Are you a wildlife enthusiast willing to do whatever it takes to visit what you feel will achieve your dream? If yes, then add Garamba National Park where nature still remains unexplored. This Park is truly a hidden gem that you shouldn’t miss to visit for a Safari in DRC. Garamba National park is one of the largest National Parks found within the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The most fascinating thing about this National Park is that it is a home to the Giraffe sub-species called the Congo Giraffe.

This National Park is situated in  Haut-Uélé district (within Orientale Province) in North-eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the border with South-Sudan, and used to be a haven to the World’s last popular wild population of the Northern White Rhinos but due to massive poaching and conflicts, the park has become one of the most feared destinations and the Rhinos were added in the list of World Heritage Sites in danger in 1996. Nevertheless, this is gradually changing because the Park is now managed by African Parks Network that is doing its best to curb down poaching. With the restoration of Peace in Democratic Republic of Congo, more tourists are making their trips to this National Park.

Garamba National Park was gazzeted in 1938 making it one of Africa’s oldest National parks and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. This Park covers an area of 4920 square kilometers/1900 square miles and lies with an area of between 700 meters/2300 feet and 1065 meters/3500 feet above sea level. The landscape of Garamba National Park is characterized by a vast plateau and marshland depressions, scattered with inselbergs comprised of granite. This Park is a place of pure beauty and is widely known for the White Rhinos, but it is feared that in the next few years they will become extinct because of the high rate of poaching within the Park.

Others include Buffaloes, the African elephants found within the Gangala-Na-Bodio elephants station-one of a kind in the whole world, Hippos and the Congo giraffes among others. It is believed that the Elephants that are found within Garamba National Park are hybrids of the Savannah and the Forest Elephants. This magnificent National Park is characterized by exceptional tree species, the common ones being the fascinating Sausage tree-one of Africa’s magical tree species characterized by the fact that they overbear fruits that are used to treat some skin ailments and they produce a red dye used for several traditional practices. A large grown-up sausage tree can grow only to 0.6 meters tall and can weigh only 6.8 kilograms.

Even with all the unexplored beauty of the park, it still remains among the least visited places in this country due to the presumed civil unrest within the area and the high rate of illegal poaching to the point that poachers even use helicopters to kill the wildlife within the National Park.

In conclusion, Garamba National Park is a destination of pure beauty because it is a home to white Rhinos, buffaloes, elephants and several exceptional tree species that include the fascinating sausage tree.