Congo gorilla permits : Congo Kinshasa or simply the Democratic Republic of Congo has gained fame due to its booming tourism potential. The country has diverse resources that have attracted a good number of tourists and among them are gorillas. Congo has two main subspecies of eastern gorillas – Mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas. This has made it gain immense popularity and high demand for gorilla permits.
Mountain gorillas can be located in Virunga national park in the Eastern region of the country. The park has 9 gorilla families and each can be trekked once a day by 8 tourists for only two hours. Each Congo gorilla permit costs $400 for foreigners and $200 for Congolese and east African nationals. This price is fixed all year round. Virunga is an amazing national park and bordered by 2 active volcanoes (Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira) and the latter offers unmatched hiking experiences.
Another destination is Kahuzi-Biega national park located in the Bukavu town in Congo. It is an amazing national park hosting largest gorillas in the world, found in the lower lands of the two Volcano Mountains – Mt Kahuzi and Mt Biega. The gorilla permits here costs $400 but during the Low seasons, the prices of these permits tend to drop halfway to $200. These are the only two places in Congo where you can find endangered gorillas.
During the gorilla trekking experience, visitors also get a fantastic view of varied flora and fauna in form of primates, bird species and lush vegetation cover and this rewards with great experiences of your lifetime. The experience normally takes about 3 to 5 hours and an hour will be spent in the presence of these great apes.
What is the best time to trek gorillas in Congo?
The best time to trek gorillas is during dry season when there is completely no or very little rainfall. These national parks are dominated by tropical rainforests and this means that they receive enough rainfall all year round. Dry season is the busiest tourism season, when most travelers come to Africa. Therefore gorilla permits are on high demand; this is from December to February and June to mid-October.
During rainy seasons, tourists are fewer hence becoming a low travel season in Congo. This happens in March to May and October to November. This time is characterized by very few travelers compared to the dry peak seasons. Rainy season is not preferred due to heavy rains that make trails muddy during gorilla trekking experience and roads become almost impassable making travel quite difficult. An advantage however comes when the gorilla permits in Kahuzi-Biega national park are reduced to half price during this time and hotel rooms are offered at discounted rates.
Do you want to purchase your gorilla permit today or later on, contact us because it is our job to assist you or you can go to the offices of Virunga tourism headquarters in Goma and acquire one for yourself?. You are advised to book your permit earlier enough before the trekking day, at least 3 months in advance.
Where to stay while on a gorilla trekking safari in Congo?
Most travelers wonder where to stay while on a gorilla safari but the truth remains that there are various accommodation facilities around the park and more in Goma and Bukavu towns. These hotels range from budget to luxury depending on your choice and budget, offering incredible services while restaurants present a range of options – both international and local meals, presenting great views of the forest, volcanoes and Lake Kivu. You can trek gorillas after having ample time to relax while watching over the serene environment.
For gorilla trekking tours in Congo, and other Congo safaris, we are always a call away to take you there depending on your budget and time.
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