Useful Info
If you wish to stay at Mikeno Lodge and/or are planning a trip to Virunga National Park here is some information that you may find useful. If you feel you cannot find the information you are looking for, please refer to our useful information page section or contact us directly.
Getting Here
From Goma
Mikeno lodge is around a 1 hour drive from Goma.
From Within Democratic Republic of Congo
You can fly into Goma airport with the following airlines- Compagnie Africaine d’Aviation, Hewa Bora Airways, TMK Air Commuter, Wimbi Dira Airways
From Outside of Democratic Republic of Congo
You can fly into Kigali in Rwanda with- Air Ugandan, Brussels Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa Airlines, Kenya Airways, Rwandair Express. A taxi from Kigali to Goma (approx. $120) takes around 3 hours.
We will organize transport to collect you from the border and take you to Mikeno Lodge (Note: you need to arrive at the border by 3 pm at the latest).
Visa Information
Clients can get their tourism visa for the DRC at the DRC embassy at their home country. Alternatively it is possible to get the Visas at the DRC embassies at Nairobi/Kampala/Kigali, but this can prove costly and time consuming. Virunga National Park has offered a Tourism Visa $ 100 USD per person which is available for purchase via our Congo Tour Company partner, once this has been arranged crossing to Democratic Republic of Congo is so much easier.
Health/Vaccinations
If you plan to travel to Democratic Republic of Congo then it is wise to check you are up to date on the following vaccinations:
Yellow Fever -required for all travelers. Without a certificate you can be refused entry into the country
Hepatitus A & B
Polio
Typhoid
Tetanus – diptheria
MMR (measles, mumps and Rubella)
Rabies-for travelers spending a lot of time outdoors, or at high risk for animal bites, or involved in any activities that may bring them into direct contact with bats.
Malaria is prevalent across Democratic Republic of Congo so a prophylaxis is recommended for all travelers. However Rumangabo is located 1600m above sea level so the incident of mosquitoes is much lower.
Currency
The Democratic Republic of Congo has its own currency the Congolese Franc, however for normal day to day expenditures US$ are easily excepted and valid as a Congolese citizen currency. The exchange rate is approximately 1US$ = 1000CF (June 2011).
Things to Bring
For the Nyiragongo Volcano Hiking Trek
• Sleeping Bag
• Food (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
• Water (3 liters p.p. minimum)
• Any other drinks required
• Change of dry clothes (pack clothes a plastic bag)
• Rain gear
• Good walking shoes
• Warm Clothes (sweater, jacket) is very cold up there.
• Sun cream
• Hat
• Torch
Note: When you book with us we do arrange for you these logistics and we provide the Mikeno Package which includes everything and dinner offered from Mikeno Chef and this cost $ 80 USD per person. Please from the Kibati patrol you are required to take a porter at $ 24 USD and walking stick and $ 5 USD per person.
For the Gorilla visit
• Good walking shoes
• Rain gear
• Long trousers & sleeves, insect repellent, hut sun screen
• Camera
• Snacks (in case of a long trek)
Safety Information
Virunga National Park is located in a region that is often troubled by unrest. In the last three years, the southern sector of Virunga National Park (gorillas and volcano) has been considered safe for visitors with over a 100 tourists visiting these sites every month. The Rwenzori mountains are also open for tourists and can be reached from Beni in the North of the park.
The management of Virunga National Park is dedicated to ensure the safety and security of all its visitors. It does, however, emphasize the importance that all visitors be aware of current security issues at the time of their visit. Virunga National Park cannot take responsibility for any accidents or incidents. If any signs indicate a security issue, the Management of Virunga National Park can decide to (temporarily) close one of its destinations and all bookings to those destinations will be refunded.
Before organizing a trip to Virunga National Park we advise our visitors to inform themselves on the security situation, they can check www.virung.org for the latest independent news feeds on this region, as well as detailed information on the parks activities outside tourism. We advise that our visitors check with their governments foreign affairs agencies on their travel advice to the region and to check whether their insurance covers travel in this region, if not we advise visitors to ensure that they acquire additional insurance to cover travel to Virunga National Park.
We strongly advise against the use of self arranged transport, please use our transport or the transport supplied by trusted tour operators. All visitors using our transportation are automatically escorted by our rangers. If you do decide to use your own transport please inform our tourism office (Virunga Foundation) so that one of our rangers can escort you to your destination within the park (free of charge).