Safari experiences in Virunga National Park : Virunga National Park, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is not only Africa’s oldest national park but also one of its most diverse and enthralling .Virunga National Park was gazetted in 1925 and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 due to its exceptional biodiversity, including rare and endangered species, as well as its stunning landscape.
The park is home to of eight volcanoes, including the active Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes. Nyiragongo is famous for its exiting lava lake, making it one of the few in the world. Virunga is one of the few places in the world where you can see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The park home to over a third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, and gorilla trekking tours are a popular activity in the park as well as . The park is one of the most bio diverse areas in Africa, home to an impressive huge number of wildlife, including endangered species such as mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants, okapis, and numerous bird species.
Virunga National Park encompasses a wide array of habitats, including tropical rainforests, savannas, montane forests, and alpine meadows. This diversity supports a rich array of flora and fauna, including over 700 bird species. The park is not only a haven for wildlife but also a place of cultural benefits. It is home to several indigenous communities, including the Batwa pygmies and Bambuti, who have inhabited the region for centuries and have a rich cultural heritage. Virunga National Park offers a range of safari activities for its visitors, including gorilla trekking, volcano hiking, bird watching, and boat safaris on Lake Edward and the Rutshuru River, cultural excursions among others.
This guide presents to you some of the safari experiences that you can participate in while in a Congo wildlife safari in Virunga national park
Mountain gorilla trekking
mountain gorilla trekking is one of the most and popular safari experience in Virunga national park , mountain gorilla trekking is an activity that involves walking through the jungles or thick dense forest due to the fact that the mountain gorillas do live in the forested area. Trekking through them offers captivating safari experience to every visitor on a Congo gorilla safari. The park is one of the protected areas still holding a large population of this captivating primates. Gorilla trekking safari is an adventurous safaris experience which offers visitors with an opportunity to explore the forest and interact with the mountain gorillas in their natural habituated family on how they behave in the wild. Gorilla trekking is unforgettable safari experience to meet with this fascinating primates up close.
Chimpanzee tracking
Virunga National Park is also home to a large population of chimpanzees. The park’s chimpanzee habituation program which was currently introduces in Virunga National Park in 2014 allows visitors to observe these primates up close in their natural environment. Tracking this captivating chimps in Virunga national park starts in the morning just like any activity carried in the park with the chimpanzee tracking procedures and expectations while in the forest. Congo chimpanzee tracking safari involves on foot adventure experience which rewards the tourist with incredible nature experiences. Visitors on a Congo chimpanzee guided excursion in Virunga national park will have a chance to trek the jungle of the forest to search for habituated chimpanzee families. Up on encountering with them, visitors are only allowed in their presence for only one hour observing their characteristics in the wild and photographs.
Volcano hiking
This is one of the best safari experience offered in the eastern part of the democratic republic of Congo-Virunga national park, the park is famous for its magnificent volcanic landscapes, including the famous Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes. Hiking volcanoes in the Virunga national park offers visitors with a unique and adventurous experiences, the hikes offers visitors with the chance to explore the two remaining active volcanos in Africa. The hike to the summit of Mount Nyiragongo offers visitor with an opportunity to view the glowing lava lake. mount Nyamuragira is one of the African most active volcanoes famous for its continue eruptions and lava flows , hiking to this stunning volcanoes offers visitors with unforgettable nature safari experience with will last for long . Besides the views of the astonishing natural features that sells the volcanoes, hiking’s here offers visitors with overall views of the beautiful surroundings including the neighboring countries.
Bird watching
Bird watching in the park also offers the best adventure safaris to very bird lover, Virunga National Park is a home to over 702 bird species, making it the best birding destination choose to every bird enthusiastic. while in a Congo birding safari in the park , you will get to spot variety of different kinds of birds such as Bronzy Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Rwenzori Turaco, Francolins nobilis, Musaphaga, skimmers, shoebills storks, egrets, grey herons, ibises, grey-throated barbet, Grauer’s swamp warbler, alpine swift, African olive pigeon, white-headed woophoopoes, Angolan swallow, Rwenzori batis, tropical boubou, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Spot-flanked Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, White-fronted Bee-eater, Red-throated Bee-eater, White-throated Bee-eater, Olive Bee-eater among others.
Wildlife viewing
Virunga national park is a home to a vast number of wildlife including its giant mountain gorillas and the chimpanzees , the park has inhabited diverse species of wildlife such as eastern lowland gorillas , forest elephants, okapi, hippos, buffaloes, bushbucks and duikers, predators like leopards and spotted hyenas, and smaller mammals such as mongooses and bush babies among others . The park offers wildlife viewing safaris to travelers to embark on their safari adventure experience, though taking part in this captivating safari tour is when you will be enriched with the diverse knowledge about the wildlife characteristics in the wild. The park offers a lot of options to visitors who wish to take part in this enthralling activity such as on foot viewing, by vehicle or by taking a boat safari along the shores of Lake Kivu
Cultural experiences
Virunga national park is home to several indigenous communities, including the Batwa and Bambuti pygmy peoples who have inhabitant the forest for many years. Visiting this communities offers a long-lasting experience to whoever want to learn deep about the culture and the traditions of the Batwa and the Bambuti, traditional dances as well as learning more about the customs.
