Virunga National Park — Attraction in Bashu

Plus ancien Parc d’Afrique et le plus diversifié que notre agence Artemis Africa propose de vous faire découvrir sous toutes ses coutures ! The Park guide will give you a short introduction before starting the forest hike. He will cover the history, geography and some facts about the Gorilla family you will be visiting. The guide will also provide you with advice on how to behave when with the gorillas while in the jungle. Following the briefing you begin your journey along narrow jungle paths to meet the gorillas. Masks are worn to prevent gorillas from catching human disease. The length of this hike depends on the location of the gorillas. Some days they can be a 20-40 minute walk from the road into the Forest, other days it can take over an hour of walking to reach the gorillas as they are always on the move in search of food. When you enter the territory of the gorillas you will be welcomed by the enormous male silverback, making sure you are not a threat. After he accepts your presence a magical time observing the gorillas will begin, which is truly a once in a lifetime experience and you will have 1 hour in the forest with the gorillas. Gorillas are the largest of the apes and probably the most impressive, they are peaceful and shy animals. They are also our closest cousins after chimpanzees and bonobos (endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo). They play a crucial role in local biodiversity. By moving across large territories, they help, for example, to disseminate the seeds of the fruits they consume, and thus to the regeneration of forests. Today, gorillas are at risk from game hunting, habitat loss, animal trade and...

I visited Virunga DRC in August 2019, and it was a life-changing experience. First, Virunga DRC's Southern Sector features Mount Mikeno, Mount Nyurigongo, and Tchegera Island, all within miles from one another. Each of these destinations delivers experiences unlike any other I've had in my life. Mount Mikeno (of Ernie Hudson, 1995 "Congo" fame) delivers a safe but adventurous hike to visit some of the rarest, most compelling gorillas on the planet. For fans of the movie, no, there are not laser cannons and grey gorillas. Mount Nyurigongo is the hardest hike I've completed in my life, but it's absolutely worth it when you get to the top (see Google images). Tchegera Island is a serene island great for unwinding after your Mikeno and Nyurigongo experience. Our hosts, Benjamin and Alice, really made the experience special. Second, Virunga DRC felt completely safe the entire time that I was there. The Virunga rangers are legendary for their professionalism and commitment to protecting the park and its guests. When you drive with them in Goma, you'll get a sense that they are very well respected and that nothing will happen as long as you travel with them. Third, Virunga does a fantastic job of making an adventure comfortable at the right times. They feed you very well, the tents are downright luxurious at times (we had warm water for our full stay), and they even drop heaters in your cot at Kibumba Lodge on cool nights. Thank you Virunga for everything. I'd like to end with a special shout-out for our guide Tresure, you really made the experience...

Travelled here with my family in August the place is amazing, but my advice to any travellers is learn a bit of French, read some gorilla books and also at least one on DRC to get more out of it. The advantage of Virunga over other gorilla viewing experiences is that you can be sure of very small groups. In our case it was just the 4 of us plus the rangers. The park is stunning, gorilla experience magical but equally worth a visit is the village next to the park, make sure you walk down to the village and bring some biscuits for the kids. We brought footballs and pens at advice of Virunga - but they dont have the money for paper....So biscuits, clothes etc. would have probably been better. While its easy to come here and think and see only gorillas, without helping the people who live next to the park the likely hood is there will be no park, these people need the land that that is home to the gorillas as much as the...