to book to gorilla permit for this park.

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Kahuzi Biega National Park is the home to the eastern Lowland gorillas which are scientifically known as Gorilla Beringei Graueri. D.R.Congo is one of the few countries hosting both the mountain gorillas and eastern Lowland gorillas. To reduce the number of people walking into the forest to search for the gorillas maximum of 8 tourists are allowed to visit these gorillas.

The number of gorilla trekking families open to the public in Kahuzi Biega National Park is currently about 1 gorilla family. This limited number of gorilla families yet a maximum of 8 people are allowed to visit each gorilla family per day.

Note that Kahuzi Biega National Park is sometimes a politically unstable Eastern part of D.R.Congo. All activities in this park are influenced by the stability of this location. Even though demand for gorilla permits is high, especially during the peak season, chances of finding last-minute permits are challenging. To prevent last-minute panic, it is best to secure the gorilla permits in advance. 

How To Book Gorilla Trekking Permits For Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Select a date when you hope to do the gorilla trek and the number of gorilla permits you wish to secure before inquiring about the availability of these permits. At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can assist book gorilla permits for Kahuzi Biega National Park as long as you contact us. Alternatively, you may directly book the gorilla permits by yourself from the Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Our tour consultant checks gorilla permit availability per your dates from Kahuzi Biega National Park and gets back to you in a short while after finding a positive answer. To book a slot for the gorilla tour in this park, an initial payment is needed as confirmation.

Later provide personal details like your full name as presented on the passport, date of birth, and other necessary details. These details are used for identification purposes.

What is the cost of a gorilla trekking permit for Kahuzi Biega National Park?

At the moment the cost of the lowland gorilla permits for Kahuzi Biega National Park is $450 for international nonresidents, 250 for foreign residents, and 25 for local Congolese.

The cost of gorilla trekking permits for Kahuzi Biega National Park includes park entrance fees, ranger guide fee, mountain gorilla conservation, one hour with the mountain gorillas, security, and others. 

The cost of a gorilla permit excludes insurance, tips, accommodation, transport to the starting point of the trek, and other personal expenditures.

Why Book Gorilla Trekking Tour to Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Gorilla Trekking adventure is a noble safari activity that gets you closer to just the few leftover gorillas in the world. Both Lowland gorillas and Mountain gorillas are endangered primates highly protected by both local and international conservation bodies like the World Wide Fund, UNESCO, Gorilla Fund, and others.

Walking in the jungle in search of the gorillas is an exciting experience and unforgettable too because you are not sure of how these primates will adhere to your presence. Although gorillas are not known for being aggressive, their body outlook is scary.

By purchasing the gorilla permit, you contribute to the funds that support the conservation of these primates. A portion of the proceeds accumulated from the sale of the gorilla permits is annually given back to the local community to support their projects too.

When hire a porter to help carry your gorilla trekking gear, it is one of the direct ways to give back to the local community. More initiatives are being carried out to educate the local community about the need to protect the gorillas, other forest dwellers, and this habitat.

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

To book a gorilla trekking safari for Kahuzi Biega National Park, chances are open all year however the dry period is most preferred. The weather conditions of this season favor tourists to walk in the jungle with fewer challenges. 

Since food supply is limited in this season in the forest during the walk, it may be quicker to spot the gorillas as they spend most of the time closer to the ground. The forest is full of life and more exciting to walk through.

The trails you walk through to get to the gorillas are usually drier in this season because more sunlight is let into the ground through the dense canopy. The eastern part of D.R.Congo is not only covered by thick forest but also a dense network of rivers that may flood especially during heavy downpours. Along the way is dense undergrowth that may obstruct the way.

This being the dry tourism season, demand for gorilla trekking permits is high yet supply is limited. For last-minute gorilla permit booking in the peach season, opportunities for securing one may be quite uncertain.

The wet season which is normally March, April, May, and November may attract fewer gorilla trekking safari bookings but chances of being unprepared for a solo walk with less disturbance are high. In the low season, even accommodation to book for the gorilla safari may be more available at the last minute.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

The time taken on a gorilla trekking tour depends on factors prevailing in the wilderness. Finding mountain gorillas depends on situations happening in the wilderness like a fight amongst the family, the death of a family member, weather conditions prevailing in the day, proximity of their food source, and much more.

Finding the mountain gorillas during the gorilla trek may take some time however, you can open your mind to other interesting features in the forest like primates, the beautiful sceneries, and others.

Have some level of patience too before locating these gorillas. When you finally meet the lowland gorillas, only one hour is allowed with them for conservation purposes. The time humans stand before the mountain gorillas is minimized to one hour of gorilla trekking to reduce on chances of agitating these primates.

