Best time to visit Kahuzi Biega national park
What is the best time to visit Kahuzi Biega national park? Most travelers normally ask about the best time to visit the park for different activities. Yes, you can go at any time of the year but the best time is the dry season which occurs in June, July, August, December, January, and February.
There are two dry seasons in Kahuzi Biega national park. The long dry season of June to September and the shorter season of December to February. During these seasons, there is little or no rainfall in the park and this won’t affect the activities in the park most especially trekking and hiking. The hiking and trekking trails are dry and this means you will carry out the activity and come back clean because the vegetation is not wet and the trails are not muddy and slippery but dry.
A lot of travelers come to Kahuzi Biega national park from June to September and December to February. These months are considered to be the high season and it’s when most of the travelers visit the park. There are a few travelers that come in March to May and October to November to enjoy huge discounts on trekking permits and accommodation facilities.
Visiting Kahuzi Biega national park in the dry season.
The dry season in Kahuzi Biega national park occurs from June to September and December to November. The benefit of visiting the park in the dry season is that the activities do take place you keep dry and clean throughout the day. Kahuzi Biega national park being a forested area, yes it can rain at any day but the chances of raining are very low.
The trekking and hiking trails in this park stay dry and less slippery which means that the activities will be done with ease and comfortability. Carrying out most of the park activities not expecting any rainfall to disrupt the activity gives you the best moments of the safari. During the dry season, the animals along the trails are seen clearly since the vegetation is short and the skies are clear.
The only disadvantage that can be faced during the dry season is that the participants in most of the park activities are so many and this might not work for those that love small groups however some people can benefit by making friends in big groups.
Visiting Kahuzi Biega national park in the rainy season
It’s the discounted gorilla permits and accommodation facilities that normally attract tourists to Kahuzi Biega national park. During the rainy season, the visitors in the park are very small and at any time of the day, it can rain and this can affect the park activities such as hiking, trekking and nature walks since the trekking trails became money and slippery affecting the speed at which activities must be done.
Attractions in Kahuzi Biega national park
There are so many attractions in Kahuzi Biega national park and they do include Mount Kahuzi, Mount Biega, primates, birds, and different park animals. Animals in Kahuzi Biega national park include chimpanzees, buffaloes, bongo, bush elephants, civet, hippos, maclaud’s horsehoe bat, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, giant forest hogs, and giant forest hogs among others.
Popular activities in Kahuzi Biega national park
Eastern lowland chimpanzee trekking: This is the most done activity in Kahuzi Biega national park, the forest is a home to chimpanzees which can be seen during the trekking activity. The national park is home to 12 gorilla families with only 5 open for trekking at all times of the year.
The gorilla trekking activity in Kahuzi Biega national park involves a ranger guide taking you through different hiking trails tracking down eastern lowland gorillas. During the search, the trekkers are able to meet different park animals like buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, duikers, monkeys, birds, and different vegetation covers.
Trekking takes 2-6 hours and once the gorillas are located, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be around them, learn about their habits, take photos, and watch them do daily activities such as hunting, nesting, breastfeeding, coupling, and much more. To spend time with gorillas, you need a permit which costs $450 in the dry season and $200 in the low season.
Bird watching: Kahuzi Biega national park is listed among the best birding destinations in DR Congo with over 450 bird species of which 24 are endemic to the Albertine region. Birds in Kahuzi Biega national park include shelley’s crimson wing, Congo peafowl, rockefeller’s African broad bill, grauer’s broadbill, Rwenzori turaco, yellow-crested helmet, hadeda ibis, mountain illadopsis, yellow- rumped tinkerbird, common waxbill, and red-eyed dove among others.
Hiking: Kahuzi Biega national park hosts 2 mountains Kahuzi and Biega which are available for hiking purposes. Mount Kahuzi is 3308 meters above the ground and hiking it takes 3-4 hours while Mount Biega is 2790 meters and hiking takes 3 hours. Hiking these mountains gives you an opportunity to have an aerial view of Lake Kivu, Bukavu town, plantations, homesteads, Virunga volcanoes, and much more.
Where to stay on a safari Kahuzi Biega national park?
The accommodation options in Kahuzi Biega national park are split into different parts around the national park. The lodges cater for budget, mid-range, and luxury travelers, and where to stay does depend on a lot of factors such as budget, group size, and the number of days to stay. The accommodation options include L’Orchids Safari Club, Hotel Begonias, Lake Side Hotel, Exodus Hotel, and Coco Lodge among others.
How to access Kahuzi Biega national park?
The best way to get to Kahuzi Biega national park is traveling from Kigali of Rwanda. Tourists can fly to Kigali international airport and drive to Cyangungu border where they cross to Bukavu town. From Bukavu town, the national park is located 30 km and the driving time is one and a half hours.
Travelers that want to fly by air to Kahuzi Biega national park, can do this by flying to Kigali international airport first and then use another flight to take you to Goma international airport where you will meet your driver guide to transfer you to the park.
