Kahuzi-Biega National Park — Attraction in Kabare (chefferie)

The Kahuzi Biega national park is one of the few places where tourists can visit the Congolese rain forest and witness the natural beauty of this country first hand. The park offers 2 weeks tourists visa to enter DRC, which otherwise is very difficult to visit as a tourist. The park is very large, although just a small portion of it is accessible to visitors. I have been here on several occasions in the past year, and overall had good experience. The hike up to Mount Kahuzi is amazing. It's a long, strenuous hike, through thick forest and up steep hills. But the views are amazing, and you really feel like you're in the jungle. The guides and guards that accompanied us were great. I can highly recommend doing this hike, if you're fit enough.

However, most visitors come here for seeing the gorillas. Which we also did on a different occasion. Unfortunately, this was a lot less fun and interesting than we expected. The park has chosen two gorilla families that they always visit with tourists. These families have become completely adjusted and comfortable around humans. We found 1 family, less than 5 kilometers from the park entrance, only about 10 meters from the main road. Our guides lead us into the bush and singled out the dominant male of the group. For the next hour, we relentlessly chased this gorilla through the forest. The guides hacked a way into the bush using machettes. The gorilla seemed to completely ignore us and we were able to get very close (1-2 meters). This felt very strange and unreal. The poor gorilla had completely become habituated to humans, and could hardly be called "wild" anymore. We were with a big group, 10 visitors and 5 guards, way too big in my opinion. We walked in a long line, the back of the line could barely see the animal. The guards that were with us did not tell us anything interesting about the gorilla's, they seemed to be focused only on pushing the tourists as close to the gorilla as they could, and kept urging us to take pictures and videos. After an hour of pestering the poor gorilla, we suddenly stopped, and the group returned to the camp. It was over. The whole tour has lasted less than 2 hours and cost us 400 USD per person.

We felt very annoyed, sad, disappointed and upset about the tour. The national park does not seem to regard the welfare of the animals as something important. Income from tourists seems to be their main motivation. If you have it on your bucket list to see a wild gorilla for a relatively "low" price, this is your chance. Just be aware that the animals are barely wild, and the trip will likely leave you with a sour and bittersweet aftertaste.

Still, the park is worth a visit. The hiking is amazing, and there also pretty nice options for accommodation (little bungalow for 120 USD/night, pre-set up tent for 80 USD/night), located on the edge...

Amazing experience! Personally strongly recommend. I paid US$400, then I got 1 driver and 6 Gorilla Guards with me as my guide. But please Go to Bukavu only from Rwanda, DO NOT recommend take the road from Uvira to Bukavu, it's dangerous, risky, and suffering (Yes, I took this one, twice). In Bukavu you can find a taxi to this national park for round trip around USD 70-100, negotiable (If you are a super budget traveller, motorcycle taxi is another option, the price could be around US$10-15, I guess). Congo is not an ordinary country, it's the most risky country that I've been to (much much more risky than Johannesburg and Rio de Janeiro ), so I strongly recommend take a tour or a local guide if the price is reasonable. The Gorillas Guardians in the national park are really very nice, their pay is US$18 per month, don't hesitate to tip them if you have a wonderful trip. I am a solo backpacker but I eventually hire a local person as my guide because CONGO IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS for Mzungu, 100% not joking, during my short stay in Congo from Christmas to New Year Eve, 3 Congolese citizens were killed in a week on the road because the robbery of soldier. Get a guide will make everything easier and higher...

I remember the images of the Congo from my childhood, the gorillas, the impenetrable jungle, the wild creatures, inaccessible. Now you come to this place in person like Kahuzi Biega National Park, these images come back to life in your mind and you understand that imagination and reality are close together. With every step you take deeper into the forest, your soul and heart are swallowed up as quickly as by the plants behind you, which grow almost in seconds. Nothing matters anymore from the world you came from, here you are and you are nothing when the creatures emerge from the thicket. Without fear, without aggression, without bad thoughts, in peace and care for each other. They say they are our ancestors, hard to imagine..... Places or rather such paradises on our planet are becoming more and more rare because we do not know how to preserve and protect them, only a handful of people do so. They deserve our thanks for the dangers, even of their own lives, their faith in what they do. Have the opportunity to visit Kahuzi Biega NP and support what is really important for all of us! Kahuzi Biega NP, merci beaucoup pour votre travail! Asante kwa...