What is Kahuzi Biega National Park Famous For?

What is Kahuzi Biega National Park Famous For? The name ‘Kahuzi Biega’ resonates with eastern lowland gorillas which happen to be the park’s main tourist attraction. Tourists fly thousands of miles every year just to be able to do lowland gorilla trekking in Congo distinguished Kahuzi Biega national park.

The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, near Bukavu town, on the western bank of Lake Kivu, close the Rwanda border. Adrien Deschryver, a Belgian conservationist and photographer, founded the park in 1970, and it takes its name from two dormant volcanoes, Mount Kahuzi (3,308M) and Mount Biega (2,790M), and it covers an area of 6,000 square kilometers, making it one of Congo’s largest national parks with both lowland and mountainous terrain.

What is Kahuzi Biega National Park Famous For?
Bukavu Town

 

In 1980, UNESCO declared Kahuzi-Biega National Park as a World Heritage Site for its unique rain forest ecosystem and for being home to critically endangered lowland gorillas (Gorilla Beringei Graueri). The park is split into two sections: highland and lowland. What is Kahuzi Biega national park in Congo famous for?

Kahuzi Biega National Park is famous for its large population of Eastern Lowland Gorillas.

The eastern lowland gorilla, sometimes known as Grauer’s gorilla, is the largest of the four gorilla subspecies. Its stocky body, massive hands, and short snout distinguish it from other gorillas. Eastern lowland gorillas, like other gorilla subspecies, survive mostly on fruit and other herbaceous materials, despite their size.

Gorilla trekking in Congo’s Kahuzi Biega national park is an experience with the last remaining eastern Lowland Gorillas, providing a stark difference between Mountain and Lowland Gorillas in Africa. Only two Gorilla Families, however, have been protected and are available for Gorilla Trekking to anyone who desire to venture into the bush. We noticed that Explore Rwanda Tours is the premier travel company offering Congo Safari Tours to Kahuzi Biega National Park and Lowland Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Congo.

Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park may be combined with Eastern Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park in Congo and a visit of Kigali City in Rwanda. To go gorilla trekking in Congo, first get a Gorilla Permit, which costs USD 400, and then spend your Safari Holiday seeing various Gorilla Families.

What is Kahuzi Biega National Park Famous For?
Eastern Lowland Gorillas

Kahuzi Biega National Park is also famous for its Lwiro Sanctuary.

For roughly US$ 600 per person, visitors to Kahuzi-Biega National Park can see habituated Chimpanzees in the Lwiro Sanctuary. Visitors to the primate rehabilitation center are given a history of the institution as well as conservation activities.

Kahuzi Biega is also famous for its mountaineering activities.

The Mitumba Mountain ranges provide an excellent place for hiking adventure safaris for any visitor visiting the national park. Hiking through the forest vegetation allows tourists to see the park’s breathtaking beauty and biodiversity. Tourists on holiday in the park may also climb to the Kibatu waterfalls for USD 25, while mountain climbs to Kahuzi or Biega cost US$ 100 per person.

Other Activities offered in Kahuzi Biega national park.

Aside from trekking lowland gorillas, lowland gorilla habituation and mountaineering, Kahuzi Biega national park in the eastern part of DR Congo also offers its visitors a variety of other interesting activities such as;

Boat Cruise excursions on Lake Kivu.

Visitors may enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Kivu, which is shared by Congo and Rwanda. This adventure, which costs US$ 50 per person, is best done after trekking gorillas in the national park.

Birding Tours

Visitors who like bird watching will find the park to be an ideal place for birding activities, since the region is home to 349 different bird species. Tourists on a bird watching safari in the national park are likely to encounter species like as the Congo pea fowl, Ruwenzori Turaco, and trogons, among others.

What is Kahuzi Biega National Park Famous For?
Congo pea fowl

Cultural/Community Tours.

Community/cultural excursions at Kahuzi-Biega National Park allow tourists to interact with residents living in communities surrounding the park.

Cultural exchanges in the park are an excellent method for tourists to learn more about the various ethnic groups in Congo and how the locals go about their daily lives. Watch local dance troupes perform dancing and singing, and test your creativity by crafting local arts and crafts like baskets, beads, necklaces, earrings, and outfits from of locally sourced materials like recycled paper, sisal, papyrus, and Kinteges. Visitors may also learn how to prepare traditional Congolese dishes and have a supper with a local family.

How to Get to Kahuzi Biega.

The majority of journeys to Kahuzi-Biega National Park begin in Rwanda, with pick-ups in Kigali or Gisenyi. Other travelers may decide to fly into Goma International Airport, where our company guide will be waiting for you. The Rusizi I route takes around 6-7 hours to get from Kigali City to Kamembe in Cyangugu town. Travelers will need to drive for around 112 hours to reach the national park after crossing the borders at Goma and Bukavu.

Alternatively, travellers can take a flight from Kigali Airport to Goma Airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is an excellent way of transportation to the DRC. Travelers may reach the national park by driving 230 kilometers from Goma.

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