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Brazzaville

Founded by Italo-French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza in 1880 on the Stanley Pool area of the Congo River, Brazza has always been the junior economic partner to Kinshasa (the DRC's capital) which faces it across the immense river. Brazzaville is by far the more laid-back – and safer – town, though it can also feel like a bit of a backwater by comparison.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

La Corniche

This wonderful modernised embankment is a great place for a stroll, and affords fantastic views over the Congo River to Kinshasa, looming in the distance…

Les Rapides

These wide and powerful rapids on the Congo River can be viewed on the outskirts of Brazzaville. Most people observe the rapids from the nearby bar Site…

Basilique Sainte-Anne

This modernist 1949 building was the crowning achievement of French architect Roger Erell, who was known for fusing Western architectural ideas with local…

Brazza Memorial

The body of Italian-French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, who founded the settlement that became Brazzaville, was returned to Congo in 2006 and is…

Marché Total

Brazza's biggest market, in the neighbourhood of Bacongo, Marché Total sells everything from technological wonders and caterpillars to monkeys and…

Hôtel de Ville

Brazzaville's modernist city hall has an enviable location just by the Congo River, and anyone who has spent time in France will notice the unmistakable…

Marché Poto-Poto

This sprawling and chaotic market in the heart of one of Brazza's busiest residential neighbourhoods is a good place to wander and see locals food…

Palais du Peuple

Heavily guarded and best not approached or photographed, this is the residence of Congo's long-term president, Denis Sassou N'Guesso.

Latest stories from Brazzaville

Oct 3, 2014 • 5 min read

Step out of the Congo's wilds and into Brazzaville or Pointe-Noire and discover what some call the heart of French Africa. Though both urban centres exude…

Oct 1, 2014 • 6 min read

Purchase our award-winning guidebooks

Get to the heart of Brazzaville with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.

Top Republic of the Congo Attractions

Things to do in republic of the congo.

• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Budget-friendly
• Good for Big Groups
• Good for Kids
• Adventurous
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Hidden Gems
• Good for Couples
• Honeymoon spot
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Gorges of Diosso

2. Basilique St. Anne

3. Réserve Naturelle de Gorilles de Lésio-Louna-Léfini

4. National Museum of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

5. Musee Cercle Africain

6. Casino Étoile

7. Casino Salut Pointe-noire

8. Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur de Brazzaville

9. Côte Sauvage

10. Nouabale-Ndoki National Park

11. Loufoulakari Falls

12. Cathédrale Saint-Pierre

13. Pont Du Djoue

14. Odzala-Kokoua National Park

15. Pont Du 15 Aout 1960

16. Charles de Gaulle House

17. Institut Francais du Congo

18. Sakana Island

19. Nkila Ntari cave

20. Kintele Sports Complex

21. Grand Mosque

22. Ponton plage

23. Zoolandia - Le Parc Zoologique Et Botanique De Brazzaville

24. Bureaux D'Information Touristique

25. Pichichi Sportsbar

26. Lawanda Tours & Adventure

27. Golf Club De Brazzaville

28. RITUEL THAÏ

29. master night club.

30. Diamant Noir

What travelers are saying.

Home » Travel Guides » Congo » 15 Best Places to Visit in the Democratic Republic of Congo

15 Best Places to Visit in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC and formerly Zaire) has a history that’s difficult to take in.

From the mismanagement of Belgium’s King Leopold, to the corrupt leader Mobutu Sese Seko, to the battlegrounds of Africa’s horrific “world war,” the country has experienced long periods of instability. But the second largest African nation is staging a comeback and by most accounts, is headed in the right direction.

There are regularly travel advisories for DRC, but during times of stability, there is a magic wilderness to explore here.  The country is covered in UNESCO designated national parks.  They’ve got active volcanoes, raging rivers, and all the wildlife you expect of Africa. Caution is needed but the DRC is the literal and figurative heart of Africa.

Let’s have a look at the best places to visit in Congo !

1. Kinshasa

The capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as one of the 11 provinces, is Kinshasa. It’s chaotic and buzzing with energy and really huge – with over ten million residents.

Established by Henry Stanley in the late 19th century as a trading post it’s now likened to an African New York City.  Enjoy a boat ride on the Congo or a BBQ picnic on its shores.

The Marche des voleurs, or the city market, is colourful and intense and loads of fun. There is a great street art culture here and if you sit in one of the small cafes off the 30 Juin Boulevard, the artists will come up and show you their pieces for sale.  It’s a great way to talk to locals and relax.

2. Lola Ya Bonobo

Lola Ya Bonobo is a sanctuary for orphaned bonobos and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Kinshasa area.

The bonobos are hunted for bush meat, and when a mother is killed, the babies are often taken and sold on the black market as pets.  The sanctuary tries to recover as many as possible so that they can live out their lives in safety.  One of the four great apes, bonobos have been relatively isolated until the 20th century.

The sanctuary covers 30 hectares of forest and you can visit the several feeding stations that the staff use to help track the apes.  The sanctuary also accepts volunteers.

3. Kahuzi Biega National Park

Named after the 3,000+ metre Mt. Kahuzi and the 2,700+ metre Mt. Biega this spectacular national park is located in the South Kivu Province and stretches from the Congo River basin to Bukavu.

Kahuzi and Biega are extinct volcanoes that now afford some incredible hiking. It was created in 1970 in order to protect the Eastern Lowland Gorillas and just ten years later was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gorilla poaching has been a problem for decades but thanks to the park authority, a dedicated education effort is ongoing. Today, the gorillas are still endangered, but their quality of life has improved and conditions are improving year each year.

You’ll find incredible biological diversity in the park like endemic plants, elephants, chimps, genet, antelope, and serval.

4. Nyiragongo Volcano

The skyline of Goma in the DRC is dominated by Nyiragongo. This unbelievable, 3,000+ metre volcano last erupted in 2011, destroying up to 15% of the surrounding land and leaving over 120,000 homeless.

Erupting 34 times in the last 130 years, Nyiragongo is located at the junction where the African tectonic plate is breaking.

The landscape around Goma is striking, with black solidified lava so wide that the place looks like an above ground coal mine. There is an active lava lake inside the crater which can sometimes be visited.

The area has recovered nicely from the last blast and you’ll find plenty of new shops and markets to discover.

5. Virunga National Park

Located along the borders of Rwanda and Uganda, Virunga National Park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As the country’s oldest national park, it’s also the most biologically diverse.  You’ll find lava plains, savannas, forests, valleys, active volcanoes, swamps, and even glacier peaks in the Rwenzori Mountains.

Roughly 25% of endangered mountain gorillas call the park home, and Virunga is the only park to have three of the four great apes in one place.

The Okapi, an endangered species that looks like a cross between a giraffe and a zebra, also make the park their home.  You can spot hippos, lions, elephants, and a number of rare and exotic birds.

The park has three distinct areas, all worth a visit:  The Rwenzori Mountains, Lake Edward area, and the Mikeno volcano area.

6. Lake Kivu

Straddling the border between the DRC and Rwanda, Lake Kivu is the sixth largest lake in Africa.

One of a series of freshwater lakes in the region, Lake Kivu offers lovely scenic drives between the towns that dot her shores. From Cyangugu to Gisenyi, the gently winding road affords breathtaking vistas as you leisurely make your way.

Tons of banana and eucalyptus trees line the road and the locals will pause and wave as you pass by. Gisenyi is the largish town that was once a colonial beach resort and so has some nice old mansions and great places to stop for a sundowner’s cocktail.

7. Garamba National Park

This national park is filled with unending grasslands and savannahs.  And these are filled with elephants, giraffes, hippos, black rhinos, and white rhinos.

Garamba National Park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and an amazing sanctuary for several endangered species.

It’s rare to see so many different classifications of large mammals sharing the same space and that makes a visit to the park an absolute must.

8. Salonga National Park

Salonga is both the DRC and Africa’s largest tropical rainforest.  In this UNESCO World Heritage Site you’ll find several endangered species including the Congo peacock, dwarf chimpanzees, forest elephants, and the slender-snouted crocodile.

The park is quiet isolated and you must take a boat to reach it.

This vital ecosystem is so large that it plays an important role in climate regulation for the entire country.

9. Okapi Wildlife Reserve

This UNESCO World Heritage Reserve is unique for the large variety of primates and exotic birds that call it home.

There are incredibly opportunities for trekking to some even more incredible waterfalls within the reserve.  The landscape along the Epulu and the Ituri rivers is simply stunning.

Also calling the reserve home are the pygmy nomad tribes of the Efe and Mbuti hunters.  It’s a great place to see the endangered Okapi (about one-sixth of the entire population are found here).

In a country of remote locations and national parks, Maiko is the DRC’s most inaccessible national park.

It is also the only park where you’ll find all three of the country’s endemic species: the Okapi, the Congo peafowl, and the Grauer gorilla.  And don’t forget chimpanzees, elephants, leopards, and bongos.

Though it’s not well known or well visited, the forest represents an enormous carbon sink and its future protection is globally important to addressing climate change.  Within Maiko’s borders are the Simba Mai Mai people, who fled here in the 1960’s seeking a kind of political asylum.

Today, the government is working to resettle the roughly 700 inhabitants in order to protect the forest.

11. Falls of Zongo

Located in Bas-Congo (about 130 km from the city of Kinshasa), the Falls of Zongo represent Mother Earth at her best.

If you’re looking for a few days outside of the city, the Falls are a great option.  You can tent camp or rent a bungalow and explore the area for a couple of nights.

Enjoy hiking and taking a cool dip below the falls.

12. Boyoma Falls

Once called Stanley Falls, Boyoma Falls is a long series of cataracts located along the Lualaba River.

After an overall drop of 61 metres and at the end of the seventh cataract, the river merges with the Congo River. The Wagenya fishing tribe live in the region and after generations of living along this unique river, they’ve developed special methods to catch fish.

You’ll see their wooden tripods in the rapids, resting in the natural holes formed in the rocks by the running water. The tripods hold baskets that serve as nets for the fishermen.

A two hour boat ride from the city of Bukavu will take you to Idjwi, a lush island of green mountains and incredible biodiversity.

Idjwi feels like an entirely different world within the DRC – newcomers are often greeted with fresh fruit, and motorcycle or walking are the two primary modes of transportation. Hiking around the island is idyllic and peaceful.

The inhabitants are proud that they have never seen war on their land and you’ll quickly feel the difference this makes.

Accommodation is sparse, but for those adventurers who arrive on this beautiful island, Mother Nature will more than make up for it.

14. Kisangani

Kisangani, formerly Stanleyville, is the third largest city in the DRC and lies completely within the tropical forest.

The city’s new name originates from the nearby Boyoma Waterfalls and means “the city on the island.” Kisangani has great shopping (check out the avenue de l’Eglise) and fantastic local restaurants.

It’s also known for its striking architecture and surprisingly makes a popular convention destination.

Be sure to check out the many museums, botanical gardens, and zoo.  The Rasaire of Notre-Dame Cathedral in the Central market is particularly appealing to visitors. At the University of Kisangani you can view an impressive collection of East African and Congolese archaeological artefacts.

15 Best Places to Visit in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

• Lola Ya Bonobo
• Kahuzi Biega National Park
• Nyiragongo Volcano
• Virunga National Park
• Garamba National Park
• Salonga National Park
• Okapi Wildlife Reserve
• Falls of Zongo
• Boyoma Falls

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Latest update.

Reconsider your need to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo overall due to the volatile security situation and the threat of terrorism and kidnapping.

Higher levels apply in some areas.

DRC map December 2023 (PDF 1023.33 KB)

Africa (PDF 1.68 MB)

Local emergency contacts

Depending on what you need, contact your:

• family and friends
• travel agent
• insurance provider

There's no national emergency number in the DRC.

Advice levels

Reconsider your need to travel  to the Democratic Republic of the Congo overall due to the volatile security situation and the threat of terrorism and kidnapping.

Do not travel to Kasai, Kasai Central, Kasai Oriental, Mai Ndombe, South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri, Maniema, Tanganyika, Bas-Uélé and Haut-Uélé provinces.

Do not travel to:

• Kasai Central,
• Kasai Oriental,
• Mai Ndombe,
• South Kivu,
• North Kivu,
• Tanganyika,
• Bas-Uélé, and
• Haut-Uélé provinces

due to the significant threat of armed conflict and violence.

• Since 5 February, protests have been occurring outside some foreign embassies and UN offices in Kinshasa. Avoid areas where protests are occurring. Monitor the media for potential demonstrations or protests and follow the advice of local authorities. The US Embassy in Kinshasa issued a security alert on 11 February advising that protests throughout Kinshasa are likely to continue.
• Kidnappers often target foreigners. The risk is highest in the eastern and northeast regions. Express kidnappings in parts of Kinshasa have increased. If you're travelling to these areas, seek professional security advice. Be alert to possible threats.
• The security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is volatile. Conflict between government forces and armed groups in the east is ongoing. If it's safe to do so, leave affected areas.

There's an ongoing threat of terrorist attacks in the DRC, particularly in eastern DRC. An attack is possible at any time. Always be alert to possible threats, especially in public places.

Intercommunal violence in Mai Ndombe province, particularly in the territory of Kwamouth, has escalated. Intercommunal violence may continue to increase and lead to further deaths and displacement.  

• On 6 May 2021, the DRC Government declared a 'State of Siege' in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. Military administrations have replaced civilian administrations in these provinces until further notice. The new military administrations have been granted extended security powers, and there is potential for increased armed conflict in the region during this time.
• Crime rates are very high, especially in Kinshasa and the country's east. Risks increase after dark. Ensure your accommodation is secure. Don't walk alone in Kinshasa, even during the day.
• The DRC has active volcanoes. If there's an eruption, avoid contact with ash. Seek medical help if you have breathing problems. In the rainy season, landslides and flooding can disrupt transport networks. Be prepared to change your travel plans.

Full travel advice: Safety

• Several outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) have occurred in DRC. There is an ongoing risk of EVD transmission in the DRC. EVD is often fatal. Avoid contact with EVD patients as the disease is spread through bodily fluids.
• Ensure you've been vaccinated against yellow fever and polio before you travel. Carry proof of vaccination with you.
• HIV/AIDS is widespread. Take precautions if you're taking part in high-risk activities.
• Some insect-borne disease such as yellow fever and malaria are widespread. Ensure your accommodation is insect-proof and use insect repellent.
• Foodborne, waterborne and other infectious diseases include cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and monkeypox. Drink only boiled or bottled water. Avoid raw or undercooked food. Don't swim in fresh water.

Full travel advice: Health

• The death penalty applies to a number of offences.
• Always carry your passport and visa or immigration permit. It's illegal not to show them if officials ask.
• Be careful when taking photos. It's illegal to photograph presidential or official motorcades. It's also illegal to take photos near government buildings or other infrastructure, including airports.
• If you're walking or driving, stop for motorcades and flag ceremonies. Failing to stop is illegal.
• The DRC doesn't recognise dual nationality. If you're a dual national, make sure you enter and exit the country on the same passport.

Full travel advice: Local laws

• You need to obtain a visa before you enter the DRC. You can't get one on arrival. Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice. You should contact the nearest high commission/embassy or consulate of the DRC for the latest details.
• Carry your yellow fever vaccination certificate. You'll need it to enter the country.
• Military and police roadblocks are common. If you have them, always carry your government-issued identification, insurance card (carte rose), registration (carte grise) and driver's licence.

Don't use public transport. Bus and rail services are unsafe due to poor safety standards and crime.

Full travel advice: Travel

Local contacts

• The Consular Services Charter  details what the Australian Government can and can't do to help you overseas.
• Australia doesn't have an embassy or consulate in the DRC. Our ability to provide consular assistance may be limited. 

The Canadian Embassy in Kinshasa provides consular assistance to Australians in the DRC. It can issue Australian provisional travel documents . Its services are limited outside Kinshasa.

• For full consular help, contact the Australian Embassy in Zimbabwe .
• To stay up to date with local information, follow the Embassy’s social media accounts.

Full travel advice: Local contacts

Full advice

Civil unrest and political tension.

The security situation in DRC is volatile. 

There are over 130 active armed groups in eastern DRC. Armed conflict has caused widespread civilian displacement and deaths. Conflict between local armed groups and government forces is ongoing. It's a more serious threat in eastern and northern provinces. This includes:

• Kasai, Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental provinces.
• South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri, Maniema, Tanganyika, Bas-Uélé and Haut-Uélé provinces where fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
• Mai Ndombe province

On 6 May 2021, the DRC Government declared a 'State of Siege' in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. Military administrations have replaced civilian administrations in these provinces until further notice. The military administrations have been granted extended security powers, and there is potential for increased armed conflict in the region during this time.

