Humba gorilla family
Humba gorilla family was formed in 1998 out of continuous fights with his own father Rugendo. When Humba was leaving his father’s group, he left with half of the group members among which included his own brother Nyakamwe.
From 1998 to 2014 the group had increased to 16 members but again Humba and his own brother Nyakamwe fought and the group split. Humba took 6 of the group members while Nyakamwe managed to go with 10 members.
In 2015 Humba gorilla family managed to get a new member called Kakule from Munyaga family after a fight. The family has now registered 7 birds and 2 deaths making it 12 members. Apparently, Humba and his own son are fighting for the leadership of the group.
Trekking Humba gorilla family
Humba gorilla family trekking starts very early in the morning with a driver transferring you to the park headquarters where they meet the park wardens. These take them through a briefing where they learn about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity. Armed ranger guides lead the trekkers throughout the activity which takes 2-5 hours.
While looking for Humba gorilla family members, the trekkers are able to meet different park animals such as bongo, kobs, elephants, okapi, aardvark, duikers, giant forest hogs, buffaloes, bushbucks, birds, and different plant species. When the trekkers meet the gorilla group, they are given 1 hour to be around it, watch them do daily activities, take photos and learn about their habits.
Trekking permit for Humba gorilla family
Gorilla trekking permits for Humba gorilla group in Virunga national park are only 8 since 8 people are allowed to trek this group a single day. These permits can be got from a trusted local tour operator or Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature at a fee of $450 foreign non-residents and foreign residents, $200 Cibgolese and East African citizens. In the low season of March to May and October to November the permits for Humba gorilla family are $200 per person per trek.
Booking gorilla permits for Humba gorilla family
Tourist intending to visit Virunga national park for Humba gorilla family trekking can now book their safari with Africa Adventure Vacation. What you will do is send us an email containing the dates of the months and year you want to travel and we shall use these days to check for the availability of the permits with Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature.
When the permits are available, we shall send you an email containing bank details and once you have sent the money and we have received the notification, we shall book the permits for you. Travelers intending to visit Virunga national park for Humba gorilla trekking are advised to book their trekking permits in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences.
Best time to trek Humba gorilla family
Humba gorilla family in Virunga national park is always open for tourism at all times of the year but there are months that are better than the rest. The drier months of June to September and December to February are the best for trekking Humba gorilla family reason being they are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails less muddy, the vegetation is thin with clear views of the gorillas, and the roads leading to the park are passable.
Travelers can still visit Virunga national park to trek Humba gorilla family in the rainy season of March to May and October to November. During the rainy season, the gorilla permits are cheap and accommodation facilities offer huge discounts. Those trekking Humba gorilla group in the rainy season need to know that there is always plenty of rainfall, trekking trails are muddy and slippery, vegetation is thick with unclear views of the animals and the roads leading to the park are impassable.
Packing list for Humba gorilla family trekking?
For every gorilla trekking safari, tourists must come well prepared in to have the best of the safari with Humba gorilla group. Some of the things you need for this safari include waterproof hiking shoes, a pair of gaiters, gardening gloves, a rain jacket, long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shirts, backpack, camera, a pair of binoculars, insect repellents, sunscreen, a hat, drinking water bottle, energy-giving snacks, face mask, and sanitizer.
Accommodation during Humba gorilla family safari
There are so many accommodation facilities found in Virunga national park so travelers coming to trek Humba gorilla family don’t have to worry about where they will stay. These accommodations are of different classes and prices so where to stay will depend on your travel budget. Some of the lodges include Lulimbi Tented Camp, Nyiragongo Volcano Summit Shelters, Bukima Tented Camp, Mikeno Lodge, Tchegera Island, Kibumba Tented Camp, and much more.
Activities to combine with Humba gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
Birding: Tourists on a safari to Virunga national park to trek Humba gorilla family can do birding activities where they will be able to encounter birds such as klaas’s cuckoo, pin-tailed whydah, diederik cuckoo, mountain buzzard, stonechat, Kivu ground thrush, white-necked raven, Rwenzori batis, olive woodpecker, narrow-tailed starling, narina trogon, yellow-whiskered greenbul, and black bishop.
Other bird species include luhder’s bushshrike, blue-headed coucal, grey crowned crane, green sandpiper, collared apalis, Rwenzori double-collared sunbird, common bulbul, blue-headed sunbird, malachite sunbird, dusky crimson-wing, rufous thrush, Rwenzori turaco, bronze mannikin, variable sunbird, and grey-backed camaroptera.
Hiking: Trekking Humba gorilla family in Virunga national park can be combined with hiking Nyiragongo volcano. There are other mountains in Virunga national park such as Mikeno and Nyamuragira but Nyiragongo is the most hiked reason being it’s the most active volcano in the world and has the largest lava lake.
Hiking Nyiragongo begins with a briefing and the activity takes 5-6 hours with ranger guides leading you throughout the hike. The journey gives you opportunities of meeting some of the park mammals, birds, and primates. At the summit is a lava lake and stunning views of the surrounding places such as Virunga volcanoes, Rwenzori, Lake Kivu, Goma city, and Virunga national park.
Chimpanzee trekking: Not so popular in Virunga national park, chimpanzee trekking is one of the activities that can be combined with trekking Humba gorilla family. To trek chimpanzees, you must have a valid trekking permit which you will show the wardens at the briefing point. It’s the armed ranger guides that lead the trekkers through different trials of the park searching for these apes. When the chimps are located, 1 hour is given to trekkers to learn about the chimpanzee behaviors, watch them do daily activities as you take photos.
