When Is The Best Time To Visit Kahuzi Biega National Park Congo

The best time for gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park is the dry season which is June, July, August, September, December and January when the forest is full of life. The lowland gorillas appear more in the open locations of Kahuzi Biega National Park this season. Even other primates that spend their life in this forest may be quicker to spot in the low season.

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Kahuzi Biega National Park is part of the habitat for gorillas in D.R.Congo but specifically, the lowland gorillas are the star attraction of this forest. The population of the lowland gorillas was about 17000 by the 1990s but as of the recent population census about half this number is living in this forest. The drastic drop in the number of lowland gorillas is attributed to the political atmosphere in this area.

The eastern part of D.R.Congo is often unstable with rebel activities, lumbering, mining, poaching as some of the key occurrences happening in this area. The lowland gorillas are on the list of the world’s highly endangered primates and to collect more funds to support their conservation, gorilla permits are being sold.

The dry season also is the peak tourism season too so demand for the limited number of gorilla permits for Kahuzi Biega National Park is high. For conservation reasons maximum of 8 gorilla permits are open to the public each day per gorilla family, at the moment 9 lowland gorilla families are confirmed living in Kahuzi Biega National Park but currently only 5 are fully habituated and open to the public.

Do not shy away from the rainy season for those wishing to get no disturbance from fellow tourists. You get that time to understand the life of the lowland gorillas with less or no obstruction. There is less completion for the limited space before the lowland gorillas as you must not scatter while with the gorillas but remain in a tight group.

The trails lead where the lowland gorillas are quicker to navigate during the dry season when less rain falls and more sunlight penetrates through the dense canopy to the ground.

In case you wish to take quality photos and capture the best film of the lowland gorillas, the dry season provides a super atmosphere and moving your equipment is faster.

The dry season is eh peak tourism season so attracts more tourists and demand for the limited number of gorilla permits is high creating scarcity.

The eastern part of D.R.Congo is known for its poor road network but the dry season provides a better environment to dry on these poor roads to Kahuzi Biega National Park.

When is the best time to Book A Gorilla Trekking Permit For Kahuzi Biega National Park?

 In case you wish to do gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park during the peak season, it is best to book the gorilla permit at least 90 days before the trek and keep up to date with the security of this area. 

During the stable months, more people travel to do gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park creating permit scarcity for last-minute bookers. No gorilla permit is booked without payment as this is the only commitment to this adventure yet first come first served basis is used to sell the gorilla permits.

In general, the gorilla permits for D.R.Congo are cheaper compared to their counterparts in Uganda and Rwanda so people with a limited budget find it a more comfortable destination.

For the low season that is normally the rainy season, lowland gorilla permits may be available even at the last minute you just need to call and make the reservation.

How Much Is The Gorilla Trekking Safari To Kahuzi Biega National Park?

The cost of a gorilla safari package to see the lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park are packaged according to luxury, mid-range, and basic. The cost of the gorilla trekking permits is across all these gorilla safari packages.

Currently, the cost of gorilla trekking permit for Kahuzio Biega National Park is $450 for international nonresidents, $250 for foreign residents and $25 for local Congolese. 

There are other logistical safari costs that make up the price of the gorilla trekking package inclusive of accommodation, transport, additional safari activities, number of people traveling with, number of days on safari and others.

Why Go Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park is an opportunity to be just a few meters away from the endangered lowland gorillas. You get to have one hour with the lowland gorillas just 7 meters away from them a life-changing experience. These gorillas are portrayed differently by the outside world but while with them, you have a glimpse into their natural life.

By gorilla trekking, you contribute to the conservation of the gorillas whose life is endangered because of the environment in which they live. The gorillas are very vulnerable primates despite their huge size and scaring outlook. While on gorilla trekking, this is the opportunity to prove their natural characteristics. a portion of the funds collected from the sell of the gorilla permits is injected into the local community to support their projects annually.

Hiring a porter is inevitable while starting the gorilla trek so that you are not weighed back by the weight of your bags but you must pay the porter. This is one of the direct ways to give back to the local community during gorilla trekking.

More sensitization about the relevancy of humans co-existing with the gorillas is still going on and by traveling and hiring the locals to participate in your gorilla trek, you contribute to this awareness.

Even though the political instability in Kahuzi Biega National Park may hinder gorilla trekking in this area, the experience is worth every coin and time you give it. When you make the combo of gorilla trekking to the lowland and the mountain gorillas, you get an exceptional safari experience and find the difference between the two gorilla types too.