A large UN military presence and several aid organisations operate in the DRC. This includes the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).  On 25 July 2022, large protests began in the cities of Beni, Betembo, Goma and Rutshuru targeting MONUSCO. MONUSCO sites have been looted and the demonstrations have resulted in deaths. Avoid crowds, demonstrations and sites associated with MONUSCO in eastern DRC.

Some local non-government organisations have suspended operations in North and South Kivu due to the security situation.

To protect yourself during periods of unrest:

• monitor local media for updates
• take into account the information provided by Congolese authorities and MONUSCO
• follow advice from local authorities
• avoid affected areas
• arrange effective personal safety measures
• keep adequate supplies of water, food, fuel, cash and medications

Keep your passport and other travel documents (e.g. visas, flights) up to date.

Regularly review your contingency plans in light of local developments. Be ready to leave the DRC at short notice if the situation worsens.

If, despite our advice, you decide to go to 'do not travel' areas, get professional security advice.

Demonstrations and protests

Since 5 February, civil unrest and political violence have been occurring outside some foreign embassies and UN offices in Kinshasa. Protesters have started fires and thrown rocks at foreign vehicles. Further protests are expected and may also spread to other parts of DRC. Foreigners may be randomly targeted. 

Public protests and events that draw large groups can quickly turn violent.

To protect yourself from violence:

• avoid demonstrations and protests
• limit your movements
• monitor local media and other information sources for updates
• follow the advice of local authorities

Security incidents can occur in Kinshasa, including:

• demonstrations
• attacks on vehicles

Roads may be closed with little or no notice.

The only road to the N'Djili Airport in Kinshasa may be blocked. Flight schedules may be disrupted. Confirm flight schedules with your airline or travel provider.

More information:

• Demonstrations and civil unrest

Kidnappers often target foreigners.

Kidnapping is most common in the eastern and north-eastern regions.

Areas with a high risk of kidnapping include:

• Virunga National Park in North Kivu
• Kasai, Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental provinces
• South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri, Maniema, Tanganyika, Bas-Uélé and Haut-Uélé provinces

Express kidnappings

Express kidnappings targeting foreigners have increased. The threat is particularly high in the Limete area of Kinshasa.

These attacks usually occur in broad daylight and victims can be abducted for a few hours and stripped of their possessions or taken to an ATM to withdraw money.

These attacks are often perpetrated by small groups of individuals dressed in police uniforms.

To protect yourself from kidnapping:

• seek professional security advice
• be alert to possible threats
• change your routes and patterns of travel

The Australian Government's longstanding policy is that it doesn't make payments or concessions to kidnappers.

There's a very high level of crime. Risks increase after dark.

Criminals may use roadblocks and pose as police or military personnel to rob travellers at night.

Security authorities may target travellers to ask for bribes or make random arrests, such as at roadblocks.

Violent crime has increased in the east because of the unstable security situation. 

Crimes that commonly affect travellers, especially in Kinshasa, include:

• violent robbery
• vehicle thefts

To protect yourself from crime and express kidnappings :

• keep vehicle doors locked and windows up
• secure your accommodation against intruders
• avoid travelling after dark
• don't walk alone in Kinshasa
• avoid sensitive areas, such as military facilities
• don't permit soldiers or police officers to enter your vehicle,  and avoid getting into vehicles with strangers, even if they identify themselves as police officers
• avoid using taxis. If you must take one, do not hail off the street, use a privately booked taxi
• be extra vigilant when withdrawing cash from ATMs, even in hotels.

Carry colour photocopies of your passport and identity documents. Hand these to officials, not the originals.

Cyber Security 

You may be at risk of cyber-based threats during overseas travel to any country. Digital identity theft is a growing concern. Your devices and personal data can be compromised, especially if you’re connecting to Wi-Fi, using or connecting to shared or public computers, or to Bluetooth. 

Social media can also be risky in destinations where there are social or political tensions, or laws that may seem unreasonable by Australian standards. Travellers have been arrested for things they have said on social media. Don't comment on local or political events on your social media. 

More information:  

• Cyber security when travelling overseas  

Areas prone to terrorist attacks include:  

• in the region of Beni-Butembo and Goma in North Kivu
• in the vicinity of Boga in Ituri
• the border with Uganda

Possible targets for terror attacks include:

• government buildings and sites associated with the DRC armed forces (FARDC)
• areas frequented by foreigners, such as hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars and markets
• airports, other transportation hubs and vehicle convoys
• schools and places of worship

To reduce your risks:

• take official warnings seriously and follow the instructions of local authorities
• consider the level of security at venues you are visiting
• be alert in crowded places and monitor the media
• pay close attention to your personal security

If there's a terrorist attack:

• leave the affected area immediately if it's safe to do so
• avoid the area afterwards in case of more attacks

Don't gather in groups after an attack. This also applies if you're evacuated from a building for security reasons, such as a bomb threat.

Natural disasters

The DRC experiences  natural disasters and severe weather , including:

• earthquakes
• volcanic eruptions

To protect yourself if a natural disaster occurs:

• keep your passport in a safe, waterproof location
• monitor local media and other sources
• keep in touch with family and friends
• contact your tour operator or airline to confirm bookings

Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

The DRC experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Mount Nyiragongo, near Goma, is one of the world's most active volcanoes and last erupted in May 2021. 

Exposure to volcanic ash, dust and toxic fumes is a major health risk.

Seek medical help if you have existing respiratory problems.

To protect yourself if there's a volcanic eruption:

• stay inside with the windows and doors shut
• place damp towels at doors and other draft sources
• protect your skin with long-sleeved clothing and long pants
• wear a disposable face mask outside and change it frequently
• protect your eyes with goggles
• avoid contact with ash

Floods and landslides

Landslides and flooding may occur in the rainy season. This can affect transport infrastructure.

The rainy season is April to October in the north and November to March in the south.

Travel insurance

Get comprehensive travel insurance before you leave. Your policy needs to cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation. The Australian Government won't pay for these costs.

You'll probably need a special insurance policy for any 'do not travel' destinations. Some Australian policies may not cover you for these areas.

If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. This applies to everyone, no matter how healthy and fit you are.

If you're not insured, you may have to pay many thousands of dollars up-front for medical care.

• what activities and care your policy covers
• that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away

Physical and mental health

Consider your physical and mental health before you travel, especially if you have an existing medical condition. 

See your doctor or travel clinic to:

• have a basic health check-up
• ask if your travel plans may affect your health
• plan any vaccinations you need

Do this at least 8 weeks before you leave.

If you have immediate concerns for your welfare or the welfare of another Australian, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or contact your  nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate  to discuss counselling hotlines and services available in your location.

• General health advice
• Healthy holiday tips  (Healthdirect Australia)

Not all medication available over the counter or by prescription in Australia is available in other countries. Some may be illegal or a controlled substance, even if prescribed by an Australian doctor.

If you plan to bring medication, check if it's legal in the DRC. Take enough legal medication for your trip.

Carry a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor stating:

• what the medication is
• your required dosage
• that it's for personal use

Health risks

Ebola virus disease (evd).

Several outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) have occurred in DRC. There is an ongoing risk of EVD transmission in the DRC.

EVD is often fatal with a mortality rate of around 50 per cent.

Symptoms of EVD can include:

• muscle pain and weakness
• sore throat
• vomiting and diarrhoea
• internal and external bleeding

Approved vaccines are currently only administered during a confirmed outbreak to those considered at highest risk of contracting the virus. They are not available to the general public as a preventative measure at this point in time. T here's no proven safe and effective treatment but prompt and high-quality care can be life-saving.

EVD spreads through direct contact with body fluids, even after an infected person has died.  EVD can also be transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids of those who have survived and recovered from infection.

Maintain strict hygiene standards. Avoid direct contact with EVD patients.

See a doctor if you feel unwell and separate yourself from others if you develop any EVD symptoms.

Call ahead and tell the doctor about your recent travel and symptoms. Advance notice will help the doctor treat you and protect others.

See the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care  for more information on how to protect yourself against catching EVD, and what to do if you’re in an area where EVD is known to happen.

• Ebola virus disease, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Infectious diseases

Outbreaks of polio have occurred.

Stay up-to-date with polio vaccinations and booster doses. Speak to your doctor if you're unsure if you're vaccinated for polio.

If you're staying longer than 4 weeks, you'll need to show proof on exit that you've had the polio vaccine or a booster within the past 12 months. If you don't, you may need to be vaccinated before leaving the DRC.

Australian Immunisation Handbook

Insect-borne diseases

Yellow fever is widespread in the DRC.

Malaria occurs widely throughout the year.

Other insect-borne diseases can also occur, including:

• African sleeping sickness

To protect yourself from disease:

• check your accommodation is insect-proof
• use insect repellent
• wear long, loose, light-coloured clothing

Get vaccinated against yellow fever before you travel.

Consider taking medicine to prevent malaria.

Seek medical advice if you have a fever, muscle pain, rash or severe headache.

HIV/AIDS is widespread. Take steps to reduce your risk of exposure to the virus.

Other health risks

Monkeypox  is transmitted to humans from animals, usually monkeys, rodents, and squirrels.

In areas where monkeypox occurs, avoid:

• contact with rodents and primates
• contact with people infected with monkeypox
• items that may have come in contact with an infected person.

Waterborne, foodborne and other infectious diseases are widespread. These include:

• Tuberculosis

Serious outbreaks sometimes occur.

To protect yourself from illness:

• drink boiled water or bottled water with sealed lids
• avoid ice cubes
• avoid raw and undercooked food, such as salads
• avoid swimming in fresh water
• avoid contact with dogs, monkeys, rodents and other animals

If you're bitten or scratched by an animal, get medical help straight away.

Get medical advice if you have a fever or diarrhoea.

Medical care

Public medical facilities are basic in Kinshasa and inadequate outside the capital. Private medical facilities are of higher quality but may not meet Australian standards.

Doctors and hospitals will generally ask for payment before treatment. Evidence of travel insurance may not be accepted as a guarantee of payment at some hospitals.

If you're seriously ill or injured, you'll likely need to be evacuated to a place with better facilities. Medical evacuation can be expensive.

You're subject to all local laws and penalties, including those that may appear harsh by Australian standards. Research local laws before travelling.

If you're arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you under our Consular Services Charter . But we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.

Penalties for possessing illegal drugs include harsh prison sentences and fines.

Carrying or using drugs

A number of offences carry the death penalty.

Always carry a copy of your passport and visa or immigration permit. Police and immigration officials can ask to see your travel documents at any time.

Same-sex relationships are not illegal in the DRC. Homosexuality remains a cultural taboo and same-sex couples who engage in public displays of affection may be subject to harassment. Same-sex relationships are not recognised in the DRC.

Curfews can be imposed with little or no warning.

Pedestrians and motorists must stop for motorcades. Warnings include security personnel and sirens.

You must also stop when passing a government installation during the raising and lowering of the national flag. This happens at about 7:30am and 6pm every day.

In the DRC it's illegal to:

• take photos of or near government buildings or other infrastructure, including airports
• take photos of a presidential or other official motorcade
• fail to produce your passport and visa or immigration permit on request

Australian laws

Some Australian criminal laws still apply when you're overseas. If you break these laws, you may face prosecution in Australia.

Staying within the law and respecting customs

Dual citizenship

The DRC doesn't recognise dual nationality.

If you're a dual citizen, this limits the consular services we can give if you're arrested or detained.

You need to enter and exit the DRC using the same passport or you may be stopped from departing.

Always travel on your  Australian passport .

Dual nationals

Visas and border measures

Every country or territory decides who can enter or leave through its borders. For specific information about the evidence you'll need to enter a foreign destination, check with the nearest embassy, consulate or immigration department of the destination you're entering. 

Visa conditions

You'll need a visa before you enter the DRC. You can't get one on arrival.

Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice. You can contact the nearest embassy or consulate for details about visas, currency, customs and quarantine rules.

The closest embassy of the DRC  is in Tokyo.

Border measures

Border openings and other restrictions may change at short notice. Due to the ongoing insecurity in these areas, you should avoid the border entry points from Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Contact your airline directly for the latest update and register with the  Canadian Embassy  in Kinshasa for advice on departure options.

Yellow fever vaccination

You'll need a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter DRC. You may be asked to show your vaccination certificate before boarding, on arrival and at departure.

Find out about returning to Australia after exposure to yellow fever .

Countries with a risk of yellow fever

Other entry requirements

Declare satellite phones and GPS equipment on arrival.

A departure tax applies if you leave the DRC by air. The tax includes a $50 airport exit fee and a $5 boarding fee, which is subject to change with no notice. Get an official receipt and copies for each fee. You should hand the originals on request to immigration officials and at boarding and keep the copies.

Some countries won't let you enter unless your passport is valid for 6 months after you plan to leave that country. This can apply even if you're just transiting or stopping over.

Some foreign governments and airlines apply the rule inconsistently. Travellers can receive conflicting advice from different sources.

You can end up stranded if your passport is not valid for more than 6 months.

The Australian Government does not set these rules. Check your passport's expiry date before you travel. If you're not sure it'll be valid for long enough, consider getting a new passport .

Lost or stolen passport

Your passport is a valuable document. It's attractive to people who may try to use your identity to commit crimes.

Some people may try to trick you into giving them your passport. Always keep it in a safe place.

If your passport is lost or stolen, tell the Australian Government as soon as possible:

• In Australia, contact the Australian Passport Information Service .
• If you're overseas, contact the nearest Australian embassy or consulate .

The Canadian Embassy  in Kinshasa can issue Australian provisional travel documents  (PTDs). You can't travel to or through South Africa on a PTD.

Passport with 'X' gender identifer

Although Australian passports comply with international standards for sex and gender, we can’t guarantee that a passport showing 'X' in the sex field will be accepted for entry or transit by another country. Contact the nearest  embassy, high commission or consulate of your destination  before you arrive at the border to confirm if authorities will accept passports with 'X' gender markers. 

• LGBTI travellers  

The local currency is the Congolese Franc (CDF).

Declare local and foreign currency in excess of USD10,000 on arrival and departure. This covers all forms of currency, not only cash.

US dollars are widely accepted. Counterfeit currency is common. Check USD banknotes before accepting them.

Change currency at licensed commercial banks and exchange bureaus. Money transfer agencies operate in major towns.

Traveller's cheques aren't accepted. Some major hotels accept credit cards.

ATMs are available in Kinshasa and major centres. It may be difficult to withdraw cash from international accounts, even at major hotels.

Check that your cards will work in the DRC before you travel.

Local travel

Mining districts.

You'll need official clearance from the relevant DRC ministry or government department before visiting a mining district.

Ministry of Mining (French)

Driving permit

To drive in the DRC, you'll need both:

• a valid international driving permit (IDP)
• your current Australian driver's licence

You must get your IDP before you leave Australia.

Road travel

You're more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident in the DRC than in Australia. Dangers include:

• aggressive driving
• low driving standards
• a lack of street signage and lighting

Military and police roadblocks are common.

Following large-scale prison breaks in Kinshasa, Béni and Kasangu, local authorities increased the number of checkpoints at night. Checkpoints include Gombe, Limete, Ngaba, Kintambo, Ngaliema, Ndjili, Mont Ngafula and around Camp Kokolo.

Criminals may use roadblocks to pose as police or military personnel and rob you. See Safety

To protect yourself while travelling on DRC roads:

• familiarise yourself with local traffic laws and practices
• be alert to possible hazards, especially at night
• check road conditions and risks before travel outside Kinshasa

Carry government-issued identification, carte rose, carte grise and driver's licence at all times.

Ask for credentials if approached by an officer.

If you travel outside Kinshasa, have contingency plans and take emergency equipment such as a satellite phone.

Driving or riding

Motorcycles

Check with your travel insurer whether your policy covers you when riding a motorbike.

Always wear a helmet.

Use registered taxis and limousines, preferably arranged through your hotel.

Avoid unofficial taxis or taxis hailed on the street. Robberies  can occur.

Public transport

Boat travel.

Many boats and ferries are overloaded, lack lifesaving equipment and aren't seaworthy.

Kinshasa's main ferry terminal is congested and can close at short notice. Pay attention to your personal security in and around the terminal.

Civil unrest may cause flight cancellations to and from Kinshasa at short notice.

Local immigration and customs procedures at Kinshasa Airport are difficult. You may need help from people familiar with the process. If travelling by air, arrange for them to meet you when you arrive.

Pay attention to your personal security in and around the airport.

Avoid local airlines with poor maintenance and safety standards.

DFAT doesn't provide information on the safety of individual commercial airlines or flight paths.

Check the  DRC's air safety profile  with the Aviation Safety Network.

Emergencies

Remember to get a police report when reporting a crime.

Your travel insurer should have a 24-hour emergency number.

Consular contacts

Read the Consular Services Charter for what the Australian Government can and can't do to help you overseas.

