Congo is a country located in central Africa and one of the three countries where you can trek the endangered mountain gorillas is the world, the renowned Virunga national park is home to these great apes. Congo is also home to eastern lowland gorillas that can be trekked in Kahuzi Beiga National Park and Maiko National Park.
The Democratic republic of Congo is also home to two of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world that is mount Nyamuragira and mount Nyiragongo found in Virunga national park. These mountains are part of the Virunga massif volcanoes straddling across Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo.
Best time to travel to Congo
Congo is one of the countries crossed by the equator, the equator divides the country into two climatic zones and both regions have two wet seasons and two dry seasons. The climate of Congo is tropical with an average temperature of 18° C to 25° C with high humidity levels during the wet months. The annual rainfall ranges from 1100mm to 2000mm per year.
Dry Season
The dry season is the peak season and the best time to visit Congo, during this time the roads to the parks are very accessible, the vegetation is not thick and wildlife is concentrated on water catchment areas. This is also the best time to visit Congo for gorilla trekking experience because the trekking trails are not muddy and steep making it easy to traverse the jungle during gorilla trekking.
The dry season in Congo is also good for volcanic climbing because you will not be disrupted by rain and you will get better clear views at the peak especially at mount Nyiragongo and mount Nyamuragira. The dry seasons in Congo is from January to February and May to September, this is the best season for travelling in the country if you want an authentic experience.
Wet Season
The two wet seasons in Congo are from October to December and March to April. This is not the best time to visit Congo because of heavy rains most roads to national parks become impassable. The animals in the parks can hardly be seen because of thick vegetation and the trekking trails also become very steep and slippery.
The wet season is not the best time for mountain climbing in Congo this is because heavy rains might you experience, the views at the mountain tops are also not fabulous because they are mostly covered with snow throughout the wet season. The advantage of visiting Congo during the rainy season is that you will get a discount on gorilla permits, in the peak season permits cost $400 and are reduced to only $200 per person during the low season. Most hotels in national parks also reduce their rates by giving low season discounts.
In conclusion the best time for visiting Congo is in the dry season but budget travelers can also take advantage of the low season though you might not have a thrilling experience like in the dry season.
