The Great Ape package offers the opportunity to see two great ape taxa in Virunga National Park. It consists of four nights in Mikeno Lodge, two gorilla treks and a habituation walk with the chimps. This package departs Goma on Mondays at 13:00.
The Great Ape package offers the opportunity to see two great ape taxa in Virunga National Park. It consists of four nights in Mikeno Lodge, two gorilla treks and a habituation walk with the chimps. This package departs Goma on Mondays at 13:00.
Q. Is there WIFI at Mikeno Lodge?
A. Yes, there is WIFI
Q. How close can we get to the orphans at Senkwekwe?
A. The orphans are in an enclosure and therefore guests are unable to go into the enclosure with them or visit them in their night house.
Q. What activities can I do from Mikeno?
A. Gorilla treks, chimp treks, Congo Hounds demonstrations, visit the Widow's Workshop, nature trails and bird walks
Q. How likely is it that I will see the chimps?
A. You will probably see them but you will not necessarily get close to them. They are under habituation
Q. Can I go to a village or a school while at Mikeno?
A. For security reasons we do not allow guests to walk around
Q. How far is the drive from Goma?
A. 1.5 hours
Q. What is the best way to get around Virunga?
A. All transport is either organised by the Park or trusted DRC tour operators. If you are taking Park transport, it is included in the price of your package.
Q. What is included in Virunga's transportation?
A. All transport to and from Grande Barriere and within the Park is included in your package price. If you will be staying in Goma prior to or after your stay in Virunga, you can independently organize additional transport directly with a tour operator.
Q. How will I meet my driver at the border?
A. If arriving by car and after clearing passport control at the Grande Barriere border crossing, please check in with the Virunga tourism office conveniently located in the same building. If arriving by plane, a Virunga staff will meet you at the arrivals area upon clearing passport control. In both cases, Virunga staff will guide you to the appropriate transport thereafter.
Q. Will my Virunga car be shared with other tourists?
A. For logistical reasons, it is likely that you will share transport with other guests.
Q. How long do we trek to visit the gorillas?
A. Between an hour to two and a half hours and one hour with the gorillas.
Q. How many rangers go on the trek?
A. Two to four rangers.
Q. How many people trek at one time?
A. For a group of gorillas with more than 10 family members, we allow 6 clients. For a gorilla group with less than 10 family members, we allow 4 pax.
Q. Is Virunga safe?
A. Virunga National Park is currently welcoming tourists. The safety of our visitors is of the highest priority and our staff consistently assess the situation on the ground to ensure appropriate security protocols are in place. If any signs indicate a security issue, management may decide to temporarily close one or more of its attractions. All bookings for these attractions will be refunded in full or alternative options offered. All visitors must make an assessment on advice from their respective consular services. If you have any further queries, please contact the tourism team by email visit@virunga.org.
Q. Is insurance mandatory for this trip?
A. Protection for at least USD 100,000 emergency medical evacuation plus USD 100,000 medical expenses is mandatory. Visitors are wholly responsible for arranging their own insurance and ensuring that they are in possession of private Travel Insurance with protection for the full duration of the trip in respect of medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, with adequate benefits. Visitors making their own arrangements should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities included in their tour.
Q. Is the drinking water in Virunga safe?
A. Filtered drinking water is provided for guests staying at all Virunga accommodations with the exception of Nyiragongo.
Q. Do I need a COVID-19 PCR test?
A. All tourists must provide a certified negative PCR test for COVID 19 taken in the last three days or a COVID vaccination certificate. Please read our full COVID-19 guidelines before booking.