There are lots of things to do in Kahuzi Biega National Park. The most popular adventure activity is gorilla trekking, trips that aim at tracking the eastern lowland gorillas witin the park.
Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Congo.
Kahuzi-Biega national park is the only national park in Congo where visitors have the opportunity to track the famous eastern lowland gorillas in their natural habitat. It also has the highest population of eastern lowland gorillas, consisting of about 250 individuals. The species, which is also known as Grauer’s gorilla, is the largest of the four gorilla subspecies which include Mountain gorillas, western lowland gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas and the cross river gorilla. The eastern lowland gorilla mainly feeds on fruit, bamboo shoots and other herbaceous materials. A majority of the lowland gorillas in the park have been habituated which means that they are quite comfortable being in the presence people. There are several Congo safaris that focus on eastern lowland gorilla tracking due to the fact that Bukavu is more peaceful than other areas in Eastern Congo.
Eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi-Biega national park costs USD 400 per person for a gorilla permit. Trekking usually begins early mornings at 7am with a briefing. Trekkers are then placed in groups consisting of a maximum of 8 members. Trekking eastern lowland gorillas in the park can take between 4 to 6 hours or more depending on the location of the gorillas in the forest. Sometimes eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega can take even longer hours especially when the gorillas have moved deep into the forest in search for food, which tends to make tracking difficult for visitors especially if you are not in perfect physical and mental conditions.
Chimpanzee trekking at Lwiro Sanctuary
Visiting Lwiro primate Rehabilitation Centre, this is a conservation sanctuary for chimpanzees and other primate mammals that have been rescued from poaching. The sanctuary gives an opportunity to travelers to encounter with a lot of primates as well participating in the conservation practice of the touched primates.
Camping Safaris in Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Camping safaris in Kahuzi-Biega national park are one of a kind. Campers get to enjoy spending quality and quite time with nature. Get an opportunity to wake up to the blissful sights and sounds of birds whistling, chipping and singing in the morning as the sun rises above the horizons. Tourists who love to be amidst nature and wish to explore the tropical forests in the national park can pay for camping activities which cost USD 100 dollars per person per day and is inclusive of food and a park guide. However, tourists who wish to camp in the park must bring along their own tent and sleeping bag, or hire them from the park at a cost of USD 5 dollars per person per night, for each.
Community/Cultural Tours
Community/ Cultural tours in Kahuzi- Biega national park offer visitors an opportunity to mingle with locals living in communities near the national park. Cultural encounters in the park are a great way for visitors to learn more about the different ethnic cultures in Congo and how the local people get to spend the day-to-day lives.
Watch dance and singing performances from local dance troupes, put your creativity to the test by making local arts and crafts like baskets, beads, necklaces, earrings, and clothes using locally sourced materials such as recycled paper, sisal, papyrus and Kinteges. Visitors also have an opportunity to learn how to cook traditional Congolese delicacies and share a meal with a local family.
Bird Watching
Visitors who love watching birds will find Kahuzi-Biega national park in Congo an ideal spot to partake in birding activities since the park is home to over 349 species of birds. Tourists on a bird watching safari in the national park, have high chances of spotting bird species like; the Congo pea fowl, Ruwenzori Turaco and the trogons among others.
Hiking Mountains Kahuzi and Biega
The Mitumba Mountain ranges provide the iconic spot for hiking adventure safaris for any tourist visiting the national park. Visitors can hike through the forest vegetation and explore the beautiful scenery and wildlife of the park. Tourists on holiday in the park can also hike to the Kibatu waterfalls at a price of USD 35 dollars per person, while hiking the mountain ascents of Kahuzi or Biega will cost US$ 100 dollars per person.
Nature walk
Tshe only way to explore mount Kahuzi Biega national park is through guided nature walks with a park ranger guide. Nature walks will offer travelers an opportunity to encounter with other birdlife in the tropical rainforest of the park, other wildlife animals besides the lowland gorillas such as the forest elephants, the antelopes, buffaloes, primates such as chimpanzees, the white and black colobus monkeys, the red tailed monkeys, the L’Hoest’s monkeys, the blue monkeys among others. Nature walks can give an insight to interact the local community as well as its people and culture.
Boat cruise on Lake Kivu
Tourists visiting the park can opt to go on a boat cruise on Lake Kivu which is shared by Congo and Rwanda. This activity costs US$ 60 dollars per person and is best done after trekking gorillas in the national park.