Kahuzi Biega National Park

Kahuzi-Biega National Park lies near the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo next to Lake Kivu in the town of Bukavu. Kahuzi Biega is one of the largest national parks in Congo and was established in 1970 by Belgian wildlife conservationist and photographer Adrien Deschryver.

Kahuzi-Biega started as a forest and zoological reserve in 1937 under colonial rule by the Belgian government before further expansions were made to include all the surrounding vast forests, lowland areas and swamps that were home to the Grauer’s gorillas. About 137 species of mammals and 350 of birds have been recorded living on the Parks Mountains, forest floors, marshlands and vast swamps. The Eastern lowland gorilla is the most sought out mammal in the park. Lowland gorillas are found in two sectors of Kahuzi Biega National Park – The highlands and the lowlands. About 170 individuals have been recorded in the highlands. Estimating the number of individuals in the lowland areas of the park has been difficult because rebels/militias still roam that section.

The park management has improved park border patrols, earmarked park demarcations and carried out community sensitization about the importance of the wildlife for posterity. The park employs the local people who were evicted from the park and former poachers. Community leaders have been actively involved in the management of the park to create a sense of ownership and joint responsibility for conservation of the park resources.  Gorilla tourism in particular has benefited the locals by raising their incomes through selling food and souvenir to the hotels and tourists respectively..

Things to do in Kahuzi-Biega National Park

There are some people who assume all tourism related activities occur in Virunga National Park.  The Democratic Republic of Congo is a vast country with several National parks and reserves. Kahuzi-Biega National park is one of DR Congo’s hidden gems. It is a great park to visit and because it is less visited and remains relatively virgin with lush green forest, great mountainous landscape, lakes and rivers.

Eastern Lowland Gorilla Tracking: Most tourists who go to Kahuzi-Biega National Park do so to spot Grauer’s gorillas. Eastern lowland gorillas are larger than the mountain gorillas. The specie is making one of its last stands here and faces the possibility of extinction. Three Grauer’s lowland gorilla groups are fully habituated and open to tourists in the highlands. Tracking the gorillas involves hiking though the dense tropical rain forests, swamps and even highlands depending on the last location of the gorilla group. While tracking the gorillas, it is important to listen to the instructions of the rangers at all times.

Tracking can take anywhere between thirty minutes to 6 hours. You are only allowed one hour with the gorillas. Use this time to observe the family keenly. You should be able to spot juveniles playing, females nursing the young ones and the dominant silverback looking out for any danger to the family. You should also be able to identify the different individuals, personalities and group dynamics. By the end of the activity you will realize just how similar human beings are with gorillas and the more reason why we should protect them at all costs.

Nature Walks: The Park now has well established trails that take you to see the primates and birds. These are the same trails used for tracking the gorillas and border patrols by the park rangers. In the company of experienced park guides you can use the Marais Musisi Trail or use the Tshibati Waterfalls Trail that go through swamps, bamboo forests and 3 beautiful waterfalls. Watch out for primates like chimpanzee and small monkeys. Nature walks cost about $35.

Mountain hiking: Hiking up to the summit of Mount Kahuzi offers breathtaking views of the town of Bukavu and Lake Kivu. Reaching the summit (3,308 meters) takes about four hours while climbing down takes three hour. Why climbing and descending, you will bypass sub-alpine vegetation and bamboo forests filled with birds and other creatures. Mount Biega is 2790 meters high and it takes about six hours to climb up and down the mountain. The vegetation spotted while climbing up mount Biega is quite different from that found in Mount Kahuzi. Another mountain suitable for hiking is Mount Bugulumiza. At 2400 m high it offers great views of the surrounding landscape including the mountains Biega and Kahuzi as well as the vast tropical rain forests of the park. Climbing up and down the mount Bugulumiza takes 3 hours.

Birdwatching: There are morning and evening birding schedules to spot species like the African green broad bill, Congo peafowl and yellow crested helmet-shrike among others.  Bird-watching can be done during the forest and nature walks.

Visiting the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre: This centre is close to the national park  headquarters. The Centre takes care of chimpanzees and other small primates that have lost their parents mainly due to poaching. This centre offers opportunities to volunteer and learn about primates and their conservation.

Best time to visit Kahuzi Biega National Park

Safety is a concern for all tourists visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kahuzi Biega national park has been relatively peaceful in recent years compared to Virunga National Park which was closed recently The park management has taken great steps to guarantee the safety of tourists by securing the highland sector of the park. Tourists move with armed rangers whenever they go out for an activity. The border patrols and coordination with the local communities have ensured that the locations of any intruders in the park are known and action taken.

It is difficult to recommend the best time to go and visit Kahuzi Biega National Park because the park is located in a region with vast rain forest. The months between January and February are believed to be relatively dry while May to October is a period with more rains. Tourists should visit the park expecting rain at any time of the year. The rainy season transforms the park into perfect green with a lot of food which migratory birds love. Gorilla trekking is also best done during the rainy season because the gorillas are less mobile as food is in plenty.

Accommodation in Kahuzi Biega National Park

There are good hotels and lodges available while visiting Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Bukavu town. Tourists sleep in a hotel in Bukavu and head to the park early morning for activities. No hotels have been built in the park itself. Most of the hotels and lodges offer high quality services for budget, mid-range and high end rooms. Here are some of the hotels:-

L’Orchids Safari Club:

This is a luxury lodge built near the shores of the beautiful Lake Kivu. The serene and charming lakeside environment is very attractive to visitors. The hotel rooms are self-contained and very elegant offering a combination of African and contemporary designs. Visitors have a choice of both local and international food.

Coco Lodge Bukavu: This Lodge is built in the town of Bukavu which is near the park. There are 8 rooms that offer mid-range facilities. The rooms have both single and double beds that are furnished with African art, WiFi, televisions, hot/cold showers and toilets.

Hotel Begonias Bukavu: The hotels’ beautiful garden is the first thing that captures the attention of visitors. The rooms are excellent with friendly staffs that are on call day and night. The hotel offers a beautiful swimming pool for its residents.

Lake Side Hotel Bukavu:

This is one of the standout hotels in Bukavu. The hotel is strategically built near Lake Kivu to give clients great views of the lake and its islands. Food is delicious and can be served at the restaurant or in the room.

Exodus Bukavu:  This is a budget hotel built in the town center. It is perfect for visitors who wish to explore the small town before resting and heading out for activities in the park.

How to get to the park

This is a different procedure from that followed by parks outside DR Congo. The volatile situation in the Eastern part of the country has led to stringent security measures to protect the park, its officials and tourists. Crossing to Congo is also strictly supervised compared to Uganda, Rwanda or Kenya. The best way to cross the border is to arrange your tour with a tour company. If you are alone you need to move with an individual known to the Congolese border officials.

The best route is travel to Kahuzi-Biega is from Kigali to Congo using the border of Cyangungu and then to the town of Bukavu. Most international tourists land at Kigali Airport in the afternoon or evening. It is important to rest for the night and head for Bukavu the next day because the driving time from Kigali to the 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 resting for the night in Musanze before heading to Bukavu the next day. The road from Bukavu to the park entrance in Tshivanga is good and one can use a bus, taxi or hire a car.

It is important to book 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.