How to get to Kahuzi Biega National Park
How to get to Kahuzi Biega National Park: The park national park is located in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo and it is one of the biggest national parks in the country covering about 6,000 square kilometers of the tropical rain forest. The national park can be accessed by air, road and water even by visitors travelling from Rwanda and Uganda. Visitors travelling to the Kahuzi-Biega national park in Congo are always advised to travel with an experienced local guide or park ranger since they are well conversant with the travel routes to and within the national park.
Travelling to Kahuzi-Biega national park by Road.
Kahuzi- Biega is located about 40km west of Bukavu town and will take you about 1½ hours to get to the national park from Bukavu town. Travelers can opt to board a bus/ taxi or hire a car and drive about 230 kilometers from Goma to the park’s headquarters, which takes rough 5-6 hours of driving. However, tourists are not recommended to travel alone to the national park.
The park can also be accessed by road from Rwanda taking about 6-7 hours from Kigali City to Kamembe in Cyangugu town. You will then cross the border at Le Grand Barrier into Goma and drive Bukavu town where you will then drive to Kahuzi-Biega national park, about 1½ hours from Bukavu town.
Visitors can also get to Kahuzi-Biega from Uganda using the Cyanika border through Rwanda. Although this route is quite long, it offers visitors spectacular scenery along the way with an opportunity to incorporate Rwandan national parks like Volcanoes national park into your travel itinerary.
Travelling to the park by Air.
Most safaris to Congo, not excluding Kahuzi-Biega national park usually start in Kigali city in Rwanda. You can always book a flight from Kigali International Airport to Goma International Airport and then drive to the national park. This is a very convenient mode of transport to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Once in Goma, you can then drive about 230 kilometers to the national park.
Travelling to Kahuzi-Biega national park by Water.
Kahuzi park in Congo can be accessed by water. Visitors can board the ferry that cross from Goma to Bukavu which offers spectacular views of the Idjwi Island on Lake Kivu. You can also hire a speed boat which will take you about 3 hours to reach Bukavu and then drive about 40 kilometers to the park’s headquarters. Visitors travelling to the park by water can also use an ordinary boat which will take you about 4-5 hours to get to Bukavu and then drive to the park.
Attractions in Kahuzi- Biega National Park.
Attractions in Kahuzi-Biega in Congo include; Mount Kahuzi, Mount Biega, eastern lowland gorillas, primate species like the owl-faced monkey, Olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and many more. Other tourist attractions in the park include; bush buffalo, bongo, aquatic civet, bush elephant, African forest buffalo, hippopotamus and Maclaud’s horseshoe bat to mention but a few.
Activities offered in the park
When it comes to what to do during your visit to Kahuzi-Biega, there are quite a number of activities that you can do while visiting the park like; eastern lowland gorilla trekking, chimpanzee habituation, primate tracking, boat cruise, bird watching, mountain climbing, camping, cultural community tours, hiking and guided nature walks among others.
Accommodation in the park.
Accommodation facilities available to tourists visiting the park include; Mount Kahuzi Hotel, Hotel Begonias, Lodge Coco, Orchids Safari Club, Lakeside Hotel Bukavu and Hotel Exodus Bukavu. These accommodation facilities range from budget to mid-range and luxury options and offer visitors a wide range of services that are within your budget.
