Trip to Congo Drc with Hakuna Matata Tours

by Dao Dao
(UK London)

Why did you go see the Gorillas in the DRC? OK. Actually friends and family asked “DRC? Are you crazy?”

The reasons (plural) I decided on DRC were:

• I had not visited the DRC before
• I wanted to see the Mountain Gorillas
• Saving money would be helpful
• Few people have visited there and the DRC pages on VT need new info
• I had arranged an economical and safe Tour Guide to get me there

In recent years the Parc National de Virunga has been plagued by armed rebel groups, poachers and even volcanic eruptions. Right now it’s not. You also get to go very close to an active volcano before you see the Gorillas. Something you cannot do in Uganda and Rwanda which jointly share the park. The permits are also $100 cheaper than the other 2 countries. And the best reason:

I WAS THE ONLY TOURIST IN THE PARC NATIONAL DE VIRUNGA THE WEEK I VISITED

I did not know this would happen ahead of time. It was apparent when they asked me to sign into the Visitor’s Book. That meant it was just me, my 2 Ranger escorts and the Humba Family of Gorillas. There were 12 of them. I had a friend who saw the Gorillas in Rwanda and the visitors outnumbered the Gorillas they saw on the day.

So all that bad press keeps the crowds away. Also if you visit here, your fees support the protection efforts of the Rangers in the DRC as well.

If you have any questions about this fantastic adventure – please email me!

Happy to help,

I booked my Gorilla permit Trough Kennedy of Hakuna Matata Tours. kennedy is a Nice guy who knows what he is doing .He organised my full day of Gorilla Tracking in the DRC where these photos were taken. He organised everything via email before my arrival in Rwanda and met me personally in Gisenyi, Rwanda. One of his senior guides then escorted me across to DRC and my visit with the Gorillas. He is able to organise any sort of tour you would like and match any budget you have. Throughout my stay in East Africa Kennedy was in touch with me and my guides at all times.

I found him to be very friendly, professional and organised. I would absolutely recommend his tour company to anyone visiting East Africa. His company has a fantastic 12 day tour of Rwanda, Burundi and DRC including the gorillas if you want a super tour. He can also organise a (live) volcanoe tour, viewing of Golden monkeys, safaris in Kenya or Tanzania as well as land transport and accommodation..

WEAR A SURGICAL MASK

No. You do not get a choice. I have been asked about the mask in my photos. Older photos on VT will show people near the Mountain Gorillas without any masks. Not any more. There are only 700 Mountain Gorillas in the world and they live here and just over the border in Rwanda and Uganda. While DRC has had an increase, it’s not by much. Only 81 live here in the park and about 130 elsewhere in DRC. Apes (Gorillas) and Chimpanzees are very closely related to humans and diseases can be transmitted between them. The very scary disease, Ebola, has wiped out 1/3 of all gorillas in the last 20 years. Ebola is also sometimes fatal to humans as well. Further, there is a possibility they can catch strains of Flu from us as well.

So that mask is a good idea for protecting the endangered Gorillas here. You will be issued with a new one before you begin any tracking of the Gorillas and the Rangers carry spares. I found out when my pack decided to open and drop my VT Hat and mask. When we found the Gorillas the Rangers ask you to put on your mask. That’s how I know they carry spares.

If you find my VT hat, please let me know !

I Invite you to visit my Congo page at Virtual tourist http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/30b4a/1e1eec/

IF A GORILLA CHARGES AT YOU !

DO NOT RUN

OK. That sounds counter productive, but Gorillas can run at speeds of 25 mph (40 kmh) through dense jungle. They could easily see your running as a threat and rip off an arm or leg with very little effort. What you have to do is QUIETLY and slowly sink to the ground, preferably into a foetal position. This shows them that you are not a threat in any way. It also establishes for them that you have acknowledged their territory and that they have nothing further to fear from you.

The first Gorilla I saw was a male and he charged. Please see the video on the Videos tab of my page. The Ranger and I lay down on the ground and this essentially teen aged male stood over me, beating his chest, and made a lot of noise. He then moved off and joined the larger group.

I asked the Ranger if a Gorilla had ever hurt a Visitor. He said no, but that no one had ever stood up or run before either.

Gorillas are essentially non-aggressive, but they will defend themselves against perceived threats. So get ready to drop down on the ground.

*YOUR CAMERA IS GOING TO GET WET *

The park is a natural rain forest near the Equator. That means it rains all year long. In fact they average 1975mm (77.7 inches or 6.5 feet) of rain! If you look closely at these photos you will see the rain. I took 3 cameras and used 2. Both were damaged to some extent. One dried up after a few days and works fine now. The other has zoom problems now. If you can think of a way to shelter your camera, do so before you go. I had a hat that absolutely did no good during heavier spells of rain. You only get to spend 1 hour with the Gorillas when you find them and they move constantly. You really have to keep moving, sliding, climbing and falling to keep within eyesight and get those pictures. There are less than 750 if these magnificent animals in the world and all you photos will be priceless. If you have very expensive equipment you should discuss this issue with your local camera shop. Not only direct rainfall, but humidity will affect your equipment and lenses.

I would also recommend disposable, one-use, lens cleaners as a cloth will be useless within minutes.

No matter what you do – you are 100% likely to get wet.

Miscellaneous: If you want something in this National Park there are 2 rules:
1) You have to bring it with you
2) You have to take it back out

FOOD AND WATER

There are absolutely no facilities in the Park for humans in the Park except for one squat toilet at the entrance. Between the heat and humidity you will need at least 2 litres of water per person. Also food. I took some bread in with me and the 2 amused rangers opened up fancy energy bars. Mine costs less, but you will need food. Tracking the Gorillas can take 2-5 hours just to find them. Then you get 1 hour with them and its 2 hours back. The amount of calories you will consume will be very high. You may want to purchase some fancy energy bars to take with you or just take bread from your hotel at breakfast. Either way you need food and water.


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