MT. HOYO
Fifty-Seven Miles (92 Km) North Of Beni And 12 Miles (19 Km) South Of Komanda, Take The Track To The East, Uphill For Nine Miles (15 Km) To The Colonial-Style Mount Hoyo Lodge (Auberge Du Mount Hoyo).
Halfway Up This Track, I Came Upon A Line Of Millions Of Safari Ants Crossing The Road. Thousands Of Ants Had Joined Their Legs And Formed A “Cocoon” Across The Road, Protecting Those That Crossed Beneath.
Mt. Hoyo Has Many Attractions. The Cascades Of Venus (1′Escaliers De Venus) Is A Stepped Waterfall In A Thick Jungle Setting Of Natural Beauty. The Cascades And The Grottoes (Caves) With Stalagmites And Stalactites Can Be Easily Visited In A Half-Day Hike. Black And White Colobus Monkeys, Chimpanzees And The Rare Okapi May Be Seen In The Forest.
A Very Interesting Excursion Is To Join A Few Balese F Pygmy) Hunters On A Mock Antelope Hunt. Armed With Their Bows And Arrows, Groups Of Up To Three Visitors Follow These Hunters Through Thick Jungle Vegetation In Search Of Game. The Pygmies Whistle To Attract Their “Prey.” Here, They Proved The Advantage Of Being Small — Effortlessly Walking Under Vines And Limbs While I Had To Crawl On My Hands And Knees.
We Feasted On Honey Which They Fished From A Bee’s Hive In A Tree Trunk With Their Arrows; And They Enjoyed Another Delicacy — Termites From A Large Mound.
Be Sure To Visit A Pygmy Village While In The Area. Villages Along The Main Roads Have Become A Bit “Commercialized,” So If You Have Time, Have A Guide Take You To A Village Off The Beaten Track.
Related Information
Epulu Okapi Station
Epulu Okapi Station At The Okapi Station At Epulu, You May See The Rare Okapi Antelope (Ten At Present), Roaming Several Large Pens Set In Natural Surroundings. In Addition, Fourteen Primate Species Have Been Seen In The Forests Near Epulu. An Interesting Excursion For The Adventurous Is To Go Hunting With Pygmies And Camp In The Forest For A Night Or Two. The Pygmies Will Build You A Shelter For The Night Or You May Bring A Tent. Pygmy Villages Seldom Visited By Overseas Visitors May Also Be Visited By Hiking Into The Jungle With A Guide. The Epulu Okapi Station Is Situated On
Butembo
Butembo This Busy Village With A Population Of Over 100,000 Is Situated In The Highlands Along The "Beauty Route" Just North Of The Equator, About Halfway Between Goma And Bunia. Many Banana, Coffee And Tea Plantations Are In The Area. Travelers Driving From Rwindi Often Spend The Night Here Before Continu¬ing On T° Mt. Hoyo Or The Ruwenzori Mountains.
Loya River
Loya River The Loya River Crosses The Main Road A Few Miles South Of The Turnoff To Mt. Hoyo. Take A Ride In A Piroque (Dugout Canoe) Through The Thick Green Ituri Forest, Past Artificial Dams Created For Fishing, And Thick Jungle. The Loya River Flows Into The Ituri River, Which Travels Deep Into The Ituri Forest. Visit A Pygmy Village Before Returning. Be Sure To Bring A Gift (I.E., Pens Or Tobacco), Especially If You Wish To Take Pictures.
Virunga National Park (Parc National Des Virunga)
Virunga National Park (Parc National Des Virunga) Virunga National Park, Previously Called Albert Park, Is The Oldest Reserve In Africa. It Is The Best Game Park In Zaire And Is One Of The Finest And Least-Known Parks In All Of Africa. With Approximately 4600 Square Miles (11,900 Km2) In Area, It Is One Of The Largest On The Continent As Well. Altitudes Range From 3000 Feet (915 M) On The Grassy Savannah To 16,794 Feet (5120 M) In The Ruwenzori Mountains, Resulting In A Tremendous Variety Of Topography, Flora And Fauna. Virunga Is About 185 Miles (300 Km) Long And 25 Miles