The longer people may take in the forest the more chances to step on the foliage on which these primates feed.

Are Eastern Lowland Mountain gorillas dangerous?

Mountain gorillas are not aggressive but their outer body appearance may scare any person. The average weight of a fully habituated lowland gorilla is about 440 kilograms for a fully grown male while the female may be half this weight. They have deep brown sunken eyes that look intimidating for first-time gorilla trekkers.

In nature, the gorillas are serene, and when agitated, they are quick to move into the deeper forest. The biggest percentage of their meal is made up of foliage which is meant to satisfy them day and night.

Despite the serene behavior of the lowland gorillas, they can also charge when provoked by thumping their chests, pulling grass around them, walking on one foot, and much more drama.

The gorillas get to notice your presence before you find them so try to keep it low so that you do not cause any suspicion. Gorillas are always fearful of intruders in their vicinity.

How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park is quite challenging because you are not sure of the time you are to return from the trek. At times the gorillas move into the deeper forest which you have to trek for an unknown time. 

The walk in the jungle to find the gorillas exposes tourists to some harsh conditions like the slippery and soggy ground, rains may fall at any time, passing harsh plant surfaces may cause some discomfort, and much more.

Packing the right gorilla trekking gear like insect repellant, a large brim safari hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and others may protect you from facing these challenges.

Is Kahuzi Biega National Park Safe for Gorilla Trekking?

The security of the Eastern Part of D.R.Congo is shaky since there are rebel activities that cover the entire area sometimes. This however doesn’t stop tourists from doing gorilla trek as this is one of the best ways to make a comparison between the mountain gorillas and the lowland gorillas.

Before traveling for the gorilla trek in this area, you must find out the political atmosphere prevailing at the moment.

How Sure Can I Be To See The Eastern Lowland Gorillas In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Finding the eastern lowland gorillas depends on the political atmosphere in this area. After briefing, the ranger guides follow the path leasing where the gorillas were last seen the previous day. Since the gorillas have a large body, they rarely move far from their previous location this is why ranger guides leading tourists normally follow the trail leading to where the gorillas were last seen.

A team of ranger guides patrols the forest and follow the gorillas each day before tourists are allowed to visit. They check out where the gorilla family nested the previous night and a possible hangout location.

Some of these clues are what rangers leading tourists use to locate the gorillas. Also, tourists are requested to participate in searching for the lowland gorillas by using the clues they leave behind like footprints, leftover foliage, freshly eaten foliage, and others.

With a stable environment in eastern D.R.Congo, be sure to see the lowland gorillas.

Doing gorilla trekking is a dream come true experience because of their close resemblance to humans. these gentle giants live in cohesive families with the dominant silverback as the supreme leader but there are assistants, especially among the females just like in human life. Gorillas have about 96% human DNA so some of their characters have a close resemblance to the humans.

Gorillas also get agitated when provoked, they groom their infants, nurture each other, create friendships, and much more. spending that one hour with the gorillas is unforgettable to many tourists.

What are the guidelines for Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park?

• Provoking or mimicking the gorillas is forbidden as you may not know what you are communicating.
• When you locate the eastern lowland gorillas, do not surround them. This makes them feel ambushed.
• Ask the ranger guide to dig a hole of about 30 cm deep in case you wish to do a long call. You need to ever everything beyond recognition.
• One hour is allowed with the gorillas upon finding them to minimize the effects of human presence on the environment or reduce in chances of violating the rules of this adventure.
• The age limit for gorilla trekking in D.R.Congo is 15 years and over because of the nature of gorilla trek which goes through rough surfaces yet the time of finding the mountain gorillas is hard to determine. This adventure is also quite tiring especially when the gorillas are feeding far. 
• Volunteer to stay behind in case you catch any communicable infection like coronavirus, flu, cough, or cholera. This is because the mountain gorillas can catch human infections easily. They have a DNA of about 96% to that of humans.
• When you locate the lowland gorillas keep a distance of about 8 meters from them. To reduce the chances of passing a communicable infection to them.
• Never spit on the vegetation because it's food for the lowland gorillas. It is unhealthy and disgusting too.
• Wear a mask and hand sanitize as an after-coronavirus period precaution. You must change into a clean mask as you approach the Lowland gorillas.
• When with the Lowland gorillas, do not make noise or sudden movement because it may scare them. the gorillas are often scared of unfamiliar noise in their presence.

Contact us for more information and let us book your gorilla permit in advance before your gorilla trekking safari.