Rwenzori Mountains Filming From the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Rwenzori mountains filming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most exciting and challenging experience in the world. The mountains cover an area of approximately 996 square kilometers and are covered with glacial lakes, sour of many rivers, rocky outcrops, and snow-capped ranges, all of which provide visitors with an unforgettable experience. Mountain Rwenzori hikes and ranges are incomparable to anything in the whole world. The dominating ones are Mount Stanley and Margherita Peak. Because of the remote and the fluctuation in the weather, visitors are interested in hiking the mountains up to the highest summit. Now imagine combing your hiking safari with the mountain films from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Rwenzori Mountains are a range of mountains in eastern Equatorial Africa that run along Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The highest point in the Rwenzori Mountains is 5,109 meters, and the top reaches are permanently snow-covered and glaciated. The Rwenzori Mountains can be visited and photographed from Kisangani or Goma in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Visitors who climb and hike the mountain Rwenzori have a lot of interesting features to see, and these include both flora and fauna. This means that the visitors will get an opportunity to see all of these attractions once they book the mountain Rwenzori filming safari with African Adventure Vacations from the Democratic Republic of Congo. You will film different items such as the glacial lakes, the nice looking bamboo forests, and other wonderful features that shouldn’t be missed in your filming adventure.
What to film on the mountain of Ruwenzori?
Filming wildlife on Rwenzori Mountains
Mount Rwenzori has vegetation zones that are home to more than 70 species of mammals and 177 species of birds. On Mount Rwenzori, you will be able to film the chimpanzees, leopards, and then the elephants. You need to know that there are many primates, which include the blue monkeys, antelopes, and the so-called three-horned chameleon.
There are several bird species in the Rwenzori mountains that you will see and film, including the Handsome Francolin, greenbulls, Montane sooty Boubou, white-started Robins, slender-billed starling, Apalises, Flycatchers, and Rwenzori Batis. All these will provide you with wonderful filming or shooting scenes.
Filming the one-of-a-kind Rwenzori Vegetation from Congo
The Rwenzori Mountains are home to unique vegetation, including rocky vegetation, snowfields, and beautiful equatorial rainforest, bamboo, Afro-Alpine, Montane Forest, wood heather, podocarp backwoods, and plant species such as groundsel and lobelia, among others. The monster groundsel, Senecio adnivalis, and the light lobelia, Lobelia wollastonii, can be found above 4,000 meters in the high zone. After 4,300 meters, the vegetation begins to disperse until just grass, lichen, and a few “never-ending” plants remain. Individuals from some of the world’s most unusual plant networks can be found above 3,800 meters.
The Rwenzori Mountains are home to snowfields and a few glaciers, including Mt. Stanley, Mt. Gessi, and Mt. Baker, which provide spectacular scenery and landscape cinematography.
What is the cost of filming in the Rwenzori mountains 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 a 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.
Essentials for Filming in the Rwenzori Mountains in the Democratic Republic of 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, all the filming crew members have to possess 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 filming in the Rwenzori mountains from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 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 the Rwenzori mountains 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.
There is no formal process for the allocation of filming permits in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so this is handled by negotiations between the parties, which Africa Adventure Vacations is experienced in. 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 using drones, market filming, or filming alongside the road whereby you will inconvenience traffic, such as filming in the cities or 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 the Rwenzori mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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 the 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 its 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 the DR. Congo.
You need to hire vehicles for filming in the Rwenzori Mountains 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 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 Rwenzori Mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 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 to the Democratic Republic of Congo River before and knows all the corners of the country from the point of arrival up to the Mountain Rwenzori 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 Rwenzori Mountains filming safari from the Democratic Republic of Congo with Africa Adventure Vacations.
Is filming Rwenzori Mountains safe from Congo?
It is very safe to film on the mountain of Rwenzori. Well, we all know that over recent years, DR. Congo has been affected by instabilities that 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 that 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 the Rwenzori mountains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 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 filming in the Rwenzori Mountains, Democratic Republic of Congo, starts. Always contact us at African Adventure Vacations for more information about the safety of filming in the Rwenzori Mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
How to get to Rwenzori mountains for filming in DR. Congo?
Mountain Rwenzori can be accessed through the town of Goma, which is found in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and visitors or film crew members will have a lot of options in order to get to Goma, which is very interesting. You will fly to Kigali International Airport and then connect with Gisenyi town, crossing the Rwanda-Congo border to Goma town. You most likely cleared your gear for entry into the country because it is vulnerable to security and well-being while working on your film.
What to wear during filming on the mountain Rwenzori in Congo?
In order to have a successful filming safari in the Rwenzori Mountains in the Democratic Republic of 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 this 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 very helpful in protecting your hands, and you can put them off when you feel you no longer need them.
You also need to come prepared 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 these 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 in the Rwenzori Mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo
The options for where to stay whilst recording in the Rwenzori Mountains in DR Congo range from budget to mid-range to grandeur. Bukima Tented Camp and Kibumba Tented Camp are two of the budget-friendly options. Individual prices range from 90-100 dollars per night; mid-cost options include Tchegera Island Camp and Lulimbi Tented Camp, among others. Individual admissions range from $100 to $200 each night, and after that, Serena Hotel Goma and Mikeno Lodge are among the most opulent options, with prices ranging from $200 to $400 per person per night. You tell us what you think is the best option for you, and we’ll book you accordingly.
When is the best time to book filming Rwenzori Mountains in Congo?
Filming on Mount Rwenzori in the Democratic Republic of Congo is done throughout the year. However, it has been established that the best time to film on Mount Rwenzori in the Democratic Republic of Congo 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.
