Filming in Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Filming in Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo- The film crew should not miss filming in the Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary while on safari in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Bonobos are great attractions in Kinshasa, Congo, and the sanctuary was named Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary, which means the Home of Bonobos in the Congo’s frequently used Lingala language.

The great banobos were hunted illegally for their meat, and when the parents were killed, their young ones were sold as pets. This is the reason why the Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary was set up to provide an orphanage for these banobos, especially the rescued ones. This sanctuary has played an important role in securing the lives of the bonobos. Currently, the Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary covers an area equivalent to 30 hectares of land full of forest, and you can explore the forest and see different feeding stations that the staff use to help track these big apes.

Filming bonobos is a great achievement since they are among the great apes behaving like human beings. These ages can only be found in the Congo Basin Rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the second largest forest in the whole world. The Bonobos are so passionate, and they are peaceful apes, so welcoming to strangers and visitors.

What will be the filming mix as you film Bonobos in DR. Congo?

Filming bonobos is so much adventure as you will take a documentary of the humans’ close relatives. They are friendly and they like playing games. They tend to avoid conflicts, and according to the research carried out, it has been found that bonobos are good Samaritans. This is according to the recent research findings released by Lola ya Bonoba sanctuary. The bonobos show great care for their families and friends, and they love sharing what they have with their counterparts. Therefore, you agree to come and film all these activities aimed at catering to and caring for the bonobos by the staff and the chimpanzees.

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 Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary-Congo?

The first requirement is to obtain filming permits and clearance.

For any related filming activity to be done in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary, all the filming crew members have and must obtain the gorilla trekking permits, chimpanzee trekking permits, or golden monkey trekking permits, in addition to 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 Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary. 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 do help you a lot. By merely informing us of your intentions to do mountain gorilla filming 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 clearing 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 mountain gorilla filming in Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary.

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 in the Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary 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 must hire vehicles for filming in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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 a 44 wheel drive vehicle that will be able to navigate the hilly terrain, especially in national parks. 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 Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary 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 filming safaris with Africa Adventure Vacations.

Is filming in the Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary 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 Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary is safe.As Africa Adventure Vacations, we keep tracking and monitoring any security threat from time to time, and we are very cautious in that anytime we feel the threat, we can let you know. This advisory service is always given before the mountain gorilla filming in Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary starts. Always contact us at African Adventure Vacations for more information about filming in Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary.

How to get to Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary for filming?

Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary is located in the west of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The film crew members will have to drive for just eight kilometers from the Matadi road, and from Kinshasa, you can get a car hire with a driver to Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary. This costs around US $100, and when it rains, you might need to hire a four-wheel drive vehicle, which costs about $250 on a daily basis.

Where to stay while filming at Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary?

You can find the lodges and accommodation facilities that can be found within Kinshasa town, such as the Grand Hotel De Kinshasa, Flat Hotel Kandolo, and Pullman Kinshasa Hotel, among other lodging facilities.

What to wear during filming in the Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary?

In order to have a successful filming safari in Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary 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.

What is the best time for filming in the Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary?

We can say that filming in the Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo is done throughout the year. However, it has been established that the best time to film in Loya Ya Bonobo Sanctuary 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 including Lomami national park 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.