Australia doesn't have an embassy or consulate in the DRC. Our ability to provide consular assistance may be limited.

Embassy of Canada, Kinshasa

17 Avenue Pumbu Commune de Gombe, Kinshasa

Phone: (+243) 996 021 500 Fax: (+243) 996 021 510 or (+243) 996 021 511 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/democratic_republic_congo-republique_democratique_congo/kinshasa.aspx?lang=eng

You can also get consular assistance from the Australian Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Australian Embassy, Harare

1 Green Close Borrowdale Harare, Zimbabwe

Phone: +263 24 2853 235 55, +263 24 2852 471-6 Fax: +263 24 2870 566 Email: [email protected] Website: zimbabwe.embassy.gov.au Facebook:  Australian Embassy, Zimbabwe X (Twitter): @AusEmbZim

24-hour Consular Emergency Centre

In a consular emergency, if you can't contact an embassy, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on:

• +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
• 1300 555 135 in Australia

Travelling to Democratic Republic of the Congo?

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The Democratic Republic of Congo: is it safe to visit?

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written by Harriet Constable

updated 09.07.2019

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been known for too long as the ‘heart of darkness’, but it rewards intrepid travellers with beautiful countryside and some of the continent’s most exciting trekking.

Why should I go?

Isn’t it dangerous, so is it actually safe to visit, where should i go, can i go hiking, how do i get there and around, what about insurance, where can i find out more.

Here, Harriet Constable explores how and why you should visit this central African country.

There is something magical about the DRC. The expansive countryside is alive with colourful flowers, flourishing fruits and luscious green plants. Here, towering mountain peaks are garnished with wisps of mist and giant primates roam the rainforests, munching juicy leaves, swinging from vines and rolling playfully in the dirt.

As a visitor to the DRC, time is spent climbing to great heights for epic views, having close encounters with some of the world’s rarest creatures, and wading through thick, wet rainforests in search of adventure.

This country offers the most extraordinary experiences and, by the very essence of its splendour and variety, deserves to be seen, appreciated and protected.

Kinshasa, Congo © Shutterstock

It’s true that the DRC is a deeply troubled country. Beginning with the arrival of Europeans in the late fifteenth century, and the subsequent colonisation in 1885 by Belgium, extensive pillaging of the country’s rich natural resources, slavery and war mar its history.

Although the DRC enjoyed some prosperous years in the 1950s, the country fell apart again after independence in 1960 and continues to face waves of violence and war, kept at bay only in some regions by the huge UN peacekeeper presence.

It’s because of this that the DRC still struggles to break free from its reputation as a country of ‘darkness’. The reality is that the DRC now, as ever, faces the huge challenges of protecting its rich and varied landscape, saving its precious wildlife and creating a more prosperous future for its people in a complicated political and economic climate.

It’s possible to visit parts of the DRC safely. The safest and most touristed areas of the country are Goma, Virunga National Park and Bukavu in in the east, and the capital Kinshasa in the west.

Given that there are still serious security threats in the DRC for tourists, it’s best to visit with a tour company who will know how best to keep you safe.

The eastern region of the DRC where Virunga is located is still troubled by armed rebel groups, so tour operators will arrange armed escorts to accompany travellers at all times.

© LMspencer/Shutterstock

There are only a couple of regions of the DRC that travellers can visit at present. One of these is the spectacular Virunga National Park, home to about a quarter of the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas. This is Africa’s oldest national park and is famed for its thick forest, towering mountain peaks and ancient swamps.

On the western side of the DRC is its capital Kinshasa: the world’s second largest French-speaking city. It’s known as the heart of central African music, and the bars in Bandal or Matonge are worth visiting to sample the local nightlife.

After the chaos of Kinshasa, a popular stop off is the crescent shaped Tchegera Island in Lake Kivu – perfect for a couple of days relaxing or kayaking on the lake.

With its expanse of vast mountain ranges and thick rainforest, the DRC offers some top-notch hiking. There are lots of options in Virunga National Park, including various hikes to see the legendary mountain gorillas, but adventurous hikers will also want to tackle Mount Nyiragongo.

This active volcano towers over Goma in eastern DRC, emitting an eerie red glow from its bubbling lava lake as darkness sets each night.

The hike takes around six hours, climbing to 3470m through humid tropical forest, over scraggy lava rocks and past steaming geysers, before being plunged into mist at the top. At the summit, hikers camp in small huts on the crater rim, from where the boiling waves of lava can be heard crashing over each other like water in the ocean.

The evening is spent gaping in awe into the molten, fiery heart of the earth, and watching as the crusted top of the lava lake rhythmically separates, revealing bolts of luminous orange liquid below.

© Dario Verdugo/Shutterstock

It’s difficult to obtain a visa for the DRC without having a tour booked through a reputable company. If you’re travelling independently, it’s best to book your accommodation, transport and activities in advance and use these details for your visa.

To get to Virunga, you can fly into Kigali in Rwanda and then take a three-hour taxi ride to the Goma border in the DRC where your tour company will meet you.

If you’re heading to Kinshasa, you can fly direct with reputable airlines from Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Brussels and Paris.

Internal flights are not recommended; most of the aviation companies have poor safety ratings.

Many insurance companies refuse to provide cover for areas under a travel warning, so if you already have a policy, check it’s valid in the DRC before you go.

There are a number of companies offering insurance for the DRC, including AMREF, who provide air ambulance evacuation services across the African continent, and Battlefield, who provide comprehensive travel and medical insurance for the region.

For more information about visiting Virunga National Park, head to visitvirunga.org, and to understand more about the challenges of protecting the DRC’s wildlife watch Virunga Movie. If you’re visiting Kinshasha, kinshasa-congo.com has some useful information on the city.

Compare flights , find tours , book hostels and hotels for your trip, and don’t forget to buy travel insurance before you go.

Top image © Sergey Uryadnikov/Shutterstock

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Is Republic of the Congo Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

The Republic of the Congo is a country located in Central Africa and it is commonly referred to as Congo-Brazzaville in order to distinguish it from its giant eastern neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (also called Congo-Kinshasa).

The Republic of Congo shares its borders with Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola (the exclave of Cabinda).

What is interesting about this country is that its sparse population is mostly concentrated in the southwestern part of the country, while the entirety of about 80% of the country is actually a vast tropical jungle that is completely uninhabited.

Bearing this in mind, Congo is actually one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, given the fact that about 85% of its total population lives in Brazzaville, it’s capital and largest city, Pointe-Noire, or one of the small cities along the railway connecting these two cities.

Since there is about 80% of the entire country that is covered in nothing by nature, namely the dense Congo Rainforest, many tourists rush here to enjoy touring the river and rapids somewhere between the picturesque riverside villages, restaurants, hotels and the country’s capital Brazzaville.

Tourist agencies take tourists to explore the breathtaking nature of the Republic of the Congo in arranged motorized and traditional boats and this experience is as unique as it is mesmerizing.

• Warnings & Dangers in Republic of the Congo

OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM

The Republic of the Congo is, for the most part, a safe country to visit, though it's not without its dangers. You should be vigilant and take all possible precaution measures in order to minimize the risk of getting stolen from.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM

Transportation roads within the capital are relatively stable and the public transport is, overall, safe, though remain vigilant for pickpockets. The rainy season that lasts from September to December and from February to May makes any non-primary roads outside of the capital basically unusable.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM

There is a threat of petty crime. Pickpockets are an everyday occurrence, especially on the beaches, so you should be extremely careful when handling your valuables and never carry your money in a purse or a pocket. Never carry all your money in the same place, and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM

There are some natural threats in the Republic of the Congo, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, flooding, and droughts. There is also extreme weather and climate variability due to rainy seasons that last from September to December and from February to May.

MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM

Violent crime is not that common in the Republic of Congo, but you should still remain vigilant at all times. If you stay alert and tend to remain unnoticeable with your dress code and mannerisms, you should be just fine.

TERRORISM RISK: LOW

There haven't been any recent terrorist attacks in the Republic of Congo's recent history, but they shouldn't be ruled out. Be aware of your surroundings at all times.

SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM

As in most countries, scams are very likely for tourists visiting. You should double-check every change, and negotiate everything in advance. Beware of people posing as officials and trying to extort money from you, and always ask for a badge, though it's not that common. Never accept drinks from strange people.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM

You should bear in mind that women traveling alone might experience greater verbal harassment. If you are a female visiting the Republic of Congo alone, be sure to avoid remote streets, both during day and night, and do not flash your belongings or handle money in public. Stay out of the streets at night and be vigilant for any possible dangers at all times.

• So... How Safe Is Republic of the Congo Really?

The Republic of Congo is safe to visit.

It is a developing country in Africa and it’s actually one of the safest on this continent.

Petty crime targeting foreigners isn’t that common, though it happens and you should keep in mind that the beaches are where petty crime is often committed.

Tourists are recommended to not carry their valuables when visiting the beaches.

The Embassy of the Republic of Congo even recommends avoiding all beaches completely at night, since this is a popular pickpockets’ destination and evenings are perfect for such crimes.

When it comes to Brazzaville, crime is common on its streets, and many tourists have been targeted, though the situation is still not as dangerous as in many other African countries.

Tourists may become targets depending on the way they dress, behave or speak.

There have even been reports of violent crime in Brazzaville.

Bear in mind that women travelers in this country may experience unwanted attention or even verbal harassment.

They are also greater targets for petty theft since they are perceived as not being able to defend themselves.

• How Does Republic of the Congo Compare?
• Useful Information

Many countries do need a visa in order to enter the Republic of the Congo. Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months past your visit to the Republic of Congo. If you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need a visa based on your nationality and the country you want to visit.

Central Africa CFA Franc is the official currency in the Republic of Congo. Bear in mind that banks willing to exchange money are rare outside Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, but there are businesses owned by Lebanese and West Africans that usually change money.

The weather in the Republic of Congo is usually hot and humid in the river basin and cool and dry in the southern highlands where most of the population is concentrated, with a cold, alpine climate in the Rwenzori Mountains.

Maya–Maya Airport is the international airport serving Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo.

Travel Insurance

Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to the Republic of Congo, since it covers not only the costs medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.

Republic of the Congo Weather Averages (Temperatures)

• Average High/Low Temperature
• Where to Next?

1 Review on Republic of the Congo

Not a good place for women.

I went with a group here 5 years ago for work. Among out group was one woman and she did get harassed. Mostly verbal harassment and faces made at her but one stranger actually grabbed her on her butt when we were passing a crowded area. She felt violated. I can’t imagine what it was like for her. She quit when we got back. I wouldn’t feel safe as a woman going here or bringing my girlfriend/wife or daughter here.

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Article Contents

• Overall Risk
• Transport & Taxis Risk
• Pickpockets Risk
• Natural Disasters Risk
• Mugging Risk
• Terrorism Risk
• Women Travelers Risk
• Weather Averages (Temperatures)
• User Reviews
• Share Your Experience

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Travel in congo.

Brazzaville | Kinshasa | Is The Congo Safe? | Visas and Airport Hassles in Brazzaville | Visas and Airport Hassles in Kinshasa | Doing Business In The Congo | Health Considerations | Getting To The Congo, Getting Around In The Congo | Our Included Travel Insurance | Our Vehicles

Since the civil wars of the past decades up until the 2000’s and the ongoing “World War” of Africa, Congo had been assigned to obscurity and often horror as a backwater, basket case, and international catastrophe of nine warring nations and 14 warring parties that constituted the most atrocious and infamous violence and corruption in Africa, and for a long time remained the symbol of colonial arrogance, African ineptitude in and corrosion of government, and the  wholesale exploitation of the African continent. Today the region is going the way of Angola, or perhaps of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Colombia, and emerging from the long stagnation of civil war into an open environment for business, exceptional environment for adventure, and a volcanic upwelling of opportunities that sees Asia, Europe, and America grappling for a hand in the region.

Congo has not been a classic tourist destination since the 60’s, and has over the past 30 years been the preserve of the most daring or adventurous of travelers and businessmen…but that Congo no longer exists. Despite troubles in the Great Lakes district, thousands of miles from Kinshasa and Brazzaville and away near Goma and the borders of Rwanda, the region around the inlet and path of the great Congo River, and its forests, volcanoes, and mountains rippling out and sprawling ever eastward, constitute some of the most beautiful riches of Africa in resources, but moreover – in amazing scenery, beauty, and wildlife.

Chinese and other investment and infrastructure building have meant that roads and trains link more of the Republic of Congo and the DRC now than ever before. Roads are better and more easily traversed. A host of airlines have scrambled in including not only Ethiopian, Kenya Airways, South African, and Asky (African Sky), but Lufthansa, Air France, Brussels Airlines, British Airways, and a growing que of new entrants from further afield in the Middle East and Asia, which means cash waiting to come in and boldly forge a future for what was once the foreign investor’s elusive “heart of darkness.” Kinshasa is growing at a furious pace, has about 20 airlines going into the capital, and is barely able to keep up with itself in utilities and services for all the new construction, and internet access is now plentifully available and reasonably fast compared to the rest of Africa. European, Western, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisine are to be found all over the cities of Congo now. Its raucous nightlife and music, however, trumps the liveliness of the cities of any of those lands’ capitals.

CTT’s ground entity is also the official ticketer team for Eththiopian Airlines in Goma and Kisangani and Mbuji Mayi, and probably by the end of 2018, Bukavu and Beni if the airline expands or triangulates more regional routes. Kisangni and the Congo River cities due west are safe and actually even quiet to walk at night, while Goma is replete with foreign organizations and NGO’s and tourists today and generally secure. The areas of the Mai Mai rebellion span the areas west and north of the great lakes and bleed into the fringes of these great lakes cities and Virunga park. Dozens of kidnappings happen inland routinely among locals and village victims on the roads and foreigners definitely are targeted for higher ransoms, at random and opportunistically. CTT is also a frequent contractor for large security companies providing security in the region, and for areas west of Virunga strict planning and travel safety tactics are 110% essential as the problem of the rebel kaleidoscope has not abated since being allowed to fester during the Cold War, and murderous groups in the far northeast make it deciedly deadly to take the wrong road or route overland. The road from Bunia Beni down to Kisangani via the Okapi Reserve has become policed and generally ok with escort, and no traveling at night, while the approach from Bukavu to  Kisangani we have first hand confirmed rebel activity. The areas north of Beni and Bunia are absolutely not safe even with private professional security.

Air cargo for vehicles, motorcycles, or other from Goma to Kisangani is extremely expensive, strangely.  The reason is hardly any movement of goods by air from Goma to Kisangani.  The routing is: Goma – Kinshasa; Kinshasa – Kisangani.  So they charge 4 times what it should be from Goma to Kisangani.  The road journey is very unreliable and risky in terms of road quality, esp if it rains.  The transport trucks may get stuck for a week or so in the jungle.  And sometimes some of them are looted too. The trip from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi can take up to a month, if not ambushed in looted, by road. The chance that you will not run into violent rebels and theives on this road in 2018 is virtually zero.

By road for Kisangani is better from Entebbe-Kampala in Uganda to Bunia in DRC and then to Kisangani.

Only once in a blue moon we get opportunity of direct cargo from Goma to Kisangani.  But that is rare.  So cannot be guaranteed.

In the heart of the Congo Basin, the world’s second largest tropical rain forest after the Amazon Basin, the Congo offers the greatest river journey in the world. Even better according to shipping professionals and veteran tourists than the Amazon, of which the Congo was once a part of a long long time ago when the continents were linked. River cruises are now possible with the right homework, and trekking and safaris in the jungle are supported by the first lodges and comfortable hotels. 5 star hotels are being built all over the Congo and there are now about a dozen tourist-class hotels as well. Hostels are not a concept understood here, as generally the price of a budget hotel room comes in at cheaper than a dorm in Europe or Asia anyway.

Hotels in the capitals of Kinshasa and Brazzaville run from about $60 (but more likely a low figure for an acceptable, tourist friendly room is $80) up to $300 (5 star hotels can start at $120 however.) Hotel Africa and Radisson are known as the best hotels in Brazzaville by everyone excluding tripadvisor, who ranks based on fraudulent unverified reviews made by Indian virtual assistants who is the best, we are sorry to say, but most guests of ours like Radisson, Safir, and Hippocampe for upper/middle/and budget end, as they are reliable and well-located. In Kinshasa this is likely to change soon since American luxury brands and European rivals are poised to open some luxury chains in the capital of the DRC, with Kempinski already on the scene and Hilton Doubletree and Pullman pulling up the bar of quality. Most of all of these hotels except the smallest ones can arrange an invitation letter and visa for you within a week. Visas are now relatively easy and have drastically been eased since 2008. DRC is harder to obtain a visa for at your embassy than at the border with Zambia, Angola, or Republic of Congo. In fact the entire visa process is much tougher for DRC than ever before since 2017. Goma with a sponsored tour is the easiest entrepoint since a 2 week visa is available on arrival with a confirmed trip, but only allows 2 weeks in DRC. You can also often cross to the other side away from the capital without turning many heads, though of course it’s not advised and the best way is to pay what you must to go legally, which otherwise may amount to no more than a bottle of whiskey or a small bribe, but can be far worse. On the question of money, you do not need to carry all your cash with you to the Congo anymore as a tourist (let alone a suitcase full for business.) Both countries have ready ATM’s, but carrying cash outside of the cities is still the only way to go.

