This usually involves meeting with the shy endangered ground dwelling Mountain Gorillas in the Jungles of Virunga National Park plus a hike to one of the popularly known active Volcanoes in the World and this Mountain Nyiragongo. Visiting mountain gorillas of Democratic Republic of Congo and Nyiragongo hike is an experiential rewarding ultimate adventure to tell or recommend to your fellow travelers from different countries of the World when you meet up elsewhere due to the exciting moments experienced in the due course.
These two features which include Mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park and Mountain Nyiragongo Volcano are ranked to be Democratic Republic of Congo’s top exciting attractions which invite in more tourists from different countries of the World per year very interested in exploring them up to their most. They have also contributed a big part as far as highlighting Democratic Republic of Congo on the list of top destinations to visit in the African continent on your great African safari vacation.
Reaching at Goma border, you will be required to present three documents at the customs for permission entry, these documents include valid passport, valid yellow fever vaccination card and tourist entry visa which costs $100 USD per person usually booked in advance before your traveling dates through a local tour operator. All transportation services from Goma border up to the suburbs of Democratic Republic of Congo are provided by Virunga foundation in partnership with your local tour operator, this is best recommended and more secure since this organization also manages the park, they mostly mind for security of the client while in the park.
Mountain Gorilla trekking. This is an amazing activity done in Virunga National Park, it usually involve meeting with the shy endangered ground dwelling herbivores mountain gorillas in the Jungles of Virunga National Park. This adventurous amazing activity is usually started in the morning from the Park offices or staring point after a short briefing conducted by park officials highlighting about how to behave while in the presence of these apes in the Jungles.
After briefing, a park ranger guide and armed officers are assigned to a group of eight people to start the journey heading to the jungle following the well-established routes in search of these apes for interaction. Gorilla trackers are usually the first to go early in the morning to locate where these apes spent their last night and after locating them they will contact the ranger via radio calls who is leading the group of trekkers informing them on the exaction directions of locating these apes in the Jungles.
After locating these apes in the jungles of Virunga, you are allowed to stay in their presence for only one hour while seeing them playing with young ones, feeding, laughing plus taking photos and videos of them provided you are not using a flush camera, after one hour next step is descending back to park offices for gorilla trekking safari certificate award which is a sign indicating that you have contributed part towards conserving gorilla lives. This amazing activity to do requires a permit such that you are granted permission for it and this permit in Democratic Republic of Congo costs $400 USD per person usually booked in advance before your trekking dates such that its processed in time.
Mountain Nyiragongo hiking. This is another exciting and adventurous activity to do while in Democratic Republic of Congo, it usually involves hiking up to the top of the popularly known active volcano in the Virunga Mountains of Democratic Republic of Congo. This adventurous hiking is usually done in two days whereby day one for hiking from starting point in Kibati up to the top of the Volcano for one night stays, then day two is for descending back to the starting point after an exciting night spending at the top.
A briefing about the journey is first conducted by the officials at the starting point before the journey is started and the briefing, a guide plus armed officers are assigned to group of trekkers to start the amazing journey up to the top, en-route stops overs are associated to rest a bit, refresh, stretch, ease yourself, eat, drink and then continue with the journey. This journey is associated with en-route game viewing.
This activity in Democratic Republic of Congo requires a hiking fee of $300 USD per person, Mikeno package which comprises of food cooked at the top, chef, drinking water, snacks, cooking utensils, some wearing gears like water proof jackets and more at a cost of $100 USD per person including its transportation from Mikeno lodge up to the starting point. Hiking stick is also important and it costs $5 USD per person and porters are available to carry your luggage up to the top and then back at a cost $24 USD per person.
