Accommodation in Virunga National Park

Accommodation in Virunga National Park: Virunga National Park provides tourists with a variety of diverse campgrounds and hotels, ranging from the lush Mahura forest to the slopes of Mount Mikeno. These are built and operated on a non-profit basis by the Park, ensuring that every night you spend in Virunga contributes directly to the preservation of this magical place.

Virunga National Park in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo is part of the Virunga massif, which includes Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. This park was founded in 1925 and is one of Africa’s oldest national parks, housing about 400 of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Nothing compares to the boiling orange Lava Lake at the peak of Mount Nyiragongo and the park’s amazing biodiversity, which includes fauna, bird species, natural forests, savanna, and marshland vegetative cover.

Despite political unrest in the DRC Congo in recent years, the country remains popular for its exceptional mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park and the Nyiragongo hike. Gorilla trekking safaris and tours in Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo provide tourists from all over the globe with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, which are always enhanced by the superb amenities provided by various lodging facilities both inside and outside the park.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park in DR Congo is a genuine and exciting experience, with less tourists than in neighboring countries like Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

Accommodation in Virunga National Park.

Mikeno Lodge in Virunga National Park.

Mikeno Lodge, located at the Park headquarters in Rumangabo, is hidden inside the lush Mahura Forest and offers excellent views of the Albertine Rift. The surrounding region is teeming with wildlife, including numerous rare bird species, blue and colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and, if one is lucky, the elusive bushbuck. While sipping locally sourced coffee or tea on your terrace, you can enjoy the morning chorus of birds and eastern chimps from your cozy bungalow.

The main structure of the lodge has a bar and restaurant, as well as an open chimney, making it a great setting for a local beer and stories with fellow tourists. Each of the 12 individual bungalows has a fireplace and a sitting area. Every bathroom has a bath, a separate stone shower, and a flush toilet. The hydropower plant of Virunga Energies provides electricity, ensuring a consistent supply of power via round, 2-pin, EU standard plugs.

You will be able to visit the orphaned mountain gorillas at the Senkwekwe Centre, as well as the Congo hounds, Virunga’s canine anti-poaching team, throughout your stay. The Mahura forest is dotted with several paths that may be explored on birding excursions and in search of some of the primate species that live there. You may also join our community rangers for a monkey habituation trip before daybreak.

Accommodation in Virunga National Park : Kibumba Tented Camp in Virunga National Park.

The gorilla sector, located in the southeast portion of Virunga, is home to one-third of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas. Kibumba Tented Camp, which was built in 2017, is the major gorilla trekking accommodation in Virunga and is nestled on the foggy slopes of Mount Mikeno. Kibumba provides panoramic views of the volcanic valley and the Mitumba Mountains. Mt. Mikeno is visible to the south, as are three additional Virunga volcanoes: Karisimbi, Nyiragongo, and Nyamulagira. The last two are active volcanoes that provide a magnificent crimson light after nightfall.

Kibumba Tented Camp has 18 classic safari-style tents with en-suite bathrooms, running hot water, and flush toilets. The electricity is provided by Virunga Energies’ Matebe hydroelectric project, which is a continuous supply of power. Throughout the camp, plugs are standard EU round two-pin power outlets.

Visitors may embark on nature and birding tours in the forest that surrounds Kibumba in addition to gorilla trekking. The Virungas are home to a number of rare bird species, as well as a troop of Golden Monkeys that may be seen on a regular basis.

Accommodation in Virunga National Park: Tchegera Tented Camp

Tchegera Island, located in the magnificent blue waters of Lake Kivu, is recognized for its unusual crescent form, which is really the top crater rim of a long-extinct volcano. On clear evenings, the island provides breathtaking views of Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, whose bright red lava pierces a star-studded sky. Tchegera offers views of the two tallest Virunga mountains, Mikeno and Karisimbi, as well as the sweeping panoramas of Lake Kivu and its surroundings.

The island contains six tents for tourists, two of which are twin rooms and four of which are double rooms, all of which have en-suite bathrooms, hot running showers, and flush toilets. Solar panels supply electricity, with charging stations in the tents and the main area, from which a full bar and restaurant service is available.

Tchegera Island is a natural harbor because of its crescent shape, so the waters that it encircles are calm and lend themselves perfectly to paddle boarding, kayaking, or even snorkeling to try and spot some of the 24 species of fish and two species of crab that are endemic to Lake Kivu.

Accommodation in Virunga National Park : Lulimbi Tented Camp

Lulimbi Tented Camp is made up of 10 comfortable canvas tents placed on the banks of the Ishasha River in the savannah plains of Virunga National Park. Lulimbi Tented Camp is located in the heart of Virunga National Park and is home to many of the park’s elephants and hippos. The position provides good access to savannah species, skilled rangers, and the ability to engage in the protection of the region from this calmer, off-the-beaten-path setting. The camp itself is made up of a communal mess tent and eight en-suite sleeping tents.

Lulimbi Tented Camp has ten private tents, four of which have two twin beds, four of which have double beds, and two of which have three twin beds. Each tent has its own bathroom, complete with a solar shower and flushing toilet. The tents are all facing the Ishasha River, with individual verandas overlooking passing hippos.

Lulimbi Tented Camp contains a dining tent with a restaurant and bar, as well as a separate lounge tent with a bar. The camp’s prices include breakfast, lunch, and supper; however, alcoholic beverages are extra.

Guests may participate in elephant monitoring with rangers, chimp habituation walks, birdwatching, wildlife drives, Lake Edward boat excursions, tilapia fishing, and trips to the Nyakakoma fishing community while staying at Lulimbi Tented Camp.

How to get to Virunga National Park?

Visitors To reach Virunga National Park, most visitors fly into Kigali International Airport and then take a three-hour journey to the border crossing at Gisenyi, Rwanda/Goma, DRC. Take note of your visitors’ travel plans and prepare appropriately, as foreign planes sometimes arrive in the late afternoon or evening.

Alternatively, guests can fly into Goma International Airport. Ethiopian carriers, as well as other indigenous DRC carriers, fly into Goma. Because flights are frequently delayed, it is best to book accommodation in Goma on the day of your arrival.