Blessed with stunning natural diversity, Virunga National Park offers you a romantic and memorable honeymoon holiday in Virunga National Park while you relax in luxurious accommodation in DRC Congo. Virunga was the first national park on the continent of Africa. The park was founded primarily to protect the mountain gorillas living in the forests of the Virunga Massif that were controlled by the Belgian Congo. Later, Virunga was expanded north to include the Rwindi Plains, Lake Edward, and the Rwenzori Mountains.

Democratic Republic of Congo a tourism destination makes it a must visit area for the lovers of thrill and adventure basically because of its unique and endemic attractions. There is a quite a lot to do whilst in the DRC but gorilla safaris and climbing the Nyiragongo are the highlights of any visit to this park as you join us for an encounter of the Lake Kivu, the Nyiragongo volcano and the lowland gorillas trekked through the rain forest.

When I heard tourists were actually climbing the summit a few years ago, I was shocked and wanted to go. But by 2013, the park had closed anew, this time because a Congolese rebel group had battled its way to Goma’s outskirts. Now, clinging to the crater’s frigid, 11,384-foot-high rim one recent moonlit night after an arduous, five-hour hike over solidified lava flows, it was my turn to gaze into the Lava Lake.

Setting off to climb Nyiragongo is one of the magical experiences one should not miss on a trip to Virunga National Park, an almost perfectly conical active volcano that rises to 3,470 metres and named after a local woman whose spirit is said to haunt the region. After a briefing from the head ranger, you start the ascent midway through the morning, at around 2,000 metres slowly climbing towards the rim, where the summit camp is positioned. The trek should not be undertaken lightly, with climbing time heavily dependent on fitness, but it typically takes between four and six hours, including plenty of stops.

The first part of the climb passes through the volcano’s forested lower slopes, which are home to a variety of animals, including chimpanzees and numerous birds – all of which are slowly returning after previous eruptions. Then continue up to the higher reaches, devoid of vegetation, which offer a stark, beautiful landscape, before finally, ascend to the rim itself, to peer down into the world’s largest lava Lake.

On a clear day, the views from the summit are spectacular, with the verdant plains below extending into the distance. A night spent at the top allows for views of a very different kind. From the crater rim, look down into the heart of the volcano; watch as the fiery lava glows and boils in the darkness, a full moon adding drama to the vast plains below, reflected in Lake Kivu. This is not for the faint hearted, but the spectacular night-time show and stunning summit views justifies every step of the climb.

At night the large lava sea in the crater of the volcano is a fascinating sight. You will have a porter carrying your backpack while you concentrate of the beauty of this volcano. Reaching the top your hot meal awaits you prepared by your personal cook. Not many people have gone before on this thrilling adventure.

The next day is for gorilla photo tours in Congo experience in Virunga National Park, one of Africa’s oldest national parks and one of the most exciting. The park’s 7800 square kilometres (3000 square miles) includes forests, savannah, lava plains, swamps, erosion valleys, active volcanoes and the glacial peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains.

It is also the only park in the world to have populations of three great ape species – the chimpanzee, the lowland gorilla and the mountain gorilla, but wandering through the shadowy forests can be found the Okapi, forest and savannah elephants, large colonies of hippos, numerous rare birds and even lion. Added to this, half of all the biodiversity in sub-Saharan Africa can be found in Virunga. It is perhaps no wonder that this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most exciting places to explore in the Democratic Republic of Congo, perhaps in all of Africa.

Today you trek gorillas in Virunga National Park, the oldest and most spectacular park in Africa. The park offices are only a minutes’ walk from Bukima, so after breakfast and a short briefing, you meet your porters and head out. A spectacular 20 minute walk in the shadow of Mt Mikeno brings you to the entrance of the park, where you step into the dark forest to begin your adventure. Walking through thick vegetation on overgrown paths can be slow going, the route you take depending on which of the four habituated mountain gorilla families you are looking for.

Humba with 8 individuals, Rugendo with 8 individuals, Mapua with 21 individuals and Nyakamwe with 9 individuals all offer their own challenges, but with regular stops along the way, the chances of sightings are good and given the excellent work by the ranges, increasing all the time. Once the gorillas have been found, you spend one hour in their company, with your guides on hand to answer any questions and ensure you keep a safe distance. Once the hour is up, you then retrace your steps back to the offices for a short debrief before returning back to camp for a well-deserved shower. Afternoons are kept flexible depending on the length of the trek.

After gorilla trekking we transfer to Mikeno, you can meet the canine anti-poaching unit, where the rangers use highly trained bloodhounds to track, apprehend and arrest poachers. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet the fearless rangers and their dogs, working hard to protect this threatened part of the world and find out about the vital – and dangerous – work they do each day.

After returning to the lodge you can visit the nearby Senkwekwe Gorilla Centre the only facility of its kind in the world. Each gorilla has suffered as a result of poaching and loss of habitat, but now caretakers look after the gorillas in a large forested enclosure. Whilst contact with the gorillas themselves is forbidden, between 09:00 and 15:00 each day you can view the gorillas in the care of their guardians and gain an insight into the conservation work taking place here. The next day, you say bye-bye to Virunga National Park and the drive will be waiting for at the Rwanda border to drive back to back to Kigali for your flight back home.