Deeper Africa Doubles 2018 Gorilla Trekking Offerings

Why it Rates: These trekking trips provide a rare and fascinating opportunity to see wildlife in parts of Africa that are seldom visited. —Mia Taylor, TravelPulse Senior Writer.

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Safari outfitter Deeper Africa has announced the availability of three unique adventures to the Republic of Congo (RC) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Teaming with Virunga National Park, Deeper Africa launches The Call of the Congo today, a new safari in the DRC that features mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, hosts of monkeys and exotic birds.

Travelers may elect to hike up Nyiragongo Volcano to see the world's biggest lava lake in its nighttime glory. Despite its legendary status among gorilla enthusiasts, birders and wildlife aficionados, Virunga gets few visitors. In fact, the DRC has the world's largest mountain gorilla population.

For years, Virunga was surrounded by regional conflict that kept visitors away and threatened the existence of the gorillas. Now, with help from an array of international supporters, the park is secure and the animals are protected. Wildlife is flourishing, mountain gorillas have increased fourfold and travelers are returning. The increased tourism helps sustain Virunga's conservation and community development efforts.

"A multilingual guide is essential for travelers from the United States since Swahili is the primary language of the DRC along with French," noted Wil Smith, Co-Founder of Deeper Africa. "This trip is led by a third-generation Congolese conservationist Victor Prigogne who grew up in Virunga, studied in Europe and - importantly - speaks fluent English, French, and Swahili."

Safety and security are paramount, as parts of the DRC are unsafe for travel. Virunga, however, is secure, guarded by a robust ranger force internationally recognized as elite, professional and very effective. To date, 10,000 travelers have visited the park without a single security incident.

Call of the Congo travelers will always be escorted by these Virunga rangers, their Congolese guide and Wil Smith of Deeper Africa.

Deeper Africa has also created Mountain and Lowland Gorillas, an active adventure that features mountain gorilla trekking in Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda and lowland gorilla trekking in Odzala National Park in the Republic of Congo.

Beyond visiting mountain gorillas in the high mountains of Rwanda and lowland gorillas in the Congo's rainforest, there are many other ways to experience wildlife. Kayaking down the Lekoli River is featured, as is a boat cruise, forest walks, and swimming. There is also ample opportunity to explore Kigali in Rwanda and Brazzaville in the Congo, balancing gorilla trekking and wildlife viewing with exotic cultural experiences.

Rounding out the new gorilla trekking offerings, Lowland Gorillas is a safari set in Odzala National Park which gives travelers expanded access to the park's wildlife and varied ecosystems.

Odzala's rainforests are second only to the Amazon in size and scope of species, with more than 1,000 resident bird species alone. Wildlife experiences go beyond gorilla trekking here and include encounters with Rainforest elephants and buffalo, chimpanzees, and antelope.

The Call of the Congo has departures in July, August, and September of 2018, and 2019 departures in January, July, August, and September.

Mountain and Lowland Gorillas and Lowland Gorillas are custom safaris offered throughout 2018 and 2019.

For more information, visit www.deeperafrica.com.

SOURCE: Deeper Africa press release.