June to December is the best time to travel – It is cool and there are lots of active animals out to spot. The Chinese finished a comfortable train in 2013 that links the coast and the Atlantic Ocean to the interior, and conveys passengers (mostly businessmen and tourists) in plush first class seats. It has instantly become one of the greatest train journeys available today and the best in Africa.

The future will see a bonanza of tourist companies, mainly from South Africa and France, rushing in to set up high end safaris or else link the long overland trail to rival the popular Cape Town to Cairo route. Right now it is only Angola that prevents such a “pan-African” highway for tourists, with its stubborn visa regulations and super-expensive hotels.

There has never been a better time to visit the Congo, as popular and conventional wisdom and the press is out of tune and hasn’t caught up with the change and opportunities there yet. It is the cheapest place in Africa to have a truly incredible and totally unmanufactured journey, and by far the cheapest place to see the large African wildlife including, importantly, wild mountain gorillas.

For detailed weather information, please contact us as the climate zones vary drastically and information about optimal viewing seasons across the DRC and ROC is very hard to understand on the internet and usually contradicts each other. For a good guide to the ROC, see the below, but always ask us first:

In truth, for the micro-climates and ecological zones of the Republic of Congo, there are actually 2 dry seasons and 2 wet seasons, and weather is somewhat reversed between north and south, as if that isn’t confusing enough. All the year is good for most of trip, while only a part of the year is good for all of your trip.

Also, the more important section of your tour to consider weather-wise is the weather in the equatorial jungle, where the roads are worst in the rain of course.

Here are the real seasons, as the climate reality is the past 4 years in Congo:

The (southern) long wet season is roughly from October to January

The (southern) short dry season is roughly from February to March

The (southern) short wet season is roughly from March to June.

The (southern) long dry season is roughly from June to October.

The (northern) tropical wet season is roughly from June to January.

The (northern) tropical dry season is roughly from February to June

Therefore, (with recent climate change also experienced in the western seaboard of Africa,) knowing the cycles, and all things carefully considered, it is best to ask us or your embassy first to optimize both the convenience and the natural beauty you’d see along the way, under the best travel conditions.

BRAZZAVILLE

Top Brazzaville was named after the Italian navigator in the French Navy who “discovered” the Congo River and set up a French “embassy” to grant freedom to African slaves. Today it’s the quieter of the two rivertowns and has a great share of nightlife and dining, friendly locals, and none of the problems with police intimidation that Kinshasa does, not to mention it is much safer to walk around even at night as a foreigner.

Taxis from the airport to anywhere in Brazzaville cost $4 (2000 CFA) and taxis around the city anywhere cost $2 (1000 CFA) Among the Congolese, many are afraid to take river rides because they believe the spirits of the dead reside and haunt the river. For the ones who make their living from it, however, the river is their home and distribution network, a nature-made distribution system of thousands of kilometers in total of navigable waterways and tributaries. The boatmen give rides ranging from 5,000 CFA down the river ($10) to $200 and up for a longer journey within the scope of the day. Port Autonome in Brazzaville is a dirty, squirming mass of humanity carrying strange and smelly cargo back and forth, while the boat launches in Kinshasa extend for easily a mile of different “ticket offices” and operators, belying the city’s sprawling population of 13 million plus.

You can, yes, buy your own pirogue (boat) made from a tree, at 200,000 to 1,000,000 CFA if you know someone local who can help you (or ask us,) $400 to $2,000. You will need an engine and fuel, the latter of which is not very expensive except in the inner Congo tributaries, and then can steer your own way with the right papers and guide down the Congo river. Every small town in DRC has a “police” who may – and if they can, will check your passport, your yellow fever, make up some needed document, and delay you or scare you into payoffs. Beware. Speedboats or anything of that sort have to be imported.

From Brazzaville cars, trucks, trains, and local domestic airlines go to Point Noire (Pointe Noire) and North all the way to Ouesso and as far as Central African Republic and Gabon or Cameroon. Owando, Oyo (the nicest place to stop,) and Ollombo are easy stopovers on the way north. They are all free-standing if not charming villages with surrounding forests and traditional homes and lodging can be found here for around 40,000-60,000 CFA a night ($80-$120). Oyo and Owando are on tributaries of the Congo River and can arrange for a small price boat trips down the fingers of the Congo, deep in forest and away from the hurly burly of the main boatway. Etoumbi is about a further day’s drive on from these towns, and is a great springboard for visits to spectacular Odzalla National Park. Entrance fees are 25,000 CFA ($50) and you can see lots and lots of different large and small African animals here and countless birds.

Now, although Odzala looks very easy to access, it is not. At least, not cheaply. Odzala is managed by African Parks Network, who takes a “Business Approach to Conservation” and is one of the most effective outfits in Central Africa conserving parks anywhere. Wilderness Safaris, the lodge operator, for disclosure an affiliate with CTT, has (to lots of guests’ dismay) soared prices above the range of anywhere else in the 2 Congos, and far above the range of 95% of safari-goers. However, a tourist here is treated to befitting luxury, and gets what he pays for – a truly upscale, unique, and out of this world safari experience that is not available in the most tourist-trodden nations of Africa anymore.

According to African Parks Network, a superb outfit led by ex-special forces military from South Africa, Odzala was at first a dud – and the government took and looted everything. There were right thereafter 4 years where there was no funding. The EU asked APN to run the park with a 25 year mandate – full management control , and a board. The CCC (conservationists) now holds Odzala, and Wilderness is the hospitality operator, also South African. There are inside the park 7 main “bais” clearings in the forest for viewing animals. There are 2 main community bais on the East and South that are concessions. At the time of writing, CTT was in discussions with the APN regarding cooperation with Odzala, Wilderness, APN, and the Congolese government to set up a (truly) affordable tourism operation at Mboko Camp (the airstrip area) and a budget camp nearby. Due to attacks in 2013 of a mob of 200+ people from the villages around Odzala, maddened by the success of the anti-poaching ranger and commander, and to a lack of realistic market expectations for more luxury camps, Mboko has stalled.

The attacks took place when the head of anti-poaching effectively, well, stopped poaching. The villagers, used to getting free money from Odzala tourism for “conservation,” wanted to simlutaneously derive money from “non-conservation” (poaching) as well. In other words, they loved APN and tourism as long as it gave them money but wasn’t effective. In response, the ex elite military from South Africa who lead the park management evacuated the head ranger, and the Congolese President promptly and heroically sent in the entire Congolese army the next morning to neutralize and calm down the villagers. Hence forth, budget lodges in Odzala are still on hold, but at least so is poaching.

NORTHERN REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Further afield, another day to the north takes you to Ouesso, where accommodation can be negotiated for 50,000 CFA ($100) and you can stage a visit into the grand jewel of Central Africa, Ndoki national park. Entrance is 50,000 CFA ($100) and you can see just about any animal here including leopards, giraffes, wild gorillas, hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and countless more. 2-3 days here is enough, but there is no flight back to Brazzaville. You either have to take the road back or else go on into C.A.R. (where travel is very difficult) or Cameroon (where travel is good,) and eventually into South Sudan, Chad, or Nigeria (where travel is not entirely safe and infrastructure is poor.) The “Alimentation” (Grocery store) supermarket in Ouesso run by Cameroonians and Angolans in town, near the ATM, is best. Congolese grocer establishments are dismal, unclean, and barren of selection here.

Ouesso airport has a 1400 CFA per ticket check-in fee, 5000 CFA per ticket police fee. Here upon checkin you wait forever for your passports and it can be intimidating and unsettling and annoying. For the Ouesso To Brazza flight you check-in at around 7:00 and leave 9-ish , though usually after the cross-checks on the plane are done so may be a bit later.

Getting to C.A.R. can be done with the help of CTT or a few days negotiating with the locals and the police, but is hugely expensive to attempt overland or overriver on your own, if not impossible. It is also illegal. If you’re headed to Dzanga Bai, another animal-packed treat, Bangui to Libongo or Bayanga by plane for Sangha Lodge launch is best, as the road from Bangui is no longer safe. However, a baot from Ouesso via Bomassa is possible if arranged far in advance. CAR’s frontier is done by Ecoguards and it runs 50 euros for the visa plus 2,000 or 4,000 CFA at the border w/ ROC. Fly from Bangui rather than road if coming southbound to Dzanga Sangha, because it is safer, and don’t ever try a visa on arrival in Bangui or you get thrown in jail for months with extortion unless you’re western…

Mbeli Bai, the research and tourism centerpience of Ndoki, used to be a hunting graveyard- poachers would wait and just pick them off. All animals in Congo’s great northern rainforest knew it was a place of death, and somehow all species communicated this danger to each other amongst themselves. They stayed out. 21 years ago WCS came In and stopped the poaching, and while at that time 150 distinct elephant visits and less gorillas were recorded the first year, now 5,000 this year were recorded. Their numbers have come back. Lots of groups of warring and wandering gorillas now traverse the Bai, under the wondering and watchful gaze of the rangers, the team, WCS, and CTT’s visitor staff and tourists.

Restaurants outside of Brazzaville and through towns in the north can cook you dishes for between 5,000 CFA and 10,000 CFA, but you can get away with 20,000 for nice restaurant food per day. Beers come in at about 500 CFA at a supermarket, 1,000 CFA at a local restaurant, and 2,000 CFA at a bar or nightclub in the capital. Back in Brazzaville, Mami Wata is by far THE place to have a bite or a drink, get wifi, and admire the river traffic and Brazzaville and Kinshasa. It is also a place to arrange river transport, but without keen bargaining skills or a large group you are likely to be charged 3 or 4 times the going price and you’d be better off and safer taking a tour. The same goes for road transport, in which a 4×4 car with fuel for 6 people in RC and DRC can be commandeered for about 50,000 CFA ($100) a day by those with relationships and connections, but will be hard to budge below 150,000 CFA ($300) by an independent traveler or someone who looks new.

If you’re spending some time in Brazza, definitely do not miss the finer and funner restaurants, bars, clubs, and music scenes, such as Lampadere for outdoor barbecue in BaCongo, Espace Kubia (“Gladis”) nearby for the best music and cheap beer in town (dance the night away,) and if you have a late night yearning and money, head to Ram Dam for an upscale and dressed-up nightclub the likes of which you’ll find nowhere else in Brazzaville. For Vietnamese and Asian food, it’s Hippocampe. Noura is the spot for Middle Eastern fare. For value-priced food, you’re plain out of luck in Brazzaville but the places mentioned above are the best in town, including best value.

In Pointe Noire, the “second” city, (though some expats prefer it to Brazza) often visited for business, there are plenty of eating options, yet sleeping is absurdly expensive and approaching the prices of Angola, the most expensive place in the world. The best hotel by far is Villa Madiba, on the beach, which soars up to at least $380 for a room, followed by Hotel Twiga nextdoor (a little less but still expensive.) The best value beachside may be Hotel Logis Manthey at $130 and up, and out in Chimbamba, 15 minutes away, you will find the budget stuff (but it is not a nice nor even remarkable area – looking like anywhere in coastal west or central Africa and rather ugly.) Some Indian-built hotels such as Mumbai Residence, India Palace, G Marius, and others, can give you great value accommodation for around $80 and up. The worst ones, by the road, are $50, but it does NOT go cheaper than that.

Malonda Lodge is the de facto “Africa Beach Lodge” for the ROC, a retreat away from the city with opportunities to swim, relax…but 1.5 hours away in the Mayombe Forest there is a wonderful no-name lodge run by Badji the tour guide veteran nearby a river and waterfalls where you can tube, swim, bbq, and do casual hikes.

The train to Pointe Noire, leaving at often-changing schedules it seems since we started booking it in 2013, AKA the “Jungle Train” (Gazelle Train, or Congo-Ocean Railway,) is a total and utter pleasure – With a cafe car that serves food and drinks, comfortable first class seats and air conditioning, and stupendous views of the forests, villages, mountains, and scenery cruising by. It arrives after 14 hours. Tickets cannot be booked more than 14 days prior to your trip.

The jungle train (Gazelle train) takes 14 hours, but give or take some delay cushion , early morn departure, cafe car with great views but controlled so that you need to buy the food from the train people at a mandatory 3,000 XAF per meal

As a point of disclosure, this website is created by a tour operator which runs tours in the Congo, however it is created as an honest and reliable and up to date resource for people who want to travel themselves as well. It is not very easy at all, and certainly not at all cheaper or safer, to travel yourself in the Congo. You should at the very least take a buddy and a LOT of cash if you want to travel in the Congo freestyle, and a good insurance policy. (We’re talkin’ ALL delay and cancellation. Almost no insurers cover political strife)

A ferry platform barge takes you to Kinshasa for about $15 (6,000 CFA) – an overcrowded, sweaty, dirty barge loaded with a thrashing mess/mass of humanity and portage and cargo…It isn’t safe, and not in the least bit comfortable, but most people cross and come out fine. The next level further is a fast canoe with runs at $35 (17,000 CFA) and crosses in 5 minutes once full, but you have to wait all morning and are invariably hassled by police and solicitors. The safest and surest way to go is a VIP service, where a private boat is arranged and the police and immigration give assistance instead of nuisance to get you over. That includes access to the business class lounge at Brazzaville beach, where nice attire is required (pants and shoes.) For this escorted secure crossing service, see our TRAVEL SERVICES section at the main menu bar.

Congolese among the mid-aged generation became in enclaves deathly afraid of taking river rides on the very powerful centerpiece of their country, the Congo River. Among some communities, they speculate the spirits of the dead there float forever on. Mobuto in the time of birth of these superstitions was King of Congo and established security – Kabila could not, and it disintegrated into violence, rape, banditry. One of Mobuto’s louder legacies is the beautiful Avenue du Tourisme in Kinshasa. It is the best drive on the river , like the “PCH of the jungle,” beautiful and worth a whole day just stopping and taking in the views of the twin river capitals. Outdoor beer festivals and concerts are held on the lawn today!

There is a flight across the river on the safe, reputable Cam Air Co (Cameroon Air Company) which is allowed into the EU and is managed by German mechanics as for maitenance and security. The flight is only 30 minutes but costs $200. The advantage is that entering Kinshasa is much more hassle-free and smooth from the airport, without the gaze of opportunistic vultures and thieves in plain clothes and uniforms who may see the opportunity for extortion. Going into Brazzaville via ferry is not typically a problem however. The CamAirCo flight’s credentials are impressive for the price though. They cultivate to ensure safety strategic partnerships with reputable companies globally recognized for their expertise and proven competence:

– Lufthansa Technics aircraft maintenance.

– Servair and Doual’air for services on board.

– Euro-cargo for routing and tracking of your parcels and freight.

– Amadeus to manage flight reservations

Boats down the river are hired for the right price of $180-220 (90,000-110,000 CFA) per day with gas, and 4×4 or any sort of car for as many people as you can fit are yours to go where you like for $300/day with driver (that is the standard all over the 2 Congos, although lesser or desperate drivers and vehicles strapped for cash have been know to go down to $200 or even $100, but turn up with an ancient peugeot with no 4-wheel drive and absolutely no hope of getting to where you want before the next ice age.) It is best advised to have someone organize your travel for you and certainly to organize your tours and sightseeing, as they will be experienced with the worst roads and how to deal with officials and show you the best experience without losing time or money running around. According to the Russian embassy and cultural center in Brazzaville and Kinshasa, independent tourists/travelers in the Congo who leave the main cities have to change or buy new return flights an average of 3 times, and according to the French Cultural Center (CCF,) spend about 4 times as much money as they planned. Often independent travelers just get stuck in the Congo, and wait for weeks to get to their planned destination or national park if they haven’t arranged it beforehand.

Often visitors are shocked with just how virgin the country is and how relatively unexplored by outsiders in vast reaches still…how much is still remote and unseen and inaccessible in this country in vast tracts. Hard to believe as it is in our modern world, there are still some remaining corners of the planet that may as well be another planet for all we really see below the trees….For some seriously intense and amazing Bonobo tracking for instance, plane charters run about $10,000 for getting to Basankusu- where hundreds of thousands of bonobos, in the real heart of Congo (from a bushplane from Kinshasa or Entebbe) can be seen here. While huge populations of wildlife unfettered by humans hideaway in the vast wilderness, huge abuses of the “vacuum of state” therein also hide in the jungle, for instance the illegal uranium export going from Katanga into Zambia overland, out of sight to all but discrete intelligence professionals.