How Safe Is Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park

The security of Kahuzi Biega National Park during Gorilla trekking is sometimes shaky because of the rebel activities but at times peace prevails and safari activities carry on. before starting the gorilla trek in Kahuzi Biega National Park, you must attend a briefing from the ranger station. Here, you are given advice about the guidelines of gorillas safaris which you must hold very well because of the sensitivity of the gorillas.

At times the vegetation along the trails has rough surfaces that may hurt your skin but you need to wear long safari clothes in wilderness-friendly colors that do not even attract stinging insects. You can also apply the insect repellant to protect your skin from the buzzing insects in the jungle.

Keep close to the people you are traveling with so that you are not forgotten in the jungle as there are other inhabitants that may hurt you in case you get lost. As a guideline for gorilla trekking, tourists are not allowed to walk into the forest without an escorting ranger guide.

Are Lowland Gorillas Aggressive?

The lowland gorillas are naturally calm primates despite their huge size, dark-furred bodies and knuckle locomotion. Before opening any gorilla family they are first habituated for unknown time until proven ready for the public to visit.

Gorilla Habituation is a process by which a wild gorilla family is helped to get used to human presence without altering their nature. This helps the gorillas to be in the presence of humans at least for an hour. 

When agitated the gorillas may react by thumping their chests, hooting, pulling grass around them and much more drama. Note that not every time you witness this behavior that the gorillas are angered by tourists as at times they try to tease visitors, have internal and external fights and much more drama. Wait for the ranger guide to establish the root cause of the matter and follow what is being done.

The gorillas are not aggressive creatures and being with them is memorable.

What Is The Age Limit For Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

The age limit for gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega is 15 years because tourists have to walk through the forest. The trek to find the gorillas is quite tiring for a child below 15 years and yet the lowland gorillas keep moving.

At a glance, the gorillas may send a chilling feeling down the spine yet you must not show signs of freight to the lowland gorillas. This makes you look suspicious before the gorillas. Children below 15 years may not be in position to withstand the look of the gorillas causing them to shout yet this is forbidden.

Is Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park Tiresome?

Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega is tiresome as the gorillas are mobile primates that must seek their food. From the starting point of the gorilla's trek, the time of finding the lowland gorillas is quite hard to determine as sometimes it may take about 2 hours to more depending on the situation in the wilderness. 

The trails are at times overgrown with roadside vegetation which makes it difficult to move especially during the severe rainy season when it floods. Walking through a slippery but soggy environment in search for the gorillas plus other primates is quite challenging and time consuming too.

The dense forest allows less sunray to penetrate to the ground and this makes taking photos of the gorillas or filming them a challenge.

When Do You Locate The Lowland Gorillas Of Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Locating the lowland gorillas during gorilla trekking depends on factors prevailing in the forest. The gorilla families are habituated first to be in the presence of humans for at least an hour however, they are free to move wherever they wish to be. 

Other factors that determine when to locate the lowland gorillas include weather conditions of the day, security of the forest, pace of fellow tourists and much more. You need to bear some level of fitness and patience during the gorilla trek and open your mind to seeing other interesting features in the forest.

When you find the gorillas, only one hour is allowed with them for conservation reasons.

What To Pack For Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park

• Light Shoe bag to keep in the dirty shoes after the gorilla trek
• Safari boots to wear when searching for the mountain gorillas in the jungle
• Warm sweaters to protect you from the cold weather.
• Safari hat to wear over your head and protect your hair from water dripping off the trees
• Garden gloves to protect your palms from touching stinging nettles.
• Insect repellant to keep away stinging insects in the wilderness.
• A pair of stockings to tack in your clothes
• Long-sleeved shirts and trousers in wilderness-friendly colors like brown, Khaki and others
• A torch to light when lights run low as solar energy is the main source of power in this area
• Energy bites to munch on when hungry.
• A camera to keep memories of your gorilla safari experience.
• Raincoat just in case it falls anytime without warning.
• Sunscreen because this is a tropical country where the sun rays get too tough at times
• Foldable water bottle to carry with drinking water because you need to be hydrated while in search for the lowland gorillas
•  A pair of binoculars to get a closer vision of the gorillas and other primates living in Kahuzi Biega National Park.
• Flip flop to change into after the long day of the trek.
• Some hard cash to use for on ground transactions as credit cards are not quick to use in Africa because of the long process of collecting money from them.
• Snacks to munch on while trekking to find the lowland gorillas because breakfast is taken too early to last the entire day.

Contact us to help plan and book your gorilla trekking permits in time. Do not forget to check out our trip advisor to see our clients' reviews.