Tourists Trickle in To See the Gorillas in The DRC
Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has quietly opened for business. Tourists can spend a magical hour with the Mountain Gorillas, like this little lady named Kakula, in her natural habitat.
Welcoming tourists to the park would have been unthinkable a year ago, while rebel soldiers literally ran the wardens out of their own park. But peace was soon restored and the director of the park, Emmanuel de Merode officially opened it up to tourists in May, 2009. The park has also taken the important step in making visitors wear masks, so they don’t transmit any diseases to the gorillas (they’ve been through quite enough already).
While the park is secure, the traveller infrastructure is a far cry from that found in neighboring Uganda and Rwanda. If you’re looking for a unique tracking experience with no frills, the DRC is the place to be. Amahoro Tours can arrange your trip, including permits (US $400), transport and advantage. You can also e-mail (tourism@gorillacd.org) for more information.
Trip reports from the first scarcely any tourists in the DRC’s Virunga National Park include: Franco Francavilla in Italian but with incredible photos, and Molly Feltner for the Intelligent Travel Blog
If you would like to see the Mountain Gorilla in the wild, but don’face to face enjoy roughing it, Volcanoes Safaris and other companies are busy upgrading their lodges in Uganda and Rwanda to further accommodate the lucrative American market. However you see the gorillas, it truly is an experience of a lifetime and one I personally hope to undertake next year. Stay tuned.
Read More: Virunga National Park’s Blog l Gorilla Safari Information