Flights into the Congo are available with domestic air companies, some not so sound. and run variably $50-100 one way to places further in the interior. With the exception of Lubumbashi, Kisangani, and Pointe Noire, the only places where reputable flyers enter the Congo are the capital cities.

Top “Kin La Belle” became a long-aged long-gone misnomer, as is evident in this hideous monster of an electric African city as soon as you hit its streets. Yet Kinshasa hosts some of the most vibrant faces of Africa and is no more dangerous and a great deal less dangerous than other oft-traveled cities in Africa – Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg among them. Kinshasa is famed for its music, and there is a Bonobo (only endemic to DRC) preserve within an hour of the city that is very well-kept and in a natural setting that is popular with visitors. The DRC has the best hotels in Central Africa however, from the magnificent new 2014 Kempinski Residence, the Fleuve Congo Hotel ($300-400)…to little budget business hotels built by Indians like Hotel Tex and Hotel Picasso (which you will not find online. – $50) There is more energy and buzz in Kinshasa, and it feels much more like an actual city than Brazzaville, which can feel largely laid back like an African oversized town.

The downside to this Kinshasa buzz is you can’t walk as many places at night besides the downtown area of 30th June Street and the areas around the embassies and nicer hotels, while in Brazza you can walk pretty much anywhere you want at any hour of the night alone and be fine and unbothered. Kinshasa is worth a visit for a few days for its music, history and culture (which is VERY strong in Africa and exported around the continent as well) and for the amazingly cute and well-run bonobo orphanage, (with the underwhelming and overrated McVallee Lake nearby which no doubt all Congolese will insist you visit)…The river journey and the national parks are the grand draw. DRC is the place to go if you want to cross Africa by river. This is the launch for the boat to Kisangani, a long way away after many twists and turns into the heart of an immense darkness.

“Avenue du tourisme” in Kinshasa is the best drive on the river, like the Pacific Coast Highway of the jungle!, totally beautiful and worth a whole day just stopping and taking in the views of the twin river capitals.

Road travel in DRC is subject to annoyances in green uniforms, and these soldiers may or may not ask for money from foreigners, but be prepared to part with pocket change or even a coca-cola along the way several times over. Keep your good humour and smile. It will smooth things with everyone you meet. Road travel is also subject to people remarking on the color of your skin in loud voices if you happen to be white. Learn to laugh as well. – You probably do look ridiculous here after all. One entity you will see to stay away from : Hezbollah controls the importer named “Congo Futur”, Blacklisted by the U.S. State Department for links to terrorism, and so if you run into individuals or are approached about any of your affairs by them as a broker, beware and steer clear.

If you want to take the commercial public ferry ALL the way down the river to Kisangani, (as it is dangerous to try to procure your own boat or even hire a smaller one for that entire length, for reasons to be elaborated on further down in this page.) it leaves Kinshasa with 2-4 platforms in tandem which become floating, filthy marketplaces, every 10-20 days. It takes about 15-20 days to traverse the river. This boat does not go into any of the natural, secluded, and more beautiful parts and fingers of the Congo River, but it is a culture shock par excellence. You need to wait and be flexible in order to secure a bunk (you probably have to rent the whole 4-bed room but that does not guarantee you’ll have it to yourself. Theft and mosquitoes and diseases are rampant on the ferry, and passengers have paid prices ranging from $100 to $800 for the same bunk. This is not a cruise ship. This is not predictable. That said, you are 100% guaranteed to have a wild time and with proper politeness and especially if you have a buddy with you, it is doable. It is very hot and not clean, and not “entirely” safe. Perhaps entirely not safe. but you can indeed see fish for sale on the platforms that have never been documented in science before.

Unfortunately, the far bend of the river on the DRC side running up to Kisangani has developed a man-eating crocodile problem, the locals having killed all the bushmeat and tossed their adversaries bodies in the river following their rowdy fighting over the years. The river crocodiles took 170+ people last year in 2012, often cleverly leaping up OUT of the water to pull them out of their boats. It is not advised to canoe or kayak in the 400km stretch of the Congo River in the DRC south of Kisangani.

The river journey is fine on the RC side up until the fork that takes you to Kisangani near the Central African Republic and Mbandaka, but your should always keep aware and safe anyway. This is not a Caribbean Cruise. It is not advisable to paddle or navigate yourself. Boats (but not usually the main ferry) are also occasionally attacked by river pirates in the DRC, who show much more speed and skill than their Somalian counterparts away in the Indian Ocean. The Somalians can’t quite jump out of and then disappear back into a bush. The good news, however, is that as of 2017 the entire river from Kinshasa to Kisangani is fine and cleared for tourist travel.

How about fishing? There are countless amazing and undiscovered species, but what about the ecological integrity? And what of these shocking monstrous tiger fish? Are they actually real?

Yes. The status of the Congo River ecosystem has been described by most biologists on the ground and in our care as being in excellent health.  So healthy according to Peace Corps veterans in Congo that the foundation of river villages like Mossaka on the Alima river’s economy is freshwater fishing, and fish dances are the entertainment du jour.  The state of the ecosystem has been compared to what the state of salmon fishing would have been like for the Native American Indians in the Pacific Northwest of the USA prior to colonisation by Europeans.  It is as if the methods of fish harvesting employed by the people of Congo are just not sufficient to put a dent in any real way in the fish populations of the Congo river.

That said, the Golaith Tigerfish is targeted by Congolese as both a pest and for animist religious reasons and this would obviously lead to more “fishing pressure” than there would otherwise be. Still, there are hundreds and hundreds of extremely sparsely populated stretches of the Congo river.  Similarly the Goliath Tigerfish will also inhabit large tributaries of the Congo like the Alima River which flows through Boundji and it is quite possible the current human interface with these ecosystems outside of Brazzaville or Kinshasa could never considerably impact the fish populations.

In the Pacific Northwest the main reason why the salmon populations have dwindled so significantly is due to the damning of all, literally all, of the major rivers in the region.  And the Congo River hasn’t been impacted to any similar degree.

From an ethical point of view, if one is anti-fishing because they do not like the idea of a fish having a metal spike jammed through their mouth and then fought to exhaustion before being released, rather than the belief being predicated on conservation issues, then it is best to pass on fishing excursions in Congo or anywhere in the world.  Many opinions would be that as long as the fish are returned alive and in good condition to the river, then the overall benefit (in terms of the employment to the fishing guide and enjoyment of the fisherman, and the impact to the local economy from the money spent by the fisherman to get to where they can target this species,) justifies the fish being in pain.  “Don’t forget,” this view compels, “it’s not easy being a wild animal at the best of times, and a bit of metal hook in the mouth is not going to significantly impact the fish’s life.” This is not the view of CTT, but this is often the perspective of fishing enthusiasts.

Another reason that the Goliath Tigerfish may be perceived to be threatened / endangered is that it is an illusive fish by nature.  In reality, it would be nearly impossible to determine the state of their population without electro-fishing a section of the Congo river and counting what floats to the surface.  And even then, you would have know an idea of how that number would compare to pre-human and pre-colonialist populations. So therefore, endangered? – Probably not.

The road to “Black Lake” (Mai Ndombe) can be done from Kinshasa via mediocre muddy roads in 1-2 days, whereas the village itself has several relatives of CTT crew and affords host ground space for large tents, cooked food for our guests, and added security in the dark deep jungle. From here the massive, amoeba-like lake and its fingers and branches span for tens of kilometers in all directions and beds and grounds for the biggest tigerfish.

For the Okapi and Ituri forests, the manager of CTT’s Tiger Fishing Ops at Mai Ndombe drove the road from Bunia to Kisangani regularly in his trucks for 40 years while he was exporting coffee. In all that time he only saw Okapi twice. They were crossing the road early in the morning. This is how illusive they are. They are also a very fragile animal, and can die easily if stressed, which is probably why they are in danger of extinction if not already extinct. His son travelled this route in December and visited the Okapi reserve, but did not see any. They told him they have all been killed for food by poachers. We don’t know if this is true, but it makes it more attractive to go there and find the Okapi. We could even use this angle to organize an expedition into the forest using local guides from the reserve, but nobody has ever tried since.

It is an interesting story on how the conservationists capture the Okapi. They dig a hole, not too deep, and cover it with the leaves which the Okapi eat. When the Okapi falls in they dig a slope so he can get out again himself without force. They put stakes with the leaves hanging from them around the hole so the animal is not stressed. They back a truck up to the hole with a trail of the leaves leading to it hanging from stakes on either side. The Okapi follows this and is not stressed once he has his food. He goes into the trailer which has his food inside too.

The DRC’s other famous region is the Great Lakes, near Bukavu and Goma, more than a thousand miles to the east from Kinshasa. There are plenty of points of interest here the foremost of which is the Mountain Nyiragongo and its lava lake. The UN’s pathetic failure here in tandem with ongoing tribal and retaliatory violence has made this part of Africa the most dangerous place in the world at times, maybe in competition with Afghanistan. Not even Somalia is as rowdy nowadays. As of summer 2014 it is fine to travel to this area, but check with us and your embassy.

Travel in DRCongo can be as safe as travel in other African countries. The scenery is rich and the parks are spectacular, and both sides of the river share some common tribes languages and cultures. In all parts of the Congo vigilance and alertness pay off and keeping abreast of news is advisable. Do not walk alone at night, just as in the rest of urban Africa. And remember to relax! Being careful pays, being paranoid will only cheapen your experience.

Once you are ready to get out of Kinshasa, you can fly out via about 20 different airlines to Africa or Europe, or else take the ferry to Brazzaville which comes in at about $20 or $25 for the older crowded or the newer more empty ferries. Crossing the land border to Angola is possible but only with a visa you’ve arranged ahead of time. Visas are affirmatively NOT granted to people who show up at the border, not even with a bribe in recent years.

For help and tours in Angola, CAR, and Cameroon, please see www.angolatravelandtours.com and www.cameroontravelandtours.com.

IS THE CONGO SAFE?

Top In a word, yes. – The Congo’s capitals, tourist sites, and accessible regions are actually safer than the most popular African destinations. Brazzaville and Kinshasa are safer than Johanessburg and Nairobi, where the crime rates and murder and rape rates are astronomically higher. Travel in the Congo for all places tourists are concerned is safer than travel in South Africa or Kenya, despite the heavy reliance of those 2 nations on tourism. Popular vigilance is required, however the bad reputation of the Congo has not kept up with the times and today it is a very rewarding destination for tourism. The national parks accessible from Brazzaville or Pointe Noire are some of the best and most untouched and rich with wildlife in Africa. Although there are nuisances with police bribery and corruption, Brazzaville is one of the more tame, friendly, and relaxed of all the African capitals, and Kinshasa has plenty of 5 star hotels and recreation opportunities. Like Lagos, Johannesburg, even Cape Town, there are some parts you should not walk at night. In Brazzaville it is generally OK to be out at night, but you should never walk out in the night alone in Kinshasa aside from a few areas (where you’ll most likely be, so don’t be afraid to go out, however always in a taxi and never alone.) None of this should not dissuade you from going, however, the Congo is in somewhat of a renaissance with a bonanza of construction and investment going on, and this is one of the most culturally rich, raw, and real parts of Africa. Statistically and practically, the Congo (excluding of course the ferocious border with Rwanda) is safer and easier and cheaper than many of the most visited places in Africa.

It was generally said that under the Belgians and then Mobutu, horrors were committed and stability was ensured. Mobutu ruled as a sort of “King of Congo” and established security – Kabila could not, and it disintegrated into violence, rape, and banditry. It is hard to tell which of the 3 periods were worse. Most people who visit Congo are familiar with many darker sides of its history, but the local people see it in terms mostly of Kabila and Mobutu only, as just about nobody was around to see the Belgians who is still alive now.

Great reads to the effect of educating yourself about the region include the books “Kind Leopold’s Ghost,” “Dancing in the Glory of Monsters,” and “The Scramble for Africa.” “Congo: Epic History of a People” is a nice new addition to the library too. The single best book we like and the definite staff pick at CTT is “Congo Mercenary” by Lt. Colonel Mike Hoare, which gives you the most relevant modern history and real taste of what to expect from the terrain. If you can only read 1 before you come, kick back with this. None of them accurately describe, or even mention at all, the current safety situation for most people in Congo, which is like most media in general. The business media is slightly ahead of the rest, but it too largely describes Congo (and sometimes Africa) as a land of happy animals and miserable war-torn people. That Congo is not the one you as a tourist will find, even if you try. Kinshasa is becoming a world-class city with all the trappings of business travel and industry, and many expats thrive here and spend decades without ever being bothered.

You will notice lots of military in green or grey uniforms, who may nod at you and exchange friendly gestures, and possibly make you feel a bit safer. Almost zero of them carry weapons in the streets, though sometimes they are known to drink heavily after hours and wander the streets stirring trouble. By and large, however, they just kill time sitting by roadsides or pacing the streets.

Do NOT, under any circumstances, take photos/video (or if you’re particularly stupid, and wish to have “free” army or police “accommodation,” for you and your guides, and an extended “visa”….and we’ve seen it all!) fly DRONES over and around police, army, or government buildings, or ports or infrastructure. It is both illegal, attracts very very negative elements to those around you, and draconian in official consequences in the Congo. Photography with permits still needs to be done with the permission of locals, your guides, and free of proximity of any of these sorts of installations or town centers.

For hotels in Kinshasa, the landscape for 2017 is upgrading well and fast but tourism is taking a dive due to political strife around Kabila’s extended reign, and tightening of the visa regime to almost ludicrous levels. The ones we recommend in downtown (where is where you want to be) are Hotel Fleuve Congo (the best – $300 and up, with breakfast wifi and AC) Hotel Leon (THE best value – $150 and up, stellar buffet breakfast, wifi and AC, and the best location and service in the city, and security guards that clearly worked out with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Hotel Ave Maria (Best super-cheap hotel – $50 and up and includes wifi and AC. However sadly this may go out of business soon since too many budget travelers complain for getting what they pay for in Kinshasa.) Others of note are the luxury standout Hotel Memling ($200 and up- has character) and Hotel Royal ($150 and up.) The old Intercontinental had its management and brand pull out of DRC in the 90’s when there were gunfights between commanders in the hallways of the hotel. Now it is known as the Hotel Grand, which is just abysmal compared to what’s around now, yet super overpriced. The Grand remains one of the most famous hotels in the city, but is a terrible value. Others around downtown that are fine for a stay are Hotel Fortune ($100) behind the Hotel Leon….If the only thing that matters is budget, Hotel Tex and Picasso ($50) are very far from anything. It is worth paying up for security and convenience. You will not see Kinshasa, after all a city of many many miles, 13 million people, spread out over different faces and places, the same way if you are far from everything.

A word to the wise is that the most beautiful view of Kinshasa and Brazzaville can be had on the 21st floor of the Fleuve Congo Hotel. It is easy to pull an “oops” and wander into the lounge, as you usually need to have access to an executive suite to have the privilege of coming in here.

The best bar around town is Tucanos on 30th June in Kinshasa, under the iconic Gecamines building, where they have the most cultivated selection of everything from Japanese whiskey to Brazillian Caxaca, and a super coffee shop and Brazillian BBQ on the weekends. For supermarkets, Kin Mart is the best on 30th June Street, while for food courts, there is no better place to head than Kin Deliceux, behind Kin Mart.

Every source around will tell you to check with your embassy and keep up to date, which is smart. However these are of course the cover-all, lowest-common-denominator ultimatum issued to prevent anybody from visiting anywhere with any risk. Travel everywhere in the world is risky, and while you are responsible for your safety, you should be informed but not afraid. The Congo has some serious risks, but they are often overblow and always played up by the media. There are plenty of foreigners living and traveling here today, and your home city in the west may be a great deal more dangerous than anything you see in your trip here.

VISAS AND AIRPORT HASSLES IN BRAZZAVILLE

Top Brazzaville has a gleaming emerald-city-like new airport that travelers to China will probably recognize for its semblance to the interior of Beijing terminal 3 in miniature. Built by Chinese work crews, the terminal and facilities are impressive and are even more modern-looking than New York, LA, or Miami at first glance…yet the process of arrival can be intimidating. Officials can at times nudge you playfully for gifts before they stamp your passport, but while a refusing but polite smile or a small gift will speed you through and nothing can happen to you. (They never detain anyone or block their entrance if you have a legitimate visa) they are playful and skilled at weaseling out liquor or cash. – One poor American backpacker transiting BZV airport had his passport paraded off by an official and when he explained he was just catching another flight, the official replied “I know I know…(smile)…but, well, my friend, what’s in it for me?!”… They are just playing with you, and even this rarely happens, so just be nice and conversational and they will give you as much welcome as anyone, often a high five or a handshake included. Most countries in the former Soviet Union will give you a far harder time at immigration than here, where they are relatively relaxed.

