Bukima Tented Camp
Bukima Tented camp is a luxury accommodation facility located in Bukima Virunga national park DR Congo. The lodge derived its name from Bukima which means “Monkeys”.
Originally the lodge was built to house researchers of Virunga national park, Bukima tented camp is simple and charming with everything you would expect from a traditional tented camp. The mess tent act as the main building and has unique safari chairs designed in an African style at the lounge, an incredibly well-stocked bar with different liquors and large dining table at the restaurant where hearty three-course feasts appear like clockwork for lunch and dinner. The lodge also has a camp fire where guests gathers in the evening to share amazing stories while sipping some wines, Coffee and teas.
Rooms at the camp are very spacious and raised on platforms built in meru-style tents, dotted around the African bushes and overlooking the magnificent landscape of the park. The lodge has six tents and four are double rooms with king-size beds while the two have twin beds. All are extremely comfortable with en suite bathrooms, flushing loos & running water, hot water bottles are provided in the evening to warm guests over the chilly nights.
Rates for rooms at Bukima Tented Camp are $390 per room per night for single occupancy and $490 per room per night for double occupancy. These rates are based on full board (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) and inclusive of 16% government VAT. Prices are subject to change without prior notice.
Guests love staying at Bukima tented camp not because of its cosy and cool atmosphere, but also because of its unmatched location. During your stay, you enjoy the beautiful views of Virunga national park just from your room. A number of monkey and bird species can be spotted from the camp. Furthermore, the tent is surrounded by untamed nature and you can see Mount Mikeno rising 4440 m above the gorilla Sector and also Nyiragongo Volcano on the other side of the valley that turns the sky in all variations of red and orange due to the existence of the lava lake at the summit. The amazing sights you see at Bukima Tented camp makes a safari to Virunga national park even more wanted!
What to Do at Bukima Tented Camp
Without doubt, the main activity done while staying at the camp is mountain gorilla trekking. The location of the camp being so close to the forest sums up the wild experience incomparable to any other destination! The rangers will literally come to the lodge in the morning to collect you and transfer you to the starting point for a primate trek. Other activities include; bird watching, visiting Sekwekwe Gorilla Orphanage Centre, Community encounters, Chimpanzee tracking and Habituation, Exploring the trail to the park headquarters, hike to the top of mount Nyiragongo. Well, for better planning of your trip to Virunga national park, those interested in hiking Nyiragongo are advised to stay a night at Mikeno lodge after gorilla trekking. The trailhead to the volcano is easily accessed from Mikeno. Therefore, we would probably only recommend one or two nights at Bukima camp depending on how many treks you signed up for before heading to Mikeno lodge for another adventurous hiking tour.
Why Stay at Bukima Tented Camp?
Bukima is the closest lodge to the starting point for gorilla trekking, so it’s a good first stop on a Virunga trip.
It probably goes without saying, but a reminder that this a simple camp with simple facilities so don’t expect wifi or Nespresso machines.
Much to the disapproval of the wardens, the gorillas have sometimes been known to come straight into camp. Brilliant, thrilling and totally nerve-shattering all at the same time.