Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

Kahuzi-Biéga National Park is a renowned protected area found near Bukavu town on the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kahuzi-Biéga National Park is located next to the western shore of Lake kivu and the Rwandan border. The National Park was established in 1970 mainly for the conservation of the endangered grauer’s gorillas also known as the low land gorillas. It was gazetted by the Belgian photographer and also a conservationist by the name of Adrien de Schryver. The National Park is quite a vast area covering about 6000sq.km.

The park is found in the southern province of Kivu in Bukavu town, some part of Kahuzi Biega is found in the mitumba mountain ranges within the Albertine Rift of the Great Rift Valley. However, the biggest part of Kahuzi Biega is lowland, but a small corridor of about 7.4km joins the mountainous area of eastern Congo; the mountainous area of this park covers an area of 600sq.km and the lowlands cover about 5400sq.km stretching from Bukavu town to Kisangani. The National Park is drained by the river Luka and river Lugulu which flow into the river Lualaba.

Kahuzi-Biéga National Park has over 136 mammals, but among all the mammals in the park, the gorillas stand out of the others. About a few years ago, this National Park had over 125 lowland gorillas, basing on the animal census in 2008. From the 1990s, there was a rapid reduction in the mountain gorilla population of Kahuzi Biega National Park. The reduction is greatly attributed to the political unrest in the country and poaching.

The National Park has other primate species that roam the eastern Congo forest. They include the eastern chimpanzees, and several red colobus monkeys, golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, and olive baboons among others. The low land grasslands of Kahuzi Biega are grazing grounds for bush elephants, bush buffaloes, antelopes, warthogs, aquatic civets, galagos, horseshoe bats, bus squirrels, and the Rwenzori otters among others.

Getting to Kahuzi Biega National Park

Kahuzi-Biéga National Park is reached in 30km from Bukavu town over a 1:30hr by road into the National Park. The National Park can be either accessed by air or by road, from the airport in kavumu and miti you can take the left and continue until you reach the visitor at Lwiro where the park headquarters are also found.

Activities in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

Eastern lowland gorillas are largest of all gorillas. A limited number of this gorilla species is hanging on life in the Kahuzi Biega National Park. Two families of Eastern lowland gorillas are habituated and available for travelers in need to visiting and interacting with them. Lowland gorilla trekking into the DR Congo in the Kahuzi Biega is one sure way of wandering into the rainforests and discovering the wild world reserved for those with high adventure adrenalin.

Hiking

The beauty of the Mitumba Mountain range and the iconic steep volcanic mountains is so captivating and inviting to adventure travelers. The travelers with high adventure adrenalin feel challenged and tempted to venture into the wilderness for scenic viewing and discovering what lies underneath. There are trail systems that travelers with resident guides follow to get to the summit of the mountains.

Bird watching safaris in Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

Kahuzi-Biéga National Park is a rich habitat to 349 bird species. This is a bird watching safari dream destination with high possibilities to spot birds resident in the forest, open grassland, woodland, in the highland or open water, and swamp and wetland vegetation. Kahuzi Biega National Park is the edge of the West African rainforest and close to East Africa savannas. There are high possibilities of spotting unique bird species from both regions. Congo peas fowl, Yellow crested helmet-shrike, Rockefellers, Ruwenzori Turacos, sunbirds and trogons are some birds spotted in the Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Nature walks

Kahuzi Biega National Park offers varied options of breathtaking sceneries and land feature that offer travelers choices of adventure and exploration. There are options of wandering into the lush grasslands or walking into the rainforests to get more personal and discover the beauty of nature and the wilderness. Some attractions are located off the roads and only accessible on foot. The travelers have a double blessing of body exercise and exploring the natures’ immeasurable beauty.

Camping safaris

The Kahuzi Biega is a destination that blows many travelers’ mind away. There seems to be something to keep every traveler yearning for more. Camping safaris in the heart of the wilderness is a safari activity with a mixture of adventure, discovery and appeal. Travelers just drown in the greenery of Congo wilderness in calm and pleasant weather and live their dream authentic African lifestyle.

Community tours around Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

The indigenous communities around Kahuzi Biega have different ethnic backgrounds, customs, rituals and lifestyles. Taking brief visits to select communities is an easy way of interacting with them, learn about their African roots and lifestyle and sharing in the life experiences. The communities engage travelers through music, songs, dance, storytelling, art, pass time games and other African ways of sharing information.