GORILLA TREKKING IN VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK
Virunga national park also known as Parc
National Des Virunga is Africa’s oldest and famous conservation area,
located in the Eastern part of Democratic Republic near the boarder of Rwanda. This
park is home to about a quarter of the world’s critically endangered mountain
gorillas, and travelers are starting to discover their way back to the long
forgotten D.R. Congo to view these endangered creatures.
Every avid traveler would like to
visit this natural gem in their life time because of its remarkable diversity
with one of the world’s critically endangered species, the mountain gorillas. Due to the inspirations that are always got from
this amazing bio diverse destination and being Africa’s oldest national park, Virunga
national park is listed under UNESCO World Heritage sites and recommended as
Africa’s most biologically diverse protected area.
After a year of closure, gorilla trekking
in Virunga national park resumed once again in 2017 becoming a major
breakthrough in this part of the country following political insurgencies that
prompted authorities to close the park. The closure resulted from intense
fights between the Congolese army and some rebel factions which prevented the
activities of gorilla trekking in this unexplored destination.
Take a unique opportunity and visit
the incredible Virunga national park which is arguably Africa’s most virgin national park with its magnificent
endangered mountain gorillas, diverse flora, rich fauna and the stunning views of
the glaciated Rwenzori Mountains and the marvelous Nyirangongo volcano with its
molten rocks where very few tourists have ventured.
This national park is a home to over
a quarter of the world’s estimated 800 mountain gorillas as per the 2010
gorilla census, coupled with many other unique ancient ape species that can be spotted
in this park, which include the eastern lowland
Grauers gorillas and the majestic Chimpanzees.
Virunga covers a total area of up
to 4,000 sq. Miles stretching from Lake Kivu in the south to the Rwenzori
mountain ranges in the north making it the largest conservation area in the
D.R. Congo and obviously one of the biggest in East Africa and Africa at large.
The Virunga region is an amalgam of
active, dormant and extinct volcanoes and home to the famous Virunga chain of
mountains which comprise of volcanic mountains - Muhabura, Sabyinyo, Gahinga,
Mikeno, Karisimbi, Bisoke, Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, amazing tropical forests,
grassland and woodland savannah, lava plateaus, wetlands, erosion valleys and
the glaciated peaks of Mountain Rwenzori and also inhabited with some
distinctive animal species like the endangered species of okapi that looks like
a zebra but closely related to the giraffe, large colonies of hippopotami, both
savannah and forest elephants, lions and distinctive bird species endemic to
the Virunga, Rwenzoris and Albertine rift.
This park is now the best possible destination
for adventurous travelers to visit the once again accessible southern section
of the Virunga National Park for the amazing Gorilla trekking experience. Gorilla
trekking takes place in Mikeno area, close to the park headquarters about two
hours’ drive from gateway town of Goma. With an early start you can visit the
gorillas as a day trip from Goma with good range of descent hotels like the
excellent Mikeno lodge situated close to the Gorillas habitat in lush tropical
woodland with stunning views over Virunga lowlands.
Gorilla trekking vacation in
Virunga is not only a perfect way to contribute towards saving the lives of
mountain gorillas but also to have an opportunity to enter into the jungles
which few travelers have trekked.
No comments:
Post a Comment