Congo National Parks
Congo National Parks: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo, is one of the most biodiverse countries, with vast national parks. The parks are home to several endangered species, seasonal species like the Barn swallow steppe buzzard, and many other European migratory species that can be seen when you visit the different national parks that the country has to showcase to observe several different attractions for a rewarding Congo safari for travelers interested in covering the hidden beauty and the different species.
With over 10 national parks, the country will give you the chance to observe and also embark on different safaris, like the primate safaris that will give you access to a number of endangered species, like the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. The hiking safaris that will lead you to the exceptional mountains like the Virunga mountains, which are a habitat to over 400 bird species, are for travelers interested in birding in Congo. Continue below for the major national parks in Congo that you should not miss out on your next expedition in Africa.
Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park is the most notable national park in the democratic republic of Congo, famous for being home to endangered mountain gorillas in Africa and the largest lake. For travelers interested in watching the mountain gorillas in Africa, you will enjoy participating in gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park because of the fact that you will watch the species in their natural habitat, but also because among the few African countries in Africa where travelers can participate in mountain gorilla trekking. Virunga National Park offers the cheapest gorilla permits at 400 USD, which is cheaper than gorilla trekking in Uganda, which can be carried out at 800usd and gorilla trekking in Rwanda at 1500usd making gorilla trekking in Congo the most affordable experience.
In Virunga National Park, you can participate in chimpanzee habituation, which will give you the chance to watch how the species is introduced and trained to get accustomed to human presence, which will give you authentic reactions of the species before they are used to human presence. The experience will give you four hours with the chimpanzee troop undergoing the habituation process, which is longer than the typical one hour you get to spend with the chimps during chimpanzee trekking.
Still in Virunga National Park, you will participate in hiking the Virunga mountains like Mount Mikeno, Mount Nyamuragira, and Mount Nyiragongo, which will offer rewarding views in the park, several monkey species, and bird species, among other attractions. The most sought-after mountain in the park is Mount Nyiragongo, which is home to the world’s largest lava lake that one can hike to watch lava boiling underneath the earth’s crust. You can also visit the Senkwenkwe gorilla orphanage, which will give you the chance to spend time with the orphaned gorillas, taking care of them. Other attractions that can be seen include over 350 bird species when you participate in birding in Congo
Kahuzi Biega National Park
Kahuzi Biega National Park is another rewarding national park in Congo, famous for the eastern lowland gorillas that can be seen in gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, which will give you access to the species for an hour, watching their behavior in the wild. You will also get to hike the dormant Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega, which will give you access to primates and different bird species. You will hike different trails that will lead to rewarding views of Lake Kivu, nature walks to enjoy the relaxing calm of nature, and many other rewarding activities.
Just next to Kahuzi Biega National Park, you can visit Lwiro chimpanzee sanctuary, where you have the opportunity to take care of orphaned chimpanzees by bottle feeding, cleaning their nests, and also get to play with them.
Other national parks in Congo that you can visit include Odzala-Kokoua national park, famous for the western lowland gorillas that can be seen during your gorilla trekking experience in Congo, and NNoubale-Ndoki national park, known for its high concentrations of Apes like the gorillas, different monkey species, and many others. Ntokou-Pikounda national park that is famous for its high concentration of the western lowland gorillas. Lekiti National Park has beautiful savannah plains open, making it quite easy for wildlife viewing when you participate in game drives in Congo. These and many different national parks will ensure that you have a time in Africa. Important to note about some of the national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the fact that they are found in rural areas, and some of them can be accessed by boat. Some of the national parks are closed to the public due to safety concerns, but those that are accessible to the public will give you the utmost safari experience as you discover several hidden gems.
