Virunga National Park is the oldest African National Park in French,known as Parc National des Virunga and formerly known as the Albert National Park, it is a 7,800-square-kilometre (3,000 sq mi) National Park that stretches from the Virunga Mountains in the south, to the Rwenzori Mountains in the north, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.
The park was established in 1925 as Africa’s first national park and is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site since 1979. In recent years, poaching and the Congo Civil War have seriously damaged its wildlife population. The park is managed by the Congolese National Park Authorities, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and its partner the Virunga Foundation, formerly known as the Africa Conservation Fund (UK). The current park director since 2008 is the Belgian Prince Emmanuel de Merode.
The park is now a safe place for tourists who go on gorilla safaris in Congo; Virunga Park rangers provide maximum security for tourists and wildlife making it easily accessible for tourists all year round.
Virunga National Park is located in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1925 and is among the first protected areas in Africa. In elevation, it ranges from 680 m in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m in the Rwenzori Mountains. Virunga national park is located in Democratic Republic of Congo which is well known as one of the insecure countries because of wars. These wars have affected their tourism sector because most of the visitors feel insecure of losing their lives just like 12 rangers that have been killed by suspected members of a Rwandan rebel group in Virunga national park. However some areas in virunga national park are secure for gorilla trekking because the authorities have deployed the security guards to protect the visitors as well as mountain gorillas.
Flora and Fauna
Occupying 1.2 million acres, Virunga National Park is rich in flora and fauna – home to 220 species of mammals and more than 700 bird species, the highest number of any protected area in Africa. This is one of the world’s most bio-diverse areas and it has been a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site since 1979. Virunga National Park lies in the eastern mountains of the Congo, and it occupies some parts of the Virunga Mountains. The park extends northwards to the the Rwindi Plains, Lake Edward and the Rwenzori Mountains in the far north. It shares borders with the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga National Park and the Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda.
Gorilla Trekking
Although there are many animals, mountain gorillas are the most famous primates of Virunga National Park. An estimated number of over 200 individuals roam the park’s forests thus gorilla tracking is the prime tourist activity. Virunga wildlife rangers have successfully habituated 5 gorilla families for tourists.
Each gorilla family is visited by a group of 6 tourists accompanied by armed rangers and experienced guides who know very well gorillas and their home range. Tourists are subject to wear surgical masks so as to limit transmission of human diseases like colds to gorillas. Likewise rangers protect the gorillas and other wildlife from poaching, encroachment which has strengthened conservation.
Gorilla Tracking in Congo
Gorilla tracking starts from the Bukima patrol post where tourists report for briefing very early in the morning at 07:00 am by Congolese guides. Tourists must book for accommodations near this trekking point. There are amazing accommodation facilities within and outside the park for tourists to stay. Those in found in Goma city offer transportation for tourists to the main gorilla tracking trail head Bukima patrol post.
Virunga National Park is the place to have a real African jungle and adventure experience for nature lovers because the forest is still untouched. Few tourists visited the park since civil wars used to scare away tourists for two decades but they fortunately have just stopped and tourists who visit park now have a chance to enjoy solitude while tracking gorillas.
Another opportunity is that gorilla permits for Virunga are cheaper at $400 per tourists unlike the expensive ones for Rwanda and Uganda. Also during the low seasons between October-November and April to May, tourists enjoy discounted permit fees at 200 per person.
How to access Virunga National Park?
Virunga national park lies in eastern part of DR Congo and many visitors use Kigali International Airport reaching Goma town for about 32km through Gisenyi town by dirty roads. To reach bukima headquarters via Gisenyi, it takes 2 hours’ drive. However visitors from Uganda to Bukima pass via kisoro town at the boarders of Bunagana which takes an hour drive to Bukima which is the starting point of gorilla trekking. The park is not only accessed by roads but also by flights. Among the packages, travelers are told to decide the means of transport and so Africa Tours Adventure gives you the best tour safaris that are unforgettable. The park rangers organize the private transport for those travelling by air on Goma airport.
Plan Your Virunga Trip
Visiting Virunga National Park will be assisted by trained and experienced tour guided escorted by armed park rangers to protect tourists from any danger. The guides know the entire Park boundaries and will be able to offer guidance during any park activity.