Visas are a snap for Congo Brazzaville. Congo Travel and Tours (CTT) or a hotel can issue you a reservation and an invitation letter and with that and proof of flights you can pickup a tourist visa at most embassies in 3 days.

VISAS AND AIRPORT HASSLES IN KINSHASA

Top You’d be forgiven for laughing at the miserable excuse for an airport that greets you in Kinshasa. While it is abundantly obvious that the government never put many cents into this place, it sees much more traffic than its cousin across the river. Expect scrutiny for details and discrepancies that can be capitalized upon by DRC immigration officers, and just smile and maybe hand them a bottle of whiskey or $20-50, and their confusion may miraculously evaporate. It is best to have airport pickup waiting for you, but barring that, ask around the airport officials and security to point you to a reputable taxi. Expect to pay $100 minimum (in 2013 money) for a quality taxi to anywhere in the city from the airport, but if it’s your first time you may not get away with that price without extensive argument, which is a time and cost-effective Congolese sport.

When you get to the airport it REALLY pays to have someone meet you, and getting out necessitates a $50 departure tax and if you want smooth sailing, about $25 worth of 5-dollar bills to bribe just about 3-5 people in uniform. As of 2014 Rawbank also instigated a new $5 fee for something that isn’t specified but everyone must pay that to leave too. There is little assistance and lots of hassle, and you cannot speak to anyone from the airlines at the check-in, only the miserable airport authority. Money solves everything, however, and relatively little is needed. You can as a consolation pay $40 to use a “luxury” lounge with a whole free drink (!) Keep receipts of everything, otherwise their absence WILL be capitalized upon. You will make it, so just have some humor and bare it out. If you are leaving and have lots of time to kill, there is an extension of the Grand Hotel upstairs that caters to luxury travelers if you have around $30 extra to kill.

For ATM’s, and for the country in general, local currency and U.S. Dollars are dispensed and accepted. EcoBank dispenses US Dollars, which are accepted and easy everywhere in DRC. There is also a CitiBank in town next to the American Embassy.

Visas in DRC are in theory and even in law arduous. There are lots of obstacles to getting them overseas, and they NEVER give “tourist” visas. Do not try to get a tourist visa to DRC, but a general or business visa is understood and can be granted with the right papers in order. You need to obtain a business visa if you are going to do it in advance. That said, it was as simple as $40 to show up at the Zambia border with Lubumbashi and make your way across, and $50-200 at the Angola border with the right luck. However, a crackdown has led to an end of those free passes at the end of 2013 when some embassies were heard to be profiteering from the practice. Easiest of all is to land in Brazzaville with a week to spare and do all of the major sightseeing, then cross and explore Kinshasa and the DRC for a few days. If you have an invitation from a friend or a hotel or a business contact in the DRC it is easier, however CTT and other operators regularly arrange visa invitations as well and facilitate entry and crossing.

At the end of the day you will have an easier time getting a visa to DRC than to Angola, so don’t be too confident at doing it the other way around and showing up at the Angola border hoping to finagle a visa. It has never and will never work.

DOING BUSINESS IN THE CONGO

The wild frontier of capitalism. Top

The Congo is brimming with opportunity and rampant with underinvestment to underemployment to undervaluation in lots of its commodities, services, and potential. Congo Kinshasa and Congo Brazzaville were together ranked the most difficult place in the world to do business, but that doesn’t seem to hold on the ground as legions of foreign investors and businessmen are filling the hotels to capacity and causing a sprawl in business tourism services and infrastructure buildup. You will not be the first, and while hotdogging miners and gem traders used to be the Congo’s profiteers, you will see everyone coming to sell and buy and build everything a modern city needs. In perhaps a particularly African calamity, lots of the money changing hands never materializes in any public services, and what public works are built are usually done by Chinese with their Chinese work crews, but the Congo is being conquered, although lots of it feels like the wild west and a frontier destination.

Chinese are among the most common travelers in the Congo and have been little liked at times, having built a reputation for cost, not quality, and surrounding them are half-truths/half-myths of wholesale robbery and extraction with and without permits of lots of the massive states’ resource wealth. They are respected and courted for their money, however, by the urban middle and upper classes. (They come into almost no interaction with the lower class) and do not face targeted violence. However, wholesale skepticism is generously lavished on the Africans as well by the Chinese- for their work ethic and capacity for trickery. The Chinese embassy in both Kinshasa and Brazzaville has better citizen services then most African’s have access to from their own governments, and plenty of Chinese restaurants abound in the capitals of the Congos and the adjoining countries as well.

Indians and Lebanese have been in the Congo since almost its conception as Zaire and as 2 adjoining nations. Lebanese were gem and metal traders, and Indians were merchants of every ware and now have expanded into selling the nervous system of Congo’s communications and IT. Indians are a respected and accommodated class in Congo. The largest hospital in Africa was built in (2013) in Kinshasa and is staffed mainly by Indians in the hopes of making DRC a destination for African medical tourism.

Nigerians and Cameroonians abound here as well and although they trade and work in just about every sector Congo needs, unfortunately they are most famous for illicit and black market sectors and are looked upon with general skepticism by the Congolese as well.

Of course the French are all over Congo as well, in various capacities as companies, expats, oilmen, aid workers, and advisors and consultants to all sorts of public processes and works.

Americans were generally the last one at the table and especially late to take advantage of the Congo’s escalating opportunities. The future looks to see more Americans do business here if investment laws and foreign corrupt business practices legislation undergoes needed reform. They are missing opportunities, and missing the party here where as everyone else has already arrived. The only Americans to make it en masse are missionaries, to a peculiar effect: Christianity married and marred with local religion.

You will always be treated with smiles and big open arms and friendliness by Congolese suppliers or clients, way more often than not…however Congolese remain initially reluctant to make a first concession or first finance a project in a partnership. Paying or giving a concession in advance is the only real way in Congo to assure a commitment, and then that may not even be enough if your client or supplier is particularly attuned to foreign courtship and has leverage. If you want to buy or sell something, or form a partnership, until you hand over your side of the deal or give a concession of commitment or investment, Congolese are very averse to budge on their position. You should try to avoid coming across as a fool or too loose with your money, as caution and scrutiny is respected, but an advance gift or deposit or assurance of some kind means everything in this part of Africa.

Aid organizations have been notorious for giving too many concessions or foolish incentives for Congolese that are taken without delivery of service or performance. A rational businessman in Africa, and especially here, will demand to hear details and see how a plan is to be executed in minutiae.

Something very important is to never accept “no problem” or “yes” or “ok” at face value. This is as often as not a ploy to make you feel good rather than confirm your question. Ask your client or supplier to explain in details or walk through how they are going to do and deliver whatever it is you’re asking. Lying and stealing are sadly and thinly veiled into accepted business and everyday behaviors among Congolese, and so make it clear from the beginning of your interaction that those are strictly monitored and guarded against and that you are not naive enough to be exploited, and that they will not be tolerated. Keep in mind that lots of these preventions are evidence-based and factual though they will appear racist, though you needn’t and shouldn’t be racist, or feel yourself that way. Even Congolese friends or employees going back decades have been found stealing and price-gouging – though business aside you can also make the best friends in your life in Congo over enough years. Set up safeguards and know where your weaknesses lie and what your liabilities are, and make contingency plans for when they get exploited and what to do. Know friendship from opportunism. Lots of stress can be avoided this way.

Triple-checking quality and delivery, even when you’re told yes, is mandatory. Expect that opportunities for theft or profiteering will be taken by the people you hire in either Congo, but in DRC where business is easier and the culture is more business-oriented, thefts from employees are not as severe nor as blatantly selfish and short-sighted as on the Congo-Brazzaville side, where service is dismal and short-term thinking infinitely more dismal.

Keep in mind that Congolese are not out to rob foreigners. They are out to profit mutually and form bridges and partnerships. They are also out to learn and while they see westerners and Asians as rich, they see them more as enriching, and don’t seek a zero sum game. You should be friendly and affable, but skeptical and always ask in detail.

HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

Top Travelers to Congo, like travelers to Africa in general, should consult a doctor before coming to Congo, but after that everybody should bring and use malaria medicine. Doxycycline and malarone are the most popular, but a 3-day morning and evening dose of Artemether/Lumefantrine (“Cofantrine” is a readily availiable and reputable brand at pharmacies in Congo) will also kill off any malaria you may have in your system in the 3 days following your trip. Doctors will not tell you that in truth preventative antibiotics are not always effective, and most expats and doctors in Congo will administer this simple but potentially life-saving medicine. That said, many expats live for years there without taking any medicine at all and report feeling fine. It should be taken as a precaution especially on a visit and especially if you are going into the jungle.

You are best advised to have travel insurance, and to seek embassy help in the event of an emergency for recommended hospitals, but evacuating to better care in Europe or South Africa is probably a better bet if it is serious.

GETTING TO THE CONGO, GETTING AROUND IN THE CONGO

Top Most airlines fly into Pointe Noire or Brazzaville or Kinshasa from Nairobi, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, and an array of European capitals. At this point there are not yet any direct flights from America or Asia. It helps to book far in advance, but expect a roundtrip to cost about as much as going to any other continent, provided you don’t make too many connections. There is a domestic airline called Equatorial Congo Airlines (ECAir) that is overseen and maintained by the Swiss luxury airline MRO and flight support PrivatAir, and flies 3 times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) from Paris to Brazzaville, and once a week to Pointe Noire. As of 2014 it is also flying to Dubai, and has its sites set on, excitingly, Guangzhou and Washington DC next. It also connects Ollombo in the interior of the Republic o the Congo, and has an international flight to one of the cheapest logistical West African ports, Cotonou in Benin. ECAir is of a top standard, and is the only domestic airline the U.S.A., Russian, and Chinese embassies allow their personnel to fly because of safety concerns. All bets are off for the other domestic “scarelines,” in ROC whose notorious crash record precedes them.

Within DRC, Korongo Airlines is the most solid, operated by Brussels Airlines and flying only between Kinshasa and Lubumbashi and Johannesburg. The only other airline which gobbled up the majority of its competition and flies to just about every city in DRC, CAA, is blacklisted – but truthfully crashes less than AirFrance. Fly at your own risk. There have not been any bad reviews, however we are keeping a close eye.

Within Africa, it can be cheaper to fly with one of the new class of African emerging air carriers. Asky (African sky) is a safe, good quality, reputable new operator. The South African and Tanzanian LCC’s (low cost carriers) don’t reach Congo yet, though they will be competitivee when they do. Neither do any of the Gulf’s expanding airlines except for, to the delight of travelers, Turkish Airlines. – Turkish Airlines has positioned itself to cover traffic into most of the untapped opportunities in Africa. If you plan to travel to Africa regularly and widely, having a frequent flyer program with a Star Alliance airline (United, Turkish, Ethiopian, etc.) well pay off handsomely in slashing your inter and intracontinental airfare in Africa, including to Congo. Expensive all business-class airlines like Swiss-owned Privatair cooperate with Star Alliance as well to bring business-class travelers to the Congo, and their luxurious jets fill quickly with European, Chinese, and African business travelers.

Some of the new Congolese domestic airlines, such as Trans Air Congo and Canadian Airways Congo are not flying into Europe or USA yet and so caution should be exercised when deciding whether or not to fly with them. Equatorial Congo Airlines flies to Paris and has a safe operation, perhaps even better than Air France, which uses its jets non-stop without much turnaround time all year long and commands far higher prices yet poorer service to boot. Charter flights through a travel agency are sound if expensive, and CTT can organize these too for up to 15% discount, but private jets and helicopters based around Africa have a reputation for more security than the larger domestic airlines, who are on the blacklist. Congolese national and private airlines have some of the worst safety records in the world, so you may want to pay a bit more for the assurance.

A neat trick is to get somewhere else in Africa that is cheaper as an entry gate to the continent, and then use frequent flyer miles to get to Congo, which counts as a regional flight and so takes relatively few miles even though a price for the same ticket would be very high Adventurers and budget travelers who are flying from outside Africa have honed this trick and it works wonders. If combined with another African destination on a big continental trip, Congo can be a very affordable adventure, and compared with the prices tourists are paying for safaris or just general travel in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Uganda/Rwanda, and South Africa (God Bless them all), Congo is far far better value and shows you almost all of the same big wildlife and better scenery, and none of these other places have the river.

The road from Goma to Walikale is still not paved, nor any longer safe. We ourselves tried from Goma up to Masisi and it was back-breaking. Even 4×4 vehicles do not ply on this route and couldn’t make it with all parts intact. The by-road approach to Walikale is from Kisangani, instead of Goma.

Though the distance is far too long (240 kms from Goma, while 445 kms from Kisangani to Walikale). Then of course, security is the primary concern. We can never take the risk of putting our clients in these circumstances, nor anybody in general. Even security “experts” with decades of military experience flop and about-face and have turned around outta there!…As of yesterday, there are at least 2 towns en-route from Goma to Walikale that now have the Mai Mai rebellion (lethally dangerous for foreigners) activity.

Kisangani has however become international airport and the tourists can directly reach here with Ethiopian Airlines. Or if they like from Goma to Kisangani by domestic airline ‘Congo Airways’ that operates 2 Airbus medium commercial jets and 1 Bombardier.

Even for Goma to Kahuzi Biega, there are now due to insurrection only two options:

a) By boat along the Lake Kivu (Speedboat Ihusi 02h45; and big slow boat/ship Emmanuel that operates daytime 6 hrs and nighttime 12 hrs). b) By road is only now possible via Rwanda. I travelled along this route and it is excellent, not only the road condition, but the views are magnificent. It also passes through the tourist town of Kibuye with a breath-taking view of and from ‘Gorilla Hotel’ 4h30.

With serious security and a million repairs and pitstops and problems, you can drive for about 10-30 days contiguous and parallelling the Congo River to Yangambi>Bumba>Lisala>Mbandaka>Bolobo>Malebo>Kinshasa. Other interesting very dangerous but doable (not so many lethal rebels) ventures are Kisangani>Pygmy Villages>Ituri Forest>Yangambi Reserve>Back to Kisangani.

You can enter DRC from Tanzania in Tanganyika Province by taking a $50 boat. This is one of the more pleasant border crossings out there.

Plane charters run about $10,000 for getting to Basankusu- which hosts hundreds of thousands of Bonobos in the real heart of Congo (from Kinshasa or Entebbe the price is much the same.) We can also take you in with Kinavia nowadays for way cheaper.

Coming overland, it is possible to cross into the Republic of Congo near Bangui in C.A.R. or from Cameroon near Bayanga/Nola, where the borders are relatively straightforward and hassle-free as long as you have a visa. Crossing into the DRC, the Angola border is VERY intimidating and even having a visa doesn’t guarantee you a smooth ride through, or to get in at all. Several people pose as “officials” at various points of the crossing, and demand your passport or a fee or both, some even equipped with “forms” and pens and uniforms. There have been cases of foreigners with visas in order thrown in Angolan holding cells and having to pay upwards of $1000 to get out. If you are crossing into DRC, you can do so at Cabinda or Matadi.

From Zambia, crossing near Ndola towards Lubumbashi is about $40-60 visa at the border for anyone, no questions asked, and you’re on your way. (Though some tourists angrily refute this after being tricked and turned away for lack of a steep fee or in the face of intimidation.) Of course, Lubumbashi, the Congolese mining region, is a long way from Kinshasa, but travel is never entirely predictable here though a great deal safer than the Great Lakes region near Goma.

The Katanga region will go all the way to Kinshasa on a brilliant, sometimes* spotless future national highway “1” which is being built by French, African, and Chinese hands to connect the spoils of Congo’s mining region to the ocean and river ports in the Atlantic side, away at Matadi. The crossing of the DRC in ANY direction puts you at odds with 2500km of terrain to traverse. Botswana has almost exactly 100 times the amount of paved roads that the entire DRC does. A better bet is traveling by water on almost 15,000km of navigable waterways. They are safer than the roads, but not safe.

If travelers don’t know the DRC, it is best they travel with a Congolese liaison to avoid or diminish harassment, but this will include an additional cost (his expenses and a fee with regards to the time he will accompany them). The road from Lubumbashi to Kabalo and further to Kalemie is a track in poor condition. On some parts there is a need to do a detour because of missing bridges and there will be many roadblocks by officials and military to get through with official and unofficial taxation; there are 2 other options, Lubumbashi/Miwaba/Manono/Kalemie or Lubumbashi/Pweto/Kalemie to get north from Katanga; they are more commonly used to get to Kalemie; both are also infested with roadblocks. From Kalemie to Bukavu the road is a little bit better, but also infected with roadblocks as on Lubumbashi/Kalemie. The road from Bukavu to Goma, same situation, but the possibility to keep due north by boat from Bukavu to Goma is also an option. There maybe also some security issues to consider but we will have to inform with our contacts for the latest situation. For Goma to Kisangani, between Goma and Beni is not advised for security reasons from 2017; as many armed groups roam the country side and could cause problems. However the Rumangabo site of Virunga NP is accessible, best to organise through the Virunga NP administration or CTT/JT office in Goma. You can get to Kisangani via Rwanda and Uganda, crossing the border in Kasindi and going to Kisangani via Beni, Komanda, Nia-Nia.

For the areas in South Kivu, here are some advisories on distance, logistics, and safety emanating into the interior from Bukavu.

– Bukavu – Walungu 46km : 2h30 to 3h – Bukavu – Mugogo 25km : 1h30 – Bukavu – Kabare centre 17km : 1h to 1h30 – Bukavu – Kabare/Mukongola : 22km 2h30 to 3h

The state of the road of these three zones do not really pose a problem, it is practicable with Jeep 4×4, it is outside the city. From a security point of view, currently make day drives to the 3 zones, but we recommend not to spend the night. No hotels or restaurants are proposed here.

Going south across the Congo?: 2 possibilities barring the LRA territory around CAR’s border; first possibility entering from Uganda and drive South via Bunia, Beni, than leave via Uganda and Rwanda, enter again in Goma, and continue to Lubumbashi via Kalemie; Another possibility is entering via Brazzaville and then driving to Angola, Clients who motorcucle Africa are aweome and can even stay with a motorbike friend of ours in Kinshasa.

East-West by overlanding? From Kinshasa to Lubumbashi and Zambia is not possible due to severe insecurity around the N1 between Tshikapa and Mwene-Ditu in the Kasaï Provinces. As of 2017 you will not make it.

Security is a large part of the services we offer. To find long term secure accommodation in the Congo is no problem. For security we contract security companies but only those who supply acceptable quality service. Armoured cars are difficult to find, but we can offer maximum security for visitors with security specialists with expatriates or Congolese that can accompany the client (CPO) if required, liaison officers, and armed policemen in civilian if need be.

In the words of one of the best security consultants and career intelligence professionals hired by CTT in the Congo:

– Security: some areas in the DRC are out of bounds to travel safely or to travel without any precautions. Insecure areas tend to shift and can pop-up in unexpected areas. he actual political, economic and social situation make the security situation in the DRC today volatile to a certain extent.

– Infrastructure: the infrastructure in the DRC, accommodation, roads, tele-communications, hospitals, water and electricity are very poor. Accommodation is relatively expensive and outside bigger urban areas not existing . Road conditions outside the major cities are in general ranging between poor and catastrophic. Hospitals with an acceptable level of care do besides a few exceptions not exist. Water and electricity are more absent than present. Communications are of poor quality and lack coverage outside urban areas. The impact on safety can be considerable and permanent caution is a must.

– Harassment & corruption: endemic and often an unexpected and difficult obstacle corruption:for inexperienced visitors to the DRC. Sometimes it is best to travel with a liaison who knows his way through government agencies. to subcontract a liaison of the National Intelligence Agency for more complicated travel through the country. One option is to subcontract a liaison of the National Intelligence Agency for more complicated travel through the country.

– Administration: is very slow, does not respect the same rules as in other African countries, and dealing with it requires a thorough network of good contacts and patience.

– Costs: the DRC is very expensive. Almost everything is imported and makes daily life expensive. Basic administration, basic permits and documents are often expensive and require the help of efficient local consultants to maximize a positive, clean, and timely result.

Main places to visit in DRC and some DIY costs approximate the below:

Matadi can be reached with a $13 bus from Kinshasa. Boma for $20. These buses leave when full from the bus station, and plan on an all-day, sweaty, crowded affair to make the trip happen.

Bas Congo is full of history around Boma and the inlet of the Congo River from the Atlantic Ocean, and everyone from Diego Cao to Stanley made there way up here, about a hundred kilometers of navigable waterway before you hit the abominable Livingstone Falls and the series of waterfalls that makes onward passage past Matadi literally impossible for any ship. A road (and an old railway) goes around the falls and rapids to reach Kinshasa from Matadi, where the river becomes navigable again for the whole next length up until Kisangani. Matadi has not much of note physically save a bridge (which is rare in Congo, and so for locals it’s a fascination) and the old faded colonial gem, the Hotel Metropol. In Boma you will find nearby the incredible Inga dam and Inga waterfalls, which rival Victoria Falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe for beauty, and which are little known. There are also entire villages built on oyster shells around here as well as old slave forts. Cargo ships up to a certain size can enter here at Matadi, not Panamax vessels, and the importers at the dock vie for favoritism with DRC customs.

One company, Congo Futur, is controlled indirectly by Hezbollah in Lebanon and may fund terrorism, so stay away from dealing with the company if you are thinking of doing trade in Congo. In almost all circumstances whoever you are importing with will have rivals paying and cajoling the customs to make your rates higher so their prices are cheaper and you lose the market.

There are plenty of NGO’s in Goma and it is popular to couchsurf (see couchsurfing.com) with a foreign aid worker, or make advance contact with any NGO worker, rather than to stay in a hotel in the city – which aren’t entirely safe either. If you have to pick a hotel, however, Hotel Ihusi is the best, nestled on the lakeside with a view of the blue Lake Kivu. Or ask us. There are plenty of hotels in Goma and more going up all the time. Crossing from Kigali is a snap – via Gisenyi. Have your DRC visa ready and it is one of the more comfortable gateways. There are now lots of nice boats, some even with nightclubs on them, for crossing between Goma and Bukavu. If you can make it the ride is a great time to mingle with locals en route to your safari point.

The Ituri region of the DRC hosts the Okapi wildlife reserve, which can be visited from Isiro, and hosts itself African pygmy tribes living inside the reserve as well as hundreds of birds and chimpanzees, apes, and occasional forays by renegade armies and poachers who have made tourism evaporate and murdered park staff and – anybody found inside the park. It is not advised to visit. Garamba and Okapi Park are both off at the moment.

The journey to the massive “3rd” city of Kisangani takes an unspecified number of hours or days by bus from Goma, along unlit roads some of which are occasionally overflowed by lava from the volcano. It can take as little as 3 days and as long as a week, changing buses at Butembo and Beni ($30 each but prices for foreigners can be inflated) and passing through M23 and FDLR rebel checkpoints where passports are checked relatively politely and the United Nations vehicles occasionally travel. The route to Kisangani from Bukavu is a wholesale total gamble with your life or at least your possessions and runs through a completely lawless and ungoverned tribal part of Africa. It is not under any circumstances advised to do this road. If you have to travel to Kisangani, the road from Goma is better, and you should allow at least a week and several hundred dollars in local currency. There are no ATM’s and no health care.

In the time of the crown jewel of Belgium’s African empire, the 1940’s road from Isiro south to Kisangani or eastward to Mombasa was a speedy throughway that breezed you over the mountains to the coast in 6 hours or south to the river city in 2. Nowadays it is a complete mess,  subject to banditry, potholes and washouts, political terrorism, and occasionally marauding murderers…and left to rot and crack beneath trucks and in the wrangle of vines and debris, with the specter or savior of Chinese construction to get the Eastern DRC back on track all these decades later. From Isiro, expect 3 days’ travel east to the ocean (through Eastern DRC, Uganda, and Kenya) and at least 1 day’s travel south to the river at Kisangani. From Isiro, you can dip straight into the steamy equatorial Congo rainforest, or flee for the open savannas of Eastern Africa’s Great Rift Valley. If you are reading this you have likely came from the latter of the 2, and so have in mind to either turn back or else make your way further into the Congo to Kisangani. You can get a bus ticket for $13 (51500 CAF.) Bring water and mosquito repellant, and keep your wallet tight at hand.

Katanga province, home of the second largest city in DRC, Lubumbashi, is a generally safe destination and transit hub. There used to be great great wildlife in Upemba Park, northwest of the provincial capital, and even great lodges (see them at congostarsafaris.com – no longer working,) but now it is all poached out and no animals remain, unless you go very very far from the people who live in the area. Gran Karavia Hotel and Hotel Holly Bum are the best hotels in town now, but nothing to write home about.

The main use of Katanga in the eyes of Kinshasa and the world is its vast reserves of almost every metal conceivable. – Coltan, Copper, Tin, Gold, Manganese, Bauxite, Silver, Diamonds…and much more. Katanga, the source of many minerals today and the former source of the uranium for the Hiroshima bomb, is now illegally exporting uranium via Zambia. Besides this, however, it is false and uninformed to connect Katanga minerals with blood, war, rape, or child soldiers, a connection all-too generously and tenuously made by western media who do not realize that the Kivus region is hundreds to thousands of miles away through terrible jungle and that the mining there under rebel eyes has nothing to do with the long-running mining projects in Katanga.

Nevertheless, most western writers on conflict minerals have never been to DRC, and so we encourage visitors and discerning individuals to draw their own conclusions. There are a lot of rumors at play in Africa regarding this.

One of the more interesting aspects of Katangan history strangely enough involved Ireland. Hidden History, one of the cold war’s and Ireland’s most important:

The siege of Jadotville. It was the first foreign mission for the Irish army. 150 Irish soldiers held off over 2000 Katangan and French mercenary soldiers without a single loss of life on the irish side After the battle was over there were many Katangan soldiers lying dead and wounded.

The Irish even used their bullets twice. How is it possible to do this? After their ammunition was finished the officer in charge ordered the men to pick up all the empty cartridges and put them in the ammunition boxes with dynamite. The explosives were all wired together and exploded when the enemy came on them.

Eventually the Irish had no choice but to surrender. They did not get a hero’s welcome when they came back to Ireland as the government branded them cowards for surrendering. It was not until many years later that their bravery and professionalism was acknowledged. But by this time some had died with this dishonour hanging over their lives.

CTT’s ground manager back In Ireland now got first hand stories about this siege and other battles that were fought in Congo from survivers who live near him. One of them was an officer in the siege of Jadotville. There were over 6,000 Irish soldiers sent to the Congo. Every community in Ireland was affected by this war but few Irish youth know about it today. Few Irish people know the truth about modern Congo either.

Kisangani is a dusty, heaving, monster of a rivertown with which you can board the slow long ferry to Kinshasa. Proceed at your own risk between Kisangani and Kinshasa. The ferry takes 15-20 days. There are infections, dangerous river marauders, man-eating crocodiles, and boat-riding thieves. There is also unrivaled adventure in taking the public barge…along with legendary discomfort. If you want an easier, more comfortable, and more safe way, contact us. And we not selling it like it is, we are telling it like it is.

That covers all of the inhabited parts of the Congo. The rest is all unpaved jungle. (Most of the country is unpaved jungle.) We were unable to do research on the ground in the rest of these areas. All information in this website is for reference only. We are not held liable for any travel you do in the Congo (RC or DRC) on your own accord based on our information.

CTT now makes it mandatory as of 2016 for all clients to carry and prove their own powerful, robust, and complete travel, medical, and cancellation insurance.

Our vehicles.

Top CTT supplies 4-wheel drive SUV’s, Toyota Hiluxes, and luxury LandCruisers, with experienced and professional drivers who have years working as drivers for oil professionals or government staff. They are used to all the road conditions in the Congo.

We have ironclad and strict criteria for our drivers:

a. All of the vehicles must be equipped with operational safety seat belts. b. Driver not to start driving until everyone buckled c. All of the vehicles must be equipped with air conditioner d. Clean, well-maintained vehicle e. The drivers should always drive safely (no speeding up) f. The drivers should never use cell phone while driving g. The drivers should drive on central streets when applicable and avoid driving on backstreets h. The drivers should never pick a ‘friend or comrade” or anybody else while transporting our delegates i. The drivers should never smoke in the vehicle, not before or during transporting our delegates j. Professional driver with excellent safety record k. The drivers should always be polite with the delegates and willing to help l. Drivers must be instructed to meet travelers inside the airport with a visible sign upon exit from Customs/baggage claim.

• Nouabalé-Ndoki
• Congo River Voyage
• Gorillas & Louna Safari
• Epic Jungle Train
• Around Brazza Sampler Platter (No Hotel Included)
• Tiger Fishing Weekend Trip From Brazzaville
• Odzala Affordable Odyssey – Ecotourism
• Odzala Luxury Lodges – Discount Packages
• Lake Tele Expedition
• Introduction to the Congo-Basin: one week on the river
• Deep exploration of the Congo-Basin by boat: riverlife, fishing and wildlife
• Southern Odzala: gorillas, elephants and deep forest
• The deep forests of Odzala and Congo Basin River Tour: two weeks
• Odzala and Nouabale-Ndoki
• Odzala and Dzanga-Sangha
• Odzala, Nouabale-Ndoki and Lobéké
• Odzala, Lobéké and Dzanga-Sangha
• Complete Sangha Trinational: Dzanga Sangha, Nouabalé-Ndoki and Lobéké
• Nouabalé-Ndoki and Dzanga Sangha
• Odzala Luxury Edition: 8 Days New Formula
• Odzala Luxury Edition: 11 Days New Formula
• Odzala And Dzanga Sangha Luxury Edition: 11 Days New Formula
• Odzala And Dzanga Sangha Luxury Edition: 12 Days New Formula
• Coast to River Odyssey
• Mayombe Rainforest Safari
• Conkouati-Douli Park & Chimpanzees
• Congo Surfing
• Pointe-Noire: Private Jungle Train And Mayombe Tree Hut Adventure
• Jungle Retreat In The Mayombe Forest
• Ultimate Frontier DRC Tour | 2018 Edition | Great Lakes to the Great Rainforests and River
• Virunga, Gorillas and Nyiragongo Volcano: Luxury Lodges
• Best Value Virunga 1 Week
• Virunga Budget Tour
• Virunga Mountain Gorilla 2 Day Tour
• Nyiragongo Volcano 2 Day Tour
• Garamba Grand Safari
• Kahuzi Biega Park Chimpanzees and Gorillas: Luxury Lodges
• Kahuzi Biega Budget Tour
• Kahuzi Beiga 2 Day Lowland Gorilla Trek from Bukavu
• Trekking The Rwenzori Mountains from the DRC
• Jane Goodall’s Chimps Tour at Lwiro
• Kigali to Kinshasa Cross-Congo Overland (For Adventurers)
• Interior Cultures and Cities of DRCongo
• Travel to the Kivu Region of Congo: ten days
• Garamba and Virunga: savanna, mountains and volcanoes
• The best of East Congo and Rwanda
• Pygmy & Deep Jungles
• 8 Day Bonobos By River
• 15 Day Bonobos by Airplane
• Bonobos Encounter & Grand Circuit
• Bas Congo & Livingstone Falls
• Katanga Kingdom
• Tiger Fishing
• Salonga National Park Expedition From the Congo River
• Kasai River 7-Day Tiger Fishing Adventure from Kinshasa
• Lake Mukamba 7-Day Guided Fishing Trip from Kinshasa
• Atlantic Coast 7-Day Tarpon Fishing Trip in Muanda
• Meet the Bonobos of the DRC – In the Wild!
• Complete introduction to Kinshasa: one week
• Essential Bas-Congo: From Kinshasa to the coast, ten days
• Twelve days in Bas-Congo and Kinshasa
• Complete roundtrip in Bas-Congo: culture, waterfalls, river exploration and wildlife
• Best of culture and nature: Bas-Congo and the mountain gorillas of Virunga
• DRC sample platter: Bas-Congo, Kinshasa and Kisangani
• Essential Katanga Discovery
• Gungu Festival And Pende Cultural Visit
• Photographic Cultural Tour: Kimbanguistes, Voodoo Wrestlers, Sapeurs And Tata Gonda
• Gbadolite: The Versailles Of The Jungle, Inside Mobutu’s Old Palace
• The pygmy Tribes of Equateur And The Wagenia Fishermen of Kisangani
• Pioneer Expedition: Kinshasa To Mbuji-Mayi With Gungu Festival
• Okapi Reserve and Edo Rainforest Expedition
• Overland Trip From Zambia To Congo: Lusaka To Likasi and Kiubo Falls
• Kinshasa To Mbandaka: Bonobo River Tour And Pygmy Tribes
• Kisangani: Expedition To Yangambi
• Kisangani: Congo River, Wagenia Falls, Fisherman’s Island And Slave Trade Point
• Kisangani: Complete City Visit, Waterfalls, Yangambi and Lokele Tribe
• Bili Ape Expedition From Kisangani
• Maiko National Park Expedition
• Mbuji-Mayi: Overnight At Lake Munkamba
• Two Days In Mbuji Mayi: Lake Mukumba And Diamond Mines
• Lomami National Park Expedition
• Primate And Gorilla Circuit In Kivu
• Congo River: Best of DR Cruising
• Congo River Cruise – Best Of Brazza Cruising!
• Boat Trip from Brazzaville to Oyo
• Congo River: Complete (Large Study/Tour/History Groups)
• Epic River Journey From Bangui To Kinshasa: Pymys, Bonobos and Tigerfish
• Two weeks On The Congo River: Wagenia Falls, Tribes And Bonobos (New Tour, 2022)
• Congo River – River Towns Paintings, Murals, Graffiti, and Public Art Sites
• Trail of Two Oceans: 15-Day East to West Africa Adventure by Rail
• Trail of Two Oceans: 15-Day West to East Africa Adventure by Rail
• Copper Trail: 15-Day Victoria Falls to Lobito by Rail
• Copper Trail: 15-Day Lobito to Victoria Falls by Rail
• Congo Aerial
• Introduction to the two Congos
• Garamba and Kidepo Valley
• Garamba and Murchison Falls
• Group Tours
• Brazzaville City & Culture Tour
• Congo River Half-Day
• Louna Park Full Day
• Bela Waterfalls Full Day
• Rainforest Resort
• Congo River Full Day
• Louna Park Overnight
• Congo River Overnight
• Kinshasa City Tour
• “Sapeurs” Style and Muhammad Ali “Rumble in the Jungle” Tour
• Kinshasa By Night
• Congo River Cruise
• Bonobo Eco Excursion
• Zongo Waterfalls
• Bombo Lumene
• Kisantu & Mbanza Ngungu
• Inga Dam And Waterfalls Overnight Tour
• Best of Pointe Noire: Congo Natural Wonders Tour
• Cultural Performance & African Banquet
• Ocean Fishing Trip
• Surfing Lesson & Rental
• Loueme River Overnight Adventure
• Les Sara Forest and Falls
• Les Sara Overnight
• Dimonika Pointe Noire Day Tour
• Private Jungle Train Day Tour From Pointe-Noire
• Kiubu Falls Overnight Tour
• Motorbike Crossing In Kipushi Desert With Sundowner
• Kolwezi Day Tour From Lubumbashi (overnight)
• Likasi Day Tour From Lubumbashi
• Kisangani (“Stanleyville”) Day Tour
• Stanley Falls (Boyoma Falls) & Wagenia Fisherman Day Tour
• Canoe on the Congo River from Stanleyville (Kisangani)
• Mt. Goma Volcanic Observatory: Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira View | Exclusive
• Crossing The Equator: Mbandaka City Tour And Pygmy Tribes
• Essential Kalemie: Lake Tanganyika, Quad Biking And City Tour By Bicycle
• Exclusive Diamond Mine Visit In Mbuji-Mayi (Highly Secured)
• Kananga City Tour And Exclusive Military School Visit
• Kindu City Day Tour
• Visa Service
• Vehicle Rental
• Domestic Flight Booking Service for ROC
• Secure Airport Transfer and Airport Lounge Goma
• Domestic Flight Booking Service for DRC
• River Crossing for Personnel
• River Crossing for Vehicles
• Goma/Bukavu/Kigali (Kivus/Virunga Range) Travel Services
• Ouesso To Bayanga and Bomassa: Boat Transfer
• Libongo To Ouesso / Bomassa / Bayanga: Boat Transfer
• Zongo To Bangui: Boat Transfer
• Mobaye (Gbadolite) to Bangui: Boat Transfer
• Goma To Kigali: Transfer By Private Car
• Bukavu To Kigali: Transfer By Private Car
• Airport facilities Congo: Protocol, Runway Access, Transport And Guards
• Photography And Filming Permits For Congo
• Security: Armed Guards And Secure Transport In Congo
• Site Survey and Field Survey Service Team in DR Congo – Hire Fixers and Surveyors
• Cheap Consolidated Freight Cargo Shipping Service from Dubai to Kinshasa, DR Congo
• DR Congo and RO Congo Film and Media Permits System
• DRCongo Work Permits and Work Visa Service and Staffing Legal Administrative Service Congo-Kinshasa
• Congo Private Security Company – Congo Security Service and Best Firm for DRC and ROC
• Congo Rent A Car with Driver and Security Service
• Kinshasa Car Rental and Airport Services
• (DRC) Safe Car Hire with Driver
• (ROC) Safe Car Hire with Driver
• Kinshasa Apartment Rental – Secure & Furnished – Monthly or Yearly
• Congo Staffing & Scientific Research Services
• Welcome To Congo
• Five Must Do Experiences In Congo
• Five Must See Destinations In Congo-Brazzaville
• Ten Unique Experiences In The Two Congos
• Ten beautiful places in Bas-Congo
• The National Parks Of Congo-Kinshasa
• National Parks Of Congo-Brazzaville
• Frequently Asked Questions For Traveling In Congo
• Cross the entire DRC (1 month routes we’ve done in the past)
• Dzanga Sangha Congo-CAR Super Trip: ​Budget ​ Brazzaville to Bayanga
• CTT Special Sangha Lodge & Dzanga Bai Doli Lodge Overland Tours (Low Price Guarantee)
• Bangui & Around/Boali Falls CAR Day Tours: From Bangui, CAR
• Libreville to Pointe Noire 2 Country 1 Week High End Version
• Already Booked? Briefing Room
• Booking Terms & Conditions

Democratic Republic of the Congo

• 3 Other destinations
• 4.1 Geography
• 4.2.1 Congo Free State
• 4.2.2 Belgian Congo
• 4.2.3 Congo Crisis
• 4.2.4 Mobutu
• 4.2.5 First and Second Congo Wars
• 4.2.6 Modern DRC
• 4.3 Climate
• 4.6 Holidays
• 5.1.1.1 Additional requirements
• 5.1.2 Information
• 5.2 By plane
• 5.3 By train
• 5.6 By boat
• 6.2 By plane
• 6.3 By truck
• 6.4 By ferry
• 6.5 By train
• 14.1 Political unrest
• 14.2 Driving conditions
• 14.3 Corruption
• 14.4 Photography
• 15 Stay healthy

The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( French : République Démocratique du Congo (or RDC); often shortened to DRC or D.R. Congo ) is the largest and most populous country in Central Africa , as well as the world's largest Francophone country.

This country is also referred to as Congo-Kinshasa to distinguish it from its northwestern neighbor, the Republic of the Congo (also known as "Congo-Brazzaville").

Although the country has pristine wilderness areas, charismatic fauna, volcanic peaks, friendly people, mineral wealth, and rainforests, the country has been in a state of flux since the 1960s and large parts of the country are unsafe for travel.

Regions [ edit ]

Cities [ edit ]

• -4.321944 15.311944 1 Kinshasa – the capital of the DRC and the largest French speaking city in the world.
• -2.5 28.866667 2 Bukavu
• -1.679444 29.233611 3 Goma
• -5.896111 22.416667 4 Kananga
• 0.515278 25.191111 5 Kisangani
• -11.664167 27.482778 7 Lubumbashi – the DRC's mining hub.
• -5.816667 13.483333 8 Matadi
• 0.048611 18.260278 9 Mbandaka
• -6.1209 23.5967 10 Mbuji-Mayi

Other destinations [ edit ]

Several parks are on the UNESCO World Heritage List .

• -0.5 29.5 1 Virunga National Park
• -2.314806 28.758667 2 Kahuzi-Biega National Park
• 4 29.25 3 Garamba National Park
• -2 21 4 Salonga National Park
• 2 28.5 5 Okapi Wildlife Reserve
• -0.4 27.566667 6 Maiko National Park

Understand [ edit ]

Geography [ edit ].

The DRC is truly vast . At 2,345,408 square kilometres (905,567 sq mi), it is larger than the combined areas of Spain , France , Germany , Sweden , and Norway —or nearly three and a half times the size of Texas .

The defining feature of the country is the second largest rainforest in the world. Rivers large and small snake throughout the country and with a poor road network remain the main means of transport to this day. The Congo River is the third largest river in the world measured by discharge—it even continues into the Atlantic, forming a submarine canyon roughly 50 mi (80 km) to the edge of the continental shelf! It also has the distinction of being one of the deepest rivers in the world with depths up to 220 m (720 ft). Because of the huge volume of water, depth, and rapids, the Congo River is home to a large number of endemic species. The Congo River "begins" at Boyoma Falls near Kisangani . Above these falls, the river is known as the Lualaba River, whose longest tributary extends into Zambia . The Obangui River forms the border between the DRC and CAR/Congo-Brazzaville before flowing into the Congo River.

The Albertine Rift—a branch of the East African Rift—runs along the eastern border of the DRC. It is responsible for Lakes Tanganyika , Kivu, Edward, & Albert. The rift is flanked by a number of extinct volcanoes and two volcanoes that are still active today. The Rwenzori Mountains and Virunga Mountains along the border with Rwanda are quite scenic, rising in the midst of lush tropical forests and sometimes eerily shrouded in mist. Several peaks are over 4000m (13,000 feet). Mount Nyiragongo contains one of only four continuous lava lakes in the world.

The only part of the country not covered by lush forests is the south, around the Kasai Province, which contains mostly savannah and grasslands.

History [ edit ]

For several millennia, the land that now forms the DRC was inhabited by hundreds of small hunter/gatherer tribes. The landscape of dense, tropical forests and the rainy climate kept the population of the region low and prevented the establishment of advanced societies, and as a result few remnants of these societies remain today. The first and only significant political power was the Kongo Kingdom, founded around the 13th-14th centuries. The Kongo Kingdom, which spread across what is now northern Angola , Cabinda , Congo-Brazzaville , and Bas-Congo, became quite wealthy and powerful by trading with other African peoples in ivory, copperware, cloth, pottery, and slaves (long before Europeans arrived). The Portuguese made contact with the Kongos in 1483 and were soon able to convert the king to Christianity, with most of the population following. The Kongo Kingdom was a major source of slaves, who were sold in accordance to Kongo law and were mostly war captives. After reaching its height in the late 15th-early 16th century, the Kongo Kingdom saw violent competition for succession to the throne, war with tribes to the east, and a series of wars with the Portuguese. The Kongo Kingdom was defeated by the Portuguese in 1665 and effectively ceased to exist, although the largely ceremonial position of King of Kongo remained until the 1880s and "Kongo" remained the name of a loose collection of tribes around the Congo River delta. Kivu and the areas near Uganda , Rwanda , & Burundi were a source of slaves to Arab merchants from Zanzibar . The Kuba Federation, in southern DRC, was isolated enough to avoid slaving and even repel Belgian attempts to make contact with them beginning in 1884. After its peak of power in the early 19th century, however, the Kuba Federation broke apart by 1900. Elsewhere, only small tribes and short-lived kingdoms existed.

The land that is now the DRC was the last region of Africa to be explored by Europeans. The Portuguese never managed to travel more than one to two hundred kilometres from the Atlantic coast. Dozens of attempts were made by explorers to travel up the Congo River, but rapids, the impenetrable jungle around them, tropical diseases, and hostile tribes prevented even the most well-equipped parties from travelling beyond the first cataract 160 km inland. Famed British explorer Dr Livingstone began exploring the Lualaba River, which he thought connected to the Nile but is actually the upper Congo, in the mid-1860s. After his famous meeting with Henry Morton Stanley in 1867, Livingstone travelled down the Congo River to Stanley Pool, which Kinshasa & Brazzaville now border. From there, he travelled overland to the Atlantic.

In Belgium , the zealous King Leopold II desperately wanted Belgium to obtain a colony to keep up with other European powers, but was repeatedly thwarted by the Belgian government (he was a Constitutional monarch). Finally, he decided he would obtain a colony himself as an ordinary citizen and organized a "humanitarian" organization to establish a purpose to claim the Congo, and then set up several shell companies to do so. Meanwhile, Stanley sought a financier for his dream project—a railway past the Congo River's lower cataracts, which would allow steamers on the upper 1,000 mile section of the Congo and open up the wealth of the "Heart of Africa". Leopold found a match in Stanley, and tasked him with building a series of forts along the upper Congo River and buying sovereignty from tribal leaders (or killing those unwilling). Several forts were built on the upper Congo, with workers & materials travelling from Zanzibar. In 1883, Stanley managed to travel overland from the Atlantic to Stanley Pool. When he got upriver, he discovered that a powerful Zanzibari slaver got wind of his work and captured the area around the Lualaba River, allowing Stanley to build his final fort just below Stanley Falls (site of modern Kisangani ).

Congo Free State [ edit ]

When the European powers divided Africa amongst themselves at the Conference of Berlin in 1885, under the umbrella of the Association internationale du Congo , Leopold, the sole shareholder, formally gained control of the Congo. The Congo Free State was established, containing all of the modern DRC. No longer needing the AIC, Leopold replaced it with a group of friends and commercial partners and quickly set about to tap the riches of the Congo. Any land not containing a settlement was deemed property of the Congo, and the state was divided into a private zone (exclusive property of the State) and a Free Trade Zone where any European could buy a 10-15 year land lease and keep all income from their land. Afraid of Britain's Cape Colony annexing Katanga (claiming the right to it wasn't exercised by Congo), Leopold sent the Stairs Expedition to Katanga. When negotiations with the local Yeke Kingdom broke down, the Belgians fought a short war which ended with the beheading of their king. Another short war was fought in 1894 with the Zanzibari slavers occupying the Lualaba River.

When the wars ended, the Belgians now sought to maximize profits from the regions. The salaries of administrators were reduced to a bare minimum with a rewards system of large commissions based on their district profits, which was later replaced with a system of commissions at the end of administrators' service, dependent on the approval of their superiors. People living in the "Private Domain" owned by the state were forbidden from trading with anyone but the state, and were required to supply set quotas of rubber and ivory at a low, fixed price. Rubber in the Congo came from wild vines and workers would slash these, rub the liquid rubber on their bodies, and have it scraped off in a painful process when it hardened. The wild vines were killed in the process, meaning they became fewer and more difficult to find as rubber quotas rose.

The government's Force Publique enforced these quotas through imprisonment, torture, flogging, and the raping and burning of disobedient/rebellious villages. The most heinous act of the FP, however, was the taking of hands. The punishment for failing to meet rubber quotas was death. Concerned that the soldiers were using their precious bullets on sport hunting, the command required soldiers to submit one hand for every bullet used as proof they had used the bullet to kill someone. Entire villages would be surrounded and inhabitants murdered with baskets of severed hands being returned to commanders. Soldiers could get bonuses and return home early for returning more hands than others, while some villages faced with unrealistic rubber quotas would raid neighbouring villages to collect hands to present to the FP in order to avoid the same fate. Rubber prices boomed in the 1890s, bringing great wealth to Leopold and the whites of Congo, but eventually low-cost rubber from the Americas and Asia decreased prices and the operation in the CFS became unprofitable.

By the turn of the century, reports of these atrocities reached Europe. After a few years of successfully convincing the public that these reports were isolated incidents and slander, other European nations began investigating the activities of Leopold in the Congo Free State. Publications by noteworthy journalists and authors (like Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Doyle's The Crime of the Congo ) brought the issue to the European public. Embarrassed, the government of Belgium finally annexed the Congo Free State, took over Leopold's holdings, and renamed the state Belgian Congo (to differentiate from French Congo, now Republic of the Congo ). No census was ever taken, but historians estimate around half of the Congo's population, up to 10 million people, was killed between 1885 and 1908.

Belgian Congo [ edit ]

Aside from eliminating forced labour and the associated punishments, the Belgian government didn't make significant changes at first. To exploit the Congo's vast mineral wealth, the Belgians began construction of roads and railroads across the country (most of which remain, with little upkeep over the century, today). The Belgians also worked to give the Congolese access to education and health care. During WWII , the Congo remained loyal to the Belgian government in exile in London and sent troops to engage Italians in Ethiopia and Germans in East Africa . The Congo also became one of the world's main suppliers of rubber and ores. Uranium mined in Belgian Congo was sent to the U.S. and used in the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended the Pacific War .

After WWII, the Belgian Congo prospered and the 1950s were some of the most peaceful years in the Congo's history. The Belgian government invested in health care facilities, infrastructure, and housing. Congolese gained the right to buy/sell property and segregation nearly vanished. A small middle class even developed in the larger cities. The one thing the Belgians did not do was prepare an educated class of black leaders and public servants. The first elections open to black voters and candidates were held in 1957 in the larger cities. By 1959, the successful independence movements of other African countries inspired the Congolese and calls for independence grew louder and louder. Belgium did not want a colonial war to retain control of the Congo and invited a handful of Congolese political leaders for talks in Brussels in January 1960. The Belgians had in mind a 5-6 year transition plan to hold parliamentary elections in 1960 and gradually give administrative responsibility over to the Congolese with independence in mid