How to prepare for gorilla trekking in Virunga national park?
How to prepare for gorilla trekking in Virunga national park DR Congo? Well, we will guide you on how best you can prepare yourself for a gorilla trekking adventure in DR Congo. We do help you on getting ready for the once-in-a-lifetime experience activity in Virunga national park.
Most of the tourists trek mountain gorillas in Virunga national park to encounter endangered mountain gorillas at a cheaper price. The gorilla trekking permit in DR Congo is $450 foreign non-residents and foreign residents, and $200 for Citizens of DR Congo and East Africa. In the low season, the trekking permits go for $200 per person per trek.
The following are the possible ways of how you can prepare for gorilla trekking in Virunga national park;
Select a date for a gorilla safari in Virunga national park: You can choose the dates for Virunga national park from those you will be free from work and these can be days of your holiday. The best days are those in the dry season which happens from June to September and December to February. These months are characterized by little or no rainfall, the trekking trails are less muddy, vegetation is short and the roads leading to the park are passable. Travelers can still choose the days in the rainy season of March to May and October to November to trek gorillas in Virunga national park however, during such days there is plenty of rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery. Travelers who visit the park for trekking in the rainy season will get huge discounts on accommodation and gorilla trekking permits.
Choosing a gorilla family you are to trek: The first thing to consider when planning a gorilla trekking safari is to know where you want to trek mountain gorillas and the family you want to trek. Virunga national park has a total number of 8 gorilla families and these include Bageni, Kabirizi, Humba, Nyakamwe, Munyaga, Rugendo, Mapuwa, and Lulengo. Trekking these mountain gorilla families gives the same experience but you can still be interested in trekking a certain gorilla family you have maybe trekked before or you have heard about.
Finding a local tour operator: Africa Adventure Vacations does help in organizing gorilla trekking safaris in Virunga national park of DR Congo. All you have to do is send us the dates you want to travel or trek and using these days we shall check for the availability of the trekking permits with the park authorities. When we find the trekking permits on the days you want to travel available, we shall send you banking details and once we have received the money, we shall go ahead and book permits for you. From the permits we shall also book the accommodation for you and transport, we have comfortable safari cars.
Checking your fitness: Mountain gorilla trekking requires one to be physically fit because it involves going through different trekking trails and moving to higher elevations. Mountain gorillas stay at high altitudes most especially in the dry season of June to September and December to February because they move looking for what to eat. Because of this matter, you can start testing your fitness back home by hiking small hills, and doing a few exercises so that you don’t get tired while trekking in Virunga national park. Virunga national park is a mountainous area full of tropical forests.
Get your packing list ready: Before traveling to DR Congo for gorilla trekking in Virunga national park, make sure you have all the equipment necessary for gorilla trekking. We do help travelers on what to bring for gorilla trekking in DR Congo or any other destination and this enables them to have the best of their safari. What to pack for a safari includes waterproof hiking shoes, a pair of gaiters, gardening gloves, long-sleeved pants, a rain jacket, long-sleeved shirts, insect repellents, a camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, a drinking water bottle, energy-giving snacks, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, facemask, first aid kit,
