The Great Ape

The Great Ape package gives you an opportunity to see two great ape taxa in Virunga National Park. This package consists of a night at Mikeno Lodge, another night at Bukima Tented Camp, two gorilla treks with an additional two nights’ accommodation at Mikeno Lodge. This package departs Goma on Monday and Wednesday at 11:00.

Day 1: The travelers will arrive at Grande Barriere border crossing by 10:00 am and they will ensure check-in with Virunga tourism office by 11:00 am. The tourism office is conveniently located in the Grande Barriere border post building, opposite passport control. The guests are provided with gorilla permits as they check-in. These permits must be presented before the start of each trek. Guests will then be transported to Mikeno Lodge at the Park headquarters in Rumangabo. When the guests reach mikeno lodge, they will be served a late lunch and the afternoon can be left to the guests to enjoy their leisure, including exploring Rumangabo’s several nature trails, bird watching or paying a visit to Virunga’s Congo hounds.

Day 2: In the morning the guests will enjoy a calm breakfast meal and then they will set off for the gorilla trekking activity at Bukima Ranger Post. The trekkers will meet their Ranger guides at Bukima Ranger post and receive a briefing before starting the trek. These gorilla treks usually require about 3 hours or less of hiking each way. The timing depends on the location of the group being trekked and the difficulty of the terrain. When the trekkers meet the gorillas, they will be given 1 hour to spend in the presence of the gorillas so that they learn their behaviors and take photos too. After this experience, the trekkers will return to Bukima camp where a late lunch will be served. Guests will have the rest of the afternoon off to explore Bukima, including bird watching and visiting the Park’s bamboo project.

Day 3: Guests will start their second gorilla trek at 8:30 am. After the trek, they will be served with a quick lunch at Bukima camp. After that, the guests will be transported back to Mikeno Lodge. When they arrive at Mikeno lodge, guests will be left to have leisure on their own as they to relax on the lodge terrace or visit the gorilla orphans at the Senkwekwe Center.

Day 4: Guests will head out for a chimpanzee trek at 6:00 am. A trek with these animals is a unique experience that allows visitors to join our team as they study and habituate the family of chimpanzees found in the Mahura Forest surrounding Rumangabo. After returning for a late breakfast, guests will be invited to spend the rest of the day exploring the Park headquarters or just relaxing with a book on the terrace of Mikeno Lodge.

Day 5: Guest will be transported back to the Goma town with drop-off at the Grande Barriere border post after breakfast.

Included in this package:

Three nights accommodation at Mikeno Lodge
Two gorilla trek permits
One night accommodation at Bukima Tented Camp
All transport to, from and within the Park once in the country.

Not included in this package:

Drinks
gratuities and anything of personal nature.