Overview
The gorilla extravaganza package presents visitors with an opportunity to pay a visit to all the 4 habituated gorilla families and visiting their favorite family for the second time. These gorilla families are found in the Bukima area. You will spend five nights in Ngila, five gorilla treks, one night at Mikeno lodge and another night at the summit of Mt. Nyiragongo.
The departure time of this trip from Goma is 1300 hours.
Detailed tour
By 11:30 am visitors will arrive at Grande Barrier border crossing and check in with Virunga Tourism office at around 12:30pm. The office is located in the Grande Barrier border post building. You will be given gorilla and volcano trek permits which are a mandatory requirement before the commencement of the adventurous activities (gorilla trekking and volcano hiking)
You will then be transported to Bukima Ranger Post and a night in Ngila.
Upon arrival, visitors will have happy hours of relaxation in the verandas under the tents as you enjoy spectacular views of Mt. Mikeno as you wait for a lip-smirking dinner in the later hours of the day. You will then join resident rangers for briefing on the great apes of the magical Virunga national park. It is at this moment that you will learn about the mysteries of mountain gorillas as you enjoy stories of the habituated families.
After an early morning breakfast, you will meet park rangers together with fellow trekkers for briefing about the dos and don’ts of the expedition. Depending on the location of the gorillas and difficulty of the terrain, trekking usually last for one to two hours. You will be given enough time to spend with gorillas upon locating them and then return to Ngila for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will be given an opportunity to visit the nearby bamboo project which was established to provide fuel to the neighboring villages.
Every day is a brand new day! This is yet another day that presents to you an opportunity of gorilla trekking for the second time. In this trek you will visit a different gorilla group so that you can observe the differences between different families.
You will then return to Ngila for lunch and relaxation before embarking on the afternoon birding experience.
The park is a home to a multitude bird species some of which are rift valley endemics whereas others are restricted to the area. You will return before sunset and relax as you enjoy spectacular views of the neighboring features.
After an early morning breakfast, you will start your journey to meet the third gorilla family which gives you a special and unique experience. Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch before enjoying reading your book on your wooden deck that provides you with scenic views of the Volcanoes.
Day five of this safari introduces you to the 4th gorilla family which provides you with real in-depth understanding of the dynamics of different gorilla families and variety in their behaviors. You will really appreciate the close relationship between these great apes and human beings since they share a lot in common.
A glass of wine is one of the things you will relax on in the afternoon as well as an option of joining one of the fires in the main areas as you explore the well-stockedlibrary.
Day six is the final gorilla trekking day of the safari and presents to you an opportunity of choosing your favorite gorilla family that you wish to re-visit. You will be helped by the team to locate the chosen gorilla family for a best trekking experience. Upon return to Ngila you will meet the car that will drive you to Mikeno lodge found in Virunga national park and is where park headquarters are found – in the Mahura forest.
You will visit luxurious bungalows and Senkwekwe Centre and Congo Hounds as well.
Visitors will be transferred to Kibati Ranger post as soon as they are done with breakfast. It is at this point that Nyiragongo hiking trek starts from. Upon arrival, guests will be briefed briefly and get an opportunity of hiring porters and then embark on the climbing which lasts for about 4 to 6 hours. You will spend a night at the summit of the Volcano.
By 6:30am, you will have started your journey in company of fellow travelers back to Kibati. The journey usually takes 4 hours.
Upon arrival, you will be transferred to Goma and cross the Grande Barrier and get a flight back home via Kigali International airport.
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