Filming on the Ishasha River in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Filming on the Ishasha River in the Democratic Republic of Congo- The Ishasha River provides the best spot for filming in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The river forms one of the boundaries separating Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda from Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Ishasha River is a collection of wildlife species, especially elephants and buffaloes that come to the river to drink water, especially during the dry season. The river continues to the Queen Elizabeth National Park in the Ishasha sector, where you will get an opportunity to film the tree-climbing lions that are found within the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
What will be in your filming mix on the Ishasha River in Congo?
Based on the above narrative as described, the Ishasha river is important for the aquatic species and the bush animals that come to the river to drink water, especially during the dry conditions. Because of this, the Ishasha is good for tourism purposes, including filming. As you film on this river, your film mix will include, among other things, the crocodiles, a high concentration of hippopotamus, buffaloes, elephants, and other attractions. The river has been of great use to the filming industry as it provides a lot of the attractions that visitors can film for commercial film production purposes. There is no drought; the presence of the Ishasha River provides wonderful landscapes for you to provide classic scenes during Ishasha River filming.
What to see during filming on the Ishasha River?
There are a lot of various species that you can see on the Ishasha River during filming, and some of these include the various fishing spots and the fishermen across the Congo as they do their own business of fishing.
As you continue filming this deepest river, you will also film elephants, hippopotamus, crocodiles, and buffaloes sleeping on the river banks, among other species, which is so amazing and incredible. Stunningly, you will so enjoy the amazing and spectacular view of the tree-climbing lions. You will find this as you come close to the Ugandan side in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in the Ishasha sector. Enjoy the spectacular views of the neighboring country, which also provide the stunning views of the filming crew.
We shall organize the filming trips on River Ishasha based on your interests in filming. Your interests may be in filming the elephants, filming the buffaloes, crocodiles, bird species, tree climbing lions, or hippopotamus as you watch the wonderful scenes of the green vegetation surrounding the River Ishasha sector.
What do you need to make filming possible on the Ishasha River?
The first requirement is to obtain filming permits and clearance.
For any related filming activity to be done in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 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 on the Ishasha River. 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 on the Ishasha River 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 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.
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 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 a vehicle in the Democratic Republic of 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 the interests, begets and 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 the 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 Cong and knows all the corners of the country from the point of arrival up to the Democratic Republic of Ishasha River. 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 Ishasha River filming safari with Africa Adventure Vacations.
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.
Is filming on the Ishasha River 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 recent, the Congo is now on track as there are limited cases of instabilities and now the filming industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo is safe and booming, so we can assure you that it is safe to do filming on the Ishasha River. 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 filing on the Ishasha River starts.
How to get to the Ishasha River for the filming activity?
The Ishasha River is found in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo and there are various ways in which you can access the Ishasha River. Visitors can fly to Kigali International Airport in Kigali, Rwanda and drive to Gisenyi, crossing into Congo through the Goma Congo-Rwanda boarder, and later drive to Virunga Park headquarters, where you will be able to start your filming trips on the River Ishasha. From Gisenyi, it takes approximately 2 hours to reach the park headquarters, or if possible, you will fly to Kinshasha city and then link up to the park. For security reasons, all the film crew members are urged to declare and clear all the equipment in order to get clearance so that they are not suspected for filming. Therefore, by doing this, you will travel to the Ishasha River and do filming comfortably.
What to wear during filming on the Ishasha River?
In order to have a successful filming safari on the Ishasha River, 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.
Accommodation during filming on the Ishasha River
At the very least, the film crew members will learn where to set up camp near the Ishasha River. Most of the accommodation facilities are categorized as midrange, budget, and luxury accommodation. There are budget, midrange, and luxury lodges where you can stay during filming, including the Bukima Tented Camp and Kibumba Tented Camp, which are budget lodges with nightly rates ranging from 90 to 100 US dollars per person, luxury lodges such as Mikeno Lodge, which range from 200 to 400 US dollars, and mid-range lodges such as Tchegera Island Camp and Lulimbi Tented Camp, where you can pay 100-200 US dollars.Therefore, you can choose one of the lodges depending on your interest, budget, and maybe the closeness of the lodge to the Virunga National Park.
When to go for filming on the Ishasha River?
Filming on the Ishasha River is done throughout the year, like any other filming destination in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, it has been established that the best time for making beautiful films on the Ishasha River is during the dry season, which runs from June to October and then from December to February. of 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, mountains including Nyiragongo volcano 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.
