Kahuzi-Biega National Park is the new tourist destination in East and Central Africa for an extraordinary experience with eastern lowland gorillas (gorilla berengei Graueri) living in their last refuge on planet earth. Its ancient extinct volcanoes invite you to climb Mount Kahuzi which culminates at 3308 meters above sea level and which offers a magnificent view of Lake Kivu and its surroundings. Its proximity to the picturesque town of Bukavu, located directly on the Rwandan Congolese border, is an added value to this exceptional tourist adventure.
The Kahuzi Biega invites visitors with an adventurous spirit to an unparalleled discovery.
The Park and its surroundings is a landscape and a megabiodiversity habitat that is located in the region of the great African lakes, which has today become a haven of peace that extends from Rwanda to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Kahuzi Biega is an enormous reservoir of natural, cultural and historical attractions, surrounded by a people recognized as one of the most welcoming, warm, on the African continent. The African Great Lakes region around the Park is undergoing transformation.
Things to See in Kahuzi Biega Park
Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking
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.
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.
Mount Kahuzi
Mount Kahuzi is one of the two dormant volcanoes in Kahuzi Biega national park. The mountain is an extinct volcano, standing at a height of 3,317 meters above sea leval. Visitors can engage in hiking activities on the mountain.
Mount Biega
In 1975, Kahuzi Forest reserve was extended to cover the areas of Mount Biega and its surroundings. The Biega Mountain is also an extinct Volcano elevated at a height of 2.790 meters above sea level and lies within the Mitumba Mountain ranges.