Kahuzi-Biega National Park is an exciting gem of exploration and breathtaking adventures in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is located near Bukavu town in the eastern part of the country.
Kahuzi Biega National Park spans an area of approximately 6000 square kilometers near the western banks of Lake Kivu at the Rwandan border. The park was named after the amazingly beautiful dormant volcanoes that occupy the bigger portion of the park that is to say Kahuzi and Biega mountains.
It is one of the biggest conservation areas in the country and offers a large pool of activities to suit the traveler’s range of choices. This park is a renowned home to the eastern lowland gorillas and offers exciting tracking adventures on a daily.
History of Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
This magnificent National Park was established in 1970 by the Belgian conservationist and renowned photographer Adrian Deschryver. Kahuzi-Biega was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980 considering its unique biodiversity in the evergreen thick tropical rainforests, a habitat to thousands of rare species, especially the eastern lowland gorillas.
The park was unfortunately listed on the world’s Heritage Sites in danger list in 1997 due to the political unrest it was associated with in the region, an influx of refuge-seeking nationals, and worrying levels of wildlife exploitation which led to a decrease in the numbers of tourists that flocked to the park.
The uniqueness of Kahuzi Biega National Park.
Kahuzi Biega National parks uniqueness lies in the huge number of eastern lowland gorillas it hosts. It is a renowned habitat for eastern lowland gorillas and most notably the only National Park in Congo where they can be found. Such a blessing has kept the National Park significant in the country and indeed unique as compared to the rest of the parks.
Activities carried out in Kahuzi Biega National Park.
Eastern lowland gorilla trekking. The activity of trekking the eastern lowland gorillas takes visitors through the thick tropical rainforests. Visitors traverse through shrubs, crossing streams, and hiking through mountainous regions just before they access the families of the gorillas.
Bird watching. Visitors to the park also indulge in exciting bird-watching adventures where they get the opportunity to observe the central African endemics especially the songbirds, sunbirds, hamerkops, African fish eagles, turacos, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black bee-eaters, cinnamons, egrets, secretary birds, African paradise flycatcher, yellow-billed oxpeckers, African jacanas and darters.
Hiking. Travelers to the park are presented with the opportunity to hike two of the most iconic Highlands in the park that is to say mount Kahuzi and Biega. These present the breathtaking views of the surroundings of the park once one gets to the summit.
Nature walks. These are conducted through the thick rainforests and savannah grasslands to help the visitors appreciate the natural endowments of the park and also set their eyes on beautiful species of flora and fauna.
Chimpanzee trekking. Kahuzi Biega National Park is a renowned host of chimpanzees. Visitors to the park also get to indulge in the exciting chimpanzee trekking adventures, spend time with them, and watch them groom their young ones.
Main tourist attractions.
Eastern lowland gorillas. These stand out from the rest as the main attractions of travelers to the park. They are also known as the grauers gorillas. They are critically endangered according to the IUCN reports. Visitors treasure moments spent with them since they are uncommon.
Lwiro sanctuary. This is a renowned primate rehabilitation center on the outskirts of the park. It attracts thousands of visitors from all corners of the world who seek to have adventures with primates and carry out research and other activities.
The thick primeval forests also attract visitors. Kahuzi Biega National Park has one of the oldest thick tropical rainforests in the world. This explains why masses flock to it to learn about and have a glance at some of the oldest vegetation types.
How to get there.
Getting to Kahuzi Biega National Park takes about 5 to 6 hours from Goma town. It takes about an hour and a half drive from Bukavu town to get to the park. Visitors can access the park through Kigali International Airport. It only takes about six to seven hours to drive from the airport to the park.