Mikeno
A sharp peak.
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Virunga National Park lies in the Albertine Rift in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Created in 1925, it is the oldest national park in Africa. It runs about 300 km along the borders with Uganda and Rwanda over some 7,800 square kilometres, and it became a World Heritage Site in 1979. It rises from 680 metres in the Semliki valley to 5,109 metres in the Rwenzori Mountains, and holds the active volcanoes Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. More than 3,000 kinds of animals and plants have been recorded here, including mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. It has been on the list of World Heritage in Danger since 1994 because of unrest in the region. In the Mikeno sector you see Mount Mikeno's sharp peak above the clouds, green plains and thick mountain forest. Families of mountain gorillas with thick black fur live in the forest, and to the south stretch black lava fields and small volcanic craters. The park headquarters at Rumangabo is about 35 km from Goma in a straight line. Gorilla visits are by permit only, with rangers, and last one hour. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to North Kivu, and tourist visits have been suspended several times, so read the current advice before any planning.
A sharp peak.
In the forest.
Black.
Mikeno sector, north of Goma, DR Congo
One hour with the family, after a walk through the forest that can be long.
Yes, the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to North Kivu.