What to See During Your Visit to Bukavu in DR Congo
What to See During Your Visit to Bukavu in DR Congo: Bukavu is located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the extreme south-western side of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the Ruzizi River’s discharge. It is the capital of the South Kivu province and has a population of 806,940 people as of 2012. In 2020, its population is predicted to be 1,078,000.
What to See During Your Visit to Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the last two homes for the eastern lowland gorilla, is close to the city and may be reached by the road to Kavumu. The park headquarters, Tshivanga, is 31 kilometers from Bukavu.
The Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Congo was established in 1970 to conserve the Grauer’s gorilla, the world’s largest gorilla species. The park covers 6000 square kilometers and protects a mountain forest in eastern DRC, the country’s most populous region.
The park is named after Mount Kahuzi (3,308m) and Mount Biega, two spectacular extinct volcanoes that dominate the park’s high altitude section (2,790m). Kahuzi Biega National Park, which is in a safe area, is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Gorilla Trekking Safaris From Bukavu in Congo.
Kahuzi Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo hosts gorilla trekking safaris. During your Congo safari, you may go gorilla trekking at Kahuzi Biega National Park, one of just two areas in Congo where you can do so.
A gorilla permit for eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Congo’s Kahuzi Biega national park costs USD 400. During the low season, tourists to Virunga National Park in Goma are provided cheap gorilla permits at a charge of USD 200 per person per permit for both eastern lowland gorilla trekking and mountain gorilla trekking.
Eastern lowland gorilla trekking tours in Kahuzi Biega national park last between 2 and 6 hours, including an hour spent with the gorillas after they have been discovered.
A gorilla trekking safari to Kahuzi Biega national park in Bukavu, Congo, can be coupled with gorilla trekking in Virunga, bird viewing, or a walk to Mount Nyiragongo volcano in Goma, What to See During Your Visit to Bukavu in DR Congo.
Historical Background on Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bukavu is part of the Bushi Kingdom, a South-Kivu ethnic group. Bushi was controlled by a “Muluzi” Nyalukemba when the first Arabs, then Europeans, arrived towards the end of the nineteenth century. ‘Muluzi’ or ‘Baluzi’ in plural means ‘the nobleman’ or ‘nobility’ to Shi. Before Europeans came in the Bushi Kingdom, Bukavu was known as “Rusozi.” Bukavu is derived from the phrase ‘bu ‘nkafu,’ which means ‘farm of cows’ in Mashi, the Bashi language.
Bukavu was established in 1901 by the Belgian colonial authority. Bukavu was renamed “Costermansville” in French or “Costermansstad” in Dutch after Vice Governor-General Paul Costermans in 1927, until it was renamed Bukavu again in 1953. It had a substantial European population under colonial control.
They were drawn in by the subtropical climate and appealing location. Bukavu is a five-peninsula city that has been characterized as “a green hand dipped in the lake.” Gardens that slope down to the shore may be seen in many colonial residences.
Hutu refugees and many former Hutu-led government officials fled as part of the Great Lakes refugee crisis following the genocide in Rwanda. The refugee camps in Goma and Bukavu, to a lesser extent, were a focal point of the Hutu insurgency against Rwanda’s new Watutsi authority. When the First Congo War began in November 1996, Rwandan government forces attacked Hutu camps as well as forces of the then-Zaire government, allowing the insurgency to continue.
Where is Bukavu located in Congo?
Although not threatened by volcanoes like Goma, Bukavu is threatened by a potential limnic eruption from Lake Kivu, in which massive amounts of dissolved carbon dioxide and methane may blast from the lake, endangering the lives of the 2 million people who live nearby.
Climate and Weather in Bukavu City.
The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies Bukavu’s climate as tropical savanna, however it is milder than other climates of its sort due to its high altitude. All year, Bukavu offers very warm days and pleasant evenings.
How to Get to Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kavumu Airport, located approximately 30 kilometers north of Bukavu, is the domestic airport. This airport hasn’t been updated in quite some time. The airport’s restoration will be a big relief to the town, enabling for increased commercial and economic growth.
Bukavu is an important transport hub and the gateway to eastern DR Congo, but the road network has deteriorated as a result of the wars, and routes to Goma, Kisangani, and other cities have yet to be fully rebuilt.
Similar to Goma, access to the East African paved road network and the operating eastern part of the Trans-African Highway to Mombasa may allow for a faster recovery than in other Congolese towns.
