Mountains Gorillas and Nyiragongo Volcano | Virunga National Park

All Congo Safaris tours are fully guided from the moment you step over the border to your departure back home. Almost all our tours start and end in Kigali (the capital of Rwanda), and we ensure that our guests are assisted across the border without any hassle. Members of our team will collect you as soon as you land in Kigali, and will remain with you until you enter Congo – at which point the Virunga National Park team will take over. As the Park is responsible for the livelihood and infrastructure of the four million people who live around it, its officials, rangers and visitors are highly respected by the locals. You’ll be transported in our vehicles but escorted by official parks vehicles loaded with rangers, and will be made to feel safe and warmly welcomed by all whom you encounter. Virunga National Park has brought electricity, power stations, roads, schools, security and jobs to the area, and the locals are well aware of the fact that the tourism income generated by your presence is largely to thank for all of this.
Virunga national Park is receiving an average of 500 tourists each months, they are enjoying new gorillas groups that have been habituated as well as the Picnics at the Tchegera Island. Since February 2019, Nyiragongo is giving a treat to every visitor that climbs her. The lava lake is at the highest it has been for years and now is overflowing its cone with the fissure growing daily with an occasional spew of lava. As one sits and watches the lava flow over the edge, it gives one a sense of what it would feel like to watch an eruption.

Your travel to Congo during the COVID-19
In foresight of getting back to business and adopting the new normal, the Congolese Ministry of Tourism, with excitement, announced the reopening of tourism activities as well as the resumption of international travel for visitors arriving by scheduled commercial flights as of 15 August 2020. The well-being of all travelers is at the forefront of Kwafrika Travel. Reason why, we have taken serious measure to ensure the safety of our customers.
COVID-19 is still present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are pleased to receive you in the Congo but there are few things you should know.
Authorities will quarantine and treat affected people in government hospitals and isolation facilities. Monitor the media for latest developments and follow the instructions of local authorities. Current government guidelines require everyone to wear a face mask in public. There are medical facilities available around Congo. Hôpital du Cinquantenaire, Hôpital Maman Yemo located in Kinshasa City, Hôpital Général de Référénce de Goma, Hôpital CBCA Virunga available in Goma town. They provide Emergency and Assessment (E&A) services, open 24 hours with a physician on the premises at all times.
All national parks have reopened but with a limited capacity. In Virunga National Park, a group of more than 20 people cannot be authorized to trek the gorillas for social distancing reasons. The same thing apply for people hiking the Nyiragongo Volcano, they should be less than 10 people per group.
Kwafrika Travel is strictly applying the following guidelines as given by the Congolese authorities:
– Our drivers must have undergone a basic prior training on the standard practices in prevention of spread of COVID-19 (Standard Prevention Procedure)
– All of our vehicles are now equipped with contactless thermometer (thermal-gun). Drivers have been trained on how to take guest temperature, to read and interpret the result.
– All of our vehicles are equipped with PPE basics such as sanitizers, extra face masks, hand-gloves and so on
– Vehicles are installed with air-conditioners with particulate filters and purifiers. All windows are capable of opening when required to allow air circulation
– Doors of vehicles are operated by one person, the driver.
– The driver must thoroughly clean and sanitize his safaris car at the close of the day or as deemed necessary especially before switching customers
– Drivers must minimize stop overs during the travel to Congo or Inside Congo.
– Drivers should stick guest documents such as itineraries on the car seats or on body of the vehicles to avoid contact with guests

You can’t escape the fact that Nyiragongo is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. So is it really safe to climb an active volcano? I would say yes, but the truth is that you never know. Walking around independently might be dangerous, since volcanic area has fractures emitting gas, but locals know how to avoid them. Goma has its own seismologic observatory monitoring both Nyiragongo and its sister volcano, Nyamuragira, which is titled the most active volcano in Africa. Volcanologists should know well in advance what these giants are up to.

Park rangers lead the trek even if you have booked the trip through a tour company. Only one group can trek to the Nyiragongo summit daily and the group size is limited to 24 people, due to the accommodation capacity. During June and July, the treks can be fully booked, so assure your spot well in advance. The climb takes 4-6 hours depending on the weather conditions and overall fit of the group. It is possible to conquer Nyiragongo also on a day trip, but it will be a long and very challenging day (for sure). You must arrive to the Kibati ranger station before 9AM; the hike starts around 10AM.
Be sure to pack full rain gear, warm layers, long underwear, enough warm socks, gloves, a hat, and some snacks. When finally reaching the summit, you need to change to a dry base layer immediately. Don’t underestimate the conditions, as temperature at the summit might be near freezing and the risk of hypothermia is real. Sleeping bags can be rented for 10$. If you don’t have a cook with you, bring also enough food. A hot 3-course dinner can really make the day after an exhausting trek, when you are shivering from the cold night. So consider hiring either a cook or cooking utensils. Porters can be hired at the Kibati ranger post for 25$ and I strongly recommend taking one to save your energies. The maximum weight for one porter is 15 kg.

As Virunga is located on the equator, the temperature remains roughly the same (hot and humid) throughout the year. The notable difference is between the rainy and non-rainy seasons. Ironically enough, the best time to enjoy clear blue skies (particularly for photography purposes) is during the rainy months (April, May, October and November), as it can get quite foggy during the dry season. The good news is that it rarely rains for a full day, and the periodic spatters actually make way for beautifully clear viewing conditions.

It’s true that you can also see mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda. However, doing so in Rwanda will cost you more than triple the price per permit than in Congo. Moreover, we have personally been gorilla tracking in both Rwanda and Uganda and can vouch for the fact that the experience itself is so much more memorable in Congo. The fact that tourism in Virunga is still comparatively low means that you will more than likely be able to go tracking in a small group. What’s more, the density of the jungle will allow you to enjoy a very close and personal experience with a gorilla family. You are guaranteed to see them, unless you tire of the walking! As it’s so much cheaper than in Rwanda, we also suggest going on more than one track so that you can visit two or more different families, new gorillas groups have even been habituated in the Virunga National Park. This way, there will be a good chance of you spotting the impressive silver backs and adorable babies.
Moreover, Congo has got Eastern Lowland Gorillas which are unique and can be found nowhere else but in the Democratic Republic of the Congo precisely Kahuzi Biega National Park Congo which is located 50 kms away from Bukavu town, a town known among the biggest towns in the eastern part with developed accommodation facilities including the orchids safari club, Coco lodge with modern amenities.

At Kwafrika Travel Ltd, we love arranging a package for you based on what you want to see, your budget and the time! With our first-hand ground knowledge and experience, our tailor-made itineraries are flawless! We know our way around, are in daily contact with the National Park authorities, and work at the best possible prices. We’ve also personally experienced all the trips, accommodation and activities, and can thus vouch for all details of the experience. If you’re not convinced by our word alone, we have a system by which we can put potential new guests in touch with those who have already travelled with us during the one year we have been operational for personal testimonials and assurances.