Garamba national park is found in Orientale province in the Democratic republic of Congo, to the northeastof the country bordering south Sudan. Garamba national park is renowned for its large herds of elephants and is the only place to find the kordofan giraffe in Congo.
Garamba national park covers an area of 4,920 square kilometers; it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1980. The Garamba national park was early renowned for habituating numerous species of northern white rhinos; however, the park greatly suffered poaching during the Congo civil wars by 2008 the last white rhinos were killed by poachers.
Garamba National Park was established in March 1938, making it one of Africa’s oldest national parks, which boasts a rich biodiversity characterized by savanna grasslands, rocky outcrops, tropical rainforests, and papyrus marshlands dotted with inselbergs. The park is situated in a transition of Congo tropical rain forests and Guinea Sudano-Savannahs.
Garamba national park is fed by three Rivers that is; river aka, river Dungu and river Garamba. It’s also estimated to have over 1000 species of trees, 5% of which are endemic to this area. The elephants of Garamba were trained to work in agriculture fields and for forestry purposes.
Activities at Garamba national park
Wildlife watching
Garamba National Park is known for its numerous herds of northern white rhinos; however, as the population dramatically decreased, the park became home to several other animals, including hyenas, lions, buffalos, African elephants, hippopotami, kordofan giraffes, giant forest hogs, antelopes, bush pigs, mongooses, de Brazza monkeys, vervet monkeys, golden cats, warthogs, waterbucks, and many more.
Birdwatching
Garamba national park boasts numerous birds, some of which are endemic to this area. Some birds are residential, while others are migratory. Garamba National Park is a haven for bird enthusiasts, featuring over 550 recorded species of birds; among those you are likely to see are the squaco heron, fishing eagles, water thick-knees, pied kingfishers, wattled plovers, black crakes, knob-billed ducks, long-tailed cormorants, white-backed pelicans, pink-backed pelicans, spur-winged plovers, and white-faced whistling ducks.
Boat cruising
For a more thrilling experience in the Congo basin wilderness, tourists can take a boat cruise on one of the Garamba Rivers and enjoy the park’s flora and fauna, including the viewing of some aquatic animals and water birds.
Fishing
Fishing at Garamba can be done at the designated areas of the rivers and tourists are advised to come along with their fishing gear.
Guided nature walks
The guided nature walks at Garamba will expose you to many plant species, insect and butterflies to be seen, as well as primates.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Garamba National Park is during the dry season; however, from June to December, which is the rainy season, the roads become almost impossible to navigate, the vegetation becomes very thick, and spotting wildlife becomes quite difficult.
Where to stay
Garamba national park accommodation ranges from camping to luxurious; some of the hotels where you can have a comfortable stay are the New Cosmos hotel, Plaza hotel, hotel Kisangani, La Trompette hotel, flat hotel Petit zoo and many more.
How to get there
The park can be accessed by air or by road from Arua to Nagero, but tourists are highly recommended to always use air transport as it’s convenient.
