Places to see gorillas
Coming face to face with the biggest of the great apes, and one of our closest relatives, is an experience very difficult to put into words, and despite the expense it’s worth every dollar. Choosing DRC over the more conventional gorilla destinations Rwanda and Uganda has both advantages and disadvantages. The two parks in eastern DRC where gorillas are found – mountain gorillas in Virunga, eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega – are more off the beaten track than their cousins in Rwanda and Uganda, although still not more than a few hours drive from the border. Accommodation options are also more limited here, and you’ll be far off the beaten track. On the other hand, you might very well be alone with the gorillas, and unlike Uganda and Rwanda facemasks are mandatory – here, gorilla health and safety come first. Gorilla tracking in DRC not only offers the chance to see two separate species of wild gorillas but a few cute orphans, too: young, rescued mountain gorillas are kept at Senkwekwe at Virunga headquarters.
Most people – even those who have gorilla tracking on their bucket lists – have never heard of Kahuzi-Biega. It’s a real shame, because it’s a beautiful park. Most of it is closed to visitors due to security concerns, but the area around park headquarters is open and safe. This is the only place to get close and personal with eastern lowland gorillas, with terrain varying from thick forest to tea plantations. A nearby primate sanctuary houses chimpanzees and monkeys rescued from captivity, and is an interesting afternoon diversion. Park headquarters are a great place to watch the sun rise, and as this coincides with various ranger exercises and the raising of the Congolese flag, getting up early is well worth the effort. The park is accessed through Bukavu, a lively, messy town on the southern shores of Lake Kivu.
Africa’s oldest and most biodiverse national park, Virunga is a true gem – albeit one with a violent recent history. Most of the park is still off-limits to tourists due to rebel activity and illegal charcoal burning, but its mountainous heart is once again open to visitors. The main drawcard here is the park’s mountain gorillas, although the recent habituation of a troop of chimpanzees is a great bonus, as is the glowing lava lake of Mt Nyiragongo. A visit to Virunga is not for the faint-hearted – the terrain is rough, the roads rougher, and this is unchartered territory for any form of mainstream tourism – but that is also part of its charm. Also worth a visit is Senkwekwe, a mountain gorilla orphanage at park headquarters, and its sad but beautiful twin graveyards: one for its murdered gorillas, the other for the rangers that gave their lives to protect them.
10 % of Gabon is covered by national parks (the highest in the world) and the Reserve de la Lopé is one of Gabon's hidden jewels. There are usually two options for spotting animals. Either a safari drive from the headquarters, where you might see elephants and buffaloes or the monkey/ape trek (lowlands gorillas, mandrills and other monkeys), which requires a 90 minutes adventurous 4x4 drive into the jungle. It's a far less organized experience than the counterparts in Uganda, Rwanda and even D.R.C., where they have a good idea where the gorillas are. In Lope it's a bit more hit and miss, but there is a good chance that you will have to yourself. The road to Lope NP is spectacular, as it passes through rain forest and patches of savannah, but the last 100 km is on a dusty dirt road, so be prepared for a bumpy ride. A more popular option is the train from Libreville, which arrives in Lope in the middle of the night.
People often baulk at the high cost of gorilla tracking, especially since you only get a single hour in the company of the animals, but it's so, so worth it. Gorillas are among our closest relatives, and that connection is undeniable when you end up face-to-face with one of them. Gorilla tracking is a fantastic experience, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Bwindi is very hilly and slippery, with plenty of nettles and thorns, so be sure to dress appropriately - and be prepared to walk for several hours if the gorillas happen to be far away. They are very susceptible to human disease, so try to respect the 7m minimum distance even if the rangers urge you to get closer. And stay calm - gorillas are gentle, but enormously strong, so surprising them with sudden movements isn't a great idea. All gorilla encounters are memorable, but if you want a bit of fun, try to arrange to visit a family with several youngsters, as they tend to be both more active and more curious than their adult counterparts. There are numerous habituated families in Bwindi, each different from the next, but all equally captivating. Absolutely unforgettable.
It is difficult to describe the incredible feeling of getting up close and personal with gorillas. Their intelligence is undeniable, and their close relation to humans (second only to chimpanzees and bonobos) apparent at every moment. Mgahinga National Park is one of only two parks in Uganda home to the highly endangered mountain gorillas, but unlike Bwindi, Mgahinga has only a single habituated family - and sometimes not even that, as they regularly cross into Rwanda. But when they're around, the Nyakagezi family is a great one to visit. While currently consisting of only ten members, five of these are silverbacks, so if you want an adrenaline-filled gorilla encounter this might be the family for you. Furthermore, this park is much more off the beaten track than Bwindi, so chances are you'll have the gorillas all to yourself. Trekking here is also (usually) less strenuous than at Bwindi, where the steep hills can be quite daunting.