Filming in Garamba National Park in DR.Congo

Are you looking for filming safari in Garamba National Park in Democratic Repubic of Congo? Garamba national park is one of the oldest national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo where you can go for wildlife safaris as well as filming adventures. Found in the Orientale region of the DR. Congo, Garamba National Park was established in 1935, making it the third oldest national park in the DR. Congo after the Odzala National Park and Virunga National Park. The park has not yet been fully exploited for tourism activities because of its limited access in terms of roads and hotel establishments.

Garamba National Park is known for having the rare white rhinos, and visitors who go to this park will mostly go and exploit the park for rhino tracking. Garamba National Park in Congo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was because of the species of international importance that it contained, especially the white rhinos, which needed to be reserved and protected.

Garamba National Park is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s northwestern party, between the boundary zone of the major tropical rain forests within the Congo basin and the Gunea-Sudan savannah grassland.Garamba is the home of the Northern White Rhinos and other rare species, such as the rare and endemic subspecies of the Congolese giraffe, and a lot of elephants, such as the bush elephants and forest elephants.

The Garamba National Park features a lot of habitats, which include the grassland, the vast savannah grasslands, the woodland species, and some of the gallery forest patches that are found along the river banks and the swampy wetland. Therefore, we can also say that the park features elephants, hippopotamus, giraffes, and the white rhinoceros, which is so important.

What will be in your Garamba National Park filming mix?

Garamba National Park is one of the best filming destinations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and most of the international filming companies have come to shoot some quality videos in the Garamaba National Park, with the most recent one being the National Geographical Documentary films, which were shot in this national park. While filming in Garamba National Park, you will be able to capture various species, including the activities that the rangers do to protect the wildlife within the park and other wildlife species that are hosted by the national park, which include leopards, African forest elephants, and bush big cats, among others. Because of these, the Garamba National Park is regarded as the best wildlife destination where you can visit and film, and this is very interesting.

What to film in Garamba National Park in DR. Congo?

There are a lot of things that you can film while in Garamba National Park for filming, and the following are some of the species that you can film within the park.

Filming hyenas in Garamba National Park, Congo: Garamba National Park features hyenas, which can provide good shots while filming, and this is very interesting. Hyenas are some of the cats that we have in Garamba National Park because the park has prey that the hyenas can feed on.

Filming huge forest elephants in Garamba National Park: This is one of the big 5 animals of Africa, and Garamba National Park features these wonderful, huge African elephants in the open savannah grassland. They offer wonderful filming opportunities back in Garamba National Park.

Filming giraffes in Garamba National Park: These are the tallest animals that are found within the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and visitors wishing to film in this park will be able to come on and film these giraffes.

Filming bird species in Garamba National Park: Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo harbors more than 286 species of birds, including notable secretary birds, which can be found within the park.

Other activities to film in Garamba National Park: Other species that you can film within the Garamba National Park include giant forest hogs, hippopotamus, lions, antelopes, and buffaloes, among others. Enjoy the Kordofan subspecies and it offers one of the national parks with the largest population of elephants remaining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Garamba National Park was affected by the civil unrest in Congo as well as rampant poaching, which was done by both Congolese and South Sudanese hunters, and this totally reduced the population of the wildlife within the park. But with the park taken over by African parks, the population of the wildlife is increasing and very many visitors are now visiting the Garamba National Park for filming activities.

What is the cost of filming in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

All the visitors going on the filming adventure in the Democratic Republic of Congo must obtain valid filming permits. If you’re filming for personal use, you will just need to pay the park entrance fees and then the fees and do the activity, while if you’re filming for commercial purposes or documentary, it will be the Institut Congolais Pour la Conservation de la Nature that will issue the filming permit, depending on which destination you’re going to do the filming from. But generally, you will need to pay the park entrance fees and then a percentage levied for filming, as it will be well explained by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature. We engage with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature to ensure that we get for you the right and affordable Congo filming permit.

What do you need to film in Garamba National Park?

The first requirement is to obtain filming permits and clearance.

For any related filming safari activity to be done in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in Garamba National Park, all the filming crew members have and possess the filming permits and these are provided with permission by the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo in order for you to continue with your filing in Garamba National Park. Other than the filming permits, you will also need to have your filming equipment cleared at any point of entry in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whether through the international airport or by using the land borders. The filming equipment is supposed to be cleared by the customs department, which is always stationed at the point of entry.

Therefore, as Africa Adventure Vacations, this is where we can help you a lot. By merely informing us of your intentions to do filming in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we are very experienced in organizing for you the whole adventure activity, including processing for you the filming permits required, organizing for you the accommodation facilities, transportation, help in obtaining for you the local authorities permits, as well as aiding you in the clearance of your filming equipment with the customs department of the Democratic Republic of Congo at your point of entry.

With the Democratic Republic of Congo filming procedures, there is no formal process for the filming permits allocation and thus this is handled by negotiations between the parties, and at Africa Adventure Vacations, we are experienced in doing this. Also, the DR.Congo government doesn’t authorize filming in the areas of interest, especially filming the military installation projects, filming of government buildings, as well as filming along the border areas, and this is illegal and you may be penalized in the courts of law or even have your equipment confiscated. If you want to do filming that will require you to shoot by the use of drones, market filming, or filming alongside the road whereby you will inconvenience traffic, such as filming in the cities or those in the national parks, then you will also need to get permission from the local authorities. To avoid inconveniences, you will need to contact Africa Adventure Vacations so that we can advise you accordingly when to do filming in Garamba National Park.

Visas and work permits are required as part of the second requirement.

As you are aware, it is illegal to enter another country without a visa. It is important that all the film crew members obtain the visa to be allowed into DR. Congo. For the neighboring Congo countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, you can get the visa immediately on arrival. For the DR Congo Visa, it’s a different story. Rather, you must apply for the visa in advance through your nearby DR Congo Embassy. The single entry visa in Congo costs $100 and is valid for one month. The one valid for two months costs $135, while for the one valid for six months, you will need to pay $400. The important thing to note is that the DR. Congo Visa will need to be applied for in advance, about 3 weeks or a month before your planned dates of travel to Congo for the filming, since this Visa cannot be issued on arrival as it is in her neighboring countries. The film crew members will not be allowed to enter the Democratic Republic of Congo to do filming activities in Garamba National Park without a visa. Another document here is the yellow fever vaccination card, and thus, please contact us at Africa Adventure Vacations for the best filming opportunities in DR. Congo.

Requirement 3: You need to hire the vehicles for filming in Garamba National Park.

Yes, at Africa Adventure Vacations, we make sure that we make transport arrangements for you such that when you are in the Democratic Republic of Congo for filming, you don’t get stranded. We have got our own fleet of cars and we book and arrange the vehicle services for the film crew members depending on their interests, budgets, and the terrain of the area that is going to be filmed. For the film crew members going to film in the rough terrain, we advise them to use the 44 wheel drive vehicle that will be able to navigate the hilly terrain, especially in the Garamba National Park. We shall be able to tell you how much it cost in terms of the furl and the mileage covered in order to determine how much you will spend on the vehicle per day. Africa Adventure Vacations also organizes both chartered and scheduled flights within the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially for visitors who are interested in flying and do not have the time to drive long distances on the road.

Our hired vehicles will be manned by a well-experienced driver guide who has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo and knows all the corners of the country from the point of arrival up to the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The driver fixer will be able to share with you the basic information about the Democratic Republic of Congo and will give you all the solutions required when it comes to film fixing, so you are lucky to book your Garamba National Park filming safaris with Africa Adventure Vacations.

Is filming in Garamba National Park safe?

It is very safe. Well, we all know that over recent years, DR. Congo has been affected by instabilities which have threatened investors as well as the tourism industry in the country. Such instabilities and disasters have come because of Ebola and other rebellion conflicts which have halted the filming process in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, as of recently, the Congo has returned to peace, with only a few cases of insecurity, and the filming industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is safe and thriving, so we can assure you that filming in Garamba National Park is safe.As Africa Adventure Vacations, we keep tracking and monitoring any security threats from time to time, and we are very cautious in that anytime we feel a threat, we can let you know. This advisory service is always given before the filming in Garamba National Park starts. Always contact us at African Adventure Vacations for more information about filming in Garamba National Park.

How to get to Garamba National Park?

The film crew members can get to Garamba National Park through both road and air transport. Visitors can take a flight to Kinshasha city and later drive on the road to the park. Visitors can take the domestic flight to Aru and then drive to Nagero, but you need to use a strong 4×4 wheel drive because the roads are not yet developed and they become impassable, especially during the dry season.

What to wear during filming in Garamba National Park in Congo?

In order to have a successful filming safari in Garamba national park in Congo, there are some of the items that you should not miss from your packing list, especially the right dressing code depending on the conditions available. Therefore, our visitors or the film crew members should put on or come with the following during filming:

• You need to wear long-sleeved shirts or long trousers while filming. It is good when they are waterproof, as these will protect you from being harmed by sharp tree branches and stones as well as thorns while in the Congo wildness filming.

• You need to wear water-proof shoes during filming. This will help you to navigate through the slippery trails that you will be following while filming in Congo as these will give you stability on the ground.

• Don’t miss out on putting on the gardening gloves when filming, which will be so influential in protecting your hands, and you can put them off when you feel you no longer need them.

• You also need to come with a rain jacket because, in most cases, filming is done in the tropical rain forests that are always wet, and this is why putting on a rain jacket is of great help to you.

• Since filming is always done in the wild, it is good that you have insect repellent with you to safe guard against various insects such as mosquitoes and any other biting insects.

Other clothes that you should not leave out are the water-proof safari back and jacket, as this will help protect your filming equipment from getting in touch with water. You can also put on the African safari hat, safari socks, and shorts that you can sometimes put on, among others.

Where to stay during filming in Garamba National Park?

The film crew members heading for filming in Garamba national park will have to choose some of the lodging options from luxury, budget and midrange lodges and hotels. You can stay at La Trompette hotel, Flat Petit Zoo, Hotel Kisangani, Plaza hotel, New Cosmos hotel, among other lodges. We shall help you to book and reserve any lodge of your choice. We also have tented camps where you can stay at your destination, which is so interesting and also gives you a wonderful experience.

What is the best time for filming in Garamba National Park?

Filming in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is done throughout the year. However, it has been established that the best time to film in Garamba National Park is during the dry season, which runs from June to October and then from December to February. The Democratic Republic of Congo is covered with tropical rain forest and this has influenced the country to experience the tropical rain climate, meaning that at times you can also experience certain rains unexpectedly. Therefore, you need to prepare accordingly for the changing weather conditions.

Why should you choose Africa Adventure Vacations for your filming safaris?

Africa Adventure Vacations is a local company based in Uganda but operates in East African countries that include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Africa, and we have over 10 years’ experience in aiding filming and production companies, especially those interested in filming nature-related wildlife and the culture of Africa. We provide services such as booking for the filming permits, clearing of the filming equipment, booking for the accommodation facilities, organizing transportation to the filming companies, all in the shortest period of time. We organize other wildlife packages to all of the above-mentioned countries, including gorilla packages to Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therefore, you should not hesitate to choose us to be your film fixers in East Africa.