Kahuzi Biega National Park

Located in the south east of DE.Congo, Kahuzi Beiga National Park is the most popular destination in the world for lowland gorilla trekking.

Kahuzi Biega National Park is located in south east of Democratic Republic of Congo covering an area of approximately 6000 square kilometers, the park lies on the western bank of Lake Kivu about an hour drive from Bukavu town in the eastern part of the Demcoratic Republic of Congo. The park comprises of two volcanoes that is Mount Kahuzi at 3308 m and Beiga at 2790 m from which its gets its name by combining the names of the two.

Kahuzi Biega National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site protected mostly dense lowland rainforests, Afromontane forest, bamboo forests and small areas of sub-alpine prairies. Kahuzi Biega is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in Africa and the world as well, the park is also one of the most important sites in the Albertine Rift Valley. The transition from lowland to highland vegetation zones is clearly visible in Kahuzi Biega, there are six distinct types of primary vegetation in the park including swamp and peat bogs, swamo forests, high-altitude rainforests, mountain rainforests, bamboo forests, subalpine heather and senecio Kahuzicus which grows on the summits of Mount Kahuzi and Biega at 2,600 meters.

The park’s mountains, forest floors, marshlands and vast swamps are home to 137 mammals and 350 bird species.

Wildlife in Kahuzi Biega National Park

The main attraction in Kahuzi Biega National Park is the Eastern lowland gorillas.

Kahuzi Biega National Park is divided into two sectors that is the highlands and the lowlands where the eastern lowland gorillas live, in the highlands there have been about 170 recorded individuals and in the lowlands, it has been difficult to estimate the number of the individuals in this specific area.

Other primates found in Kahuzi Biega National Park include Angolan Black Monkeys, blue monkeys, Bosman’s Potto, Chimpanzees, Dent’s Mona, red-tailed monkeys and owl-faced monkeys.

There are also mammal species in the park which include Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopard, Giant forest hog, Hippopotamus, Lowland Bongo among others.

Birds in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Kahuzi Biega National Park is home to many endemic birds in Congo, the park is home to 349 bird species of which 42 are endemic. These birds include Red-eyed Dove, Handsome Francolin, Black Cuckoo, Black-billed Turaco, Martial Eagle, Bar-tailed Trogon, Grey-cheeked hornbill, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Elliot’s woodpecker, Yellow-billed barbet, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Hobby, Grauer’s broadbill, Black Cuckooshrike, African Golden Oriole, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Albertine Sooty Boubou, Northern Fiscal, Rufous-vented Paradise-flycatcher, Golden-winged Sunbird, Preuss’s weaver, Yellow-bellied waxbill, African pipit, Western Citril, White-tipped Crested-flycatcher, Eastern Nicator, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Bracken Warbler, Barn Swallow, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Neumann’s Bush Warbler, African Yellow White-eye, Sharpe’s Sterling, Equatorial Akalat and African Thrush among others.

Activities in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking

Eastern Low gorilla trekking is the most sought for activity in Kahuzi Biega National Park offering visitors a chance to spot Grauer’s gorillas, the eastern lowland gorillas are larger than the mountain gorillas, they are endangered and face the possibility of extinction.

According to the census conducted in 2013 it discovered 145 individuals in the highland sector of the park, a great decline from the 600 first counted in 1990. Grauer’s gorillas face threats from poaching (young gorillas for trade), illegal cutting down of trees, encroachment on land for farming and mining coltan.

There are three fully habituated Grauer’s lowland gorilla groups full habituated and open to tourists in the highlands, tracking involves hiking through the dense tropical rainforest, swamps and even highlands depending on the last location of the gorilla group.

The tracking can take between thirty minutes to 6 hours and visitors are allowed to spend one hour interacting with the gorillas and taking pictures for memory purpose.

Gorilla tracking cost is $ 400 per person per trek.

Nature Walks

Nature walks in Kahuzi Beiga National Park are done on well-established trails that allow travelers to see the primates and birds, these are the same trails used for tracking the gorillas and border patrols by the park rangers. Nature walks are done in company of experienced park guides, you can use the Marais Musisi Trail or the Tshibati Waterfalls Trail that go through swamps, bamboo forests and you get to see 3 beautiful waterfalls.

Watch out for primates like chimpanzees and small monkeys.

Mountain Hiking

Mountain hiking is one the adventurous activities to do in Kahuzi Biega National Park offering breathtaking views of the town of Bukavu and Lake Kivu, reaching the summit of 3,308 meters takes about four hours while climbing down takes three hours.

While climbing and descending down, you will bypass sub-alpine vegetation and bamboo forest filled with birds and other creatures. Mount Beiga is at 2790 meters high and it takes about six hours to climb up and down the mountain, the vegetation spotted while climbing up mount Beiga is quite different from that found in Mount Kahuzi.

Another Mountain suitable for climbing in Kahuzi Beiga is Mount Bugulumiza at 2400 m high, it offers great views of the surrounding landscape include the mountains Biega and Kahuzi as well as the vast tropical rainforest dominating the park.

Climbing up and down the Mount Bugulumiza takes 3 hours.

Bird watching

Kahuzi- Beiga National Park is a great birding destination with morning and evening bird watching excursions to spot beautiful bird species like Red-eyed Dove, Handsome Francolin, Black Cuckoo, Black-billed Turaco, Martial Eagle, Bar-tailed Trogon, Grey-cheeked hornbill, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Elliot’s woodpecker, Yellow-billed barbet, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Hobby, Grauer’s broadbill, Black Cuckooshrike, African Golden Oriole, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Albertine Sooty Boubou, Northern Fiscal, Rufous-vented Paradise-flycatcher, Golden-winged Sunbird, Preuss’s weaver, Yellow-bellied waxbill, African pipit, Western Citril among others.

Bird watching can be done during forest and nature walks

Visit the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre

This center is situated close to the park headquarters and takes care of chimpanzees and other small primates that have lost their parents mainly due to poaching, the center offers opportunities to volunteer and learn about primates and their conservation.

How to Get to Kahuzi Biega National Park

Before traveling to Kahuzi Biega National Park, one needs to acquire Congo visa which costs $ 115.

The best route to travel to Kahuzi- Beiga National Park is from Kigali to Congo using the border of Cyangingu and then to the town of Bukavu. Most international tourists land at Kigali International Airport and then head to Bukavu (most especially for those who land in the afternoon or evening), it is important to rest for the night and head to Bukavu the next day because the driving time from Kigali to Congo border is seven hours.

Travelers from Burundi can use the Uvira border and those arriving through Goma can use the Lake Kivu road, the Uganda route involves entering Rwanda at the Cyanika border and then rest for the night in Musanze before heading to Bukavu the next day. The road from Bukavu to the park entrance in Tshvinga is good and one can use a bus, taxi or hire a car.

Transport by boat and air is also possible, the cost of the daily speed boat trip from Goma to Bukavi is about $ 50. It is important to note that the tickets from ports in Goma and Bukavu at least a day in advance just to be sure.

The airport in Goma has daily flights to Bujumbura, Rwanda and Entebbe in Uganda.

Where to Stay in Kahuzi Biega National Park

There are several good hotels and lodges available while on your safari in Kahuzi Biega National Park in Bukavu Town, normally tourists sleep in hotels in Bukavu and head to the park early in the morning for activities.

These accommodation facilities range from budget, midrange to luxury and they include

• L’Orchids Safari Club
• Coco Lodge Bukavu
• Hotel Begonias Bukavu
• Lake Side Hotel Bukavu
• Exodus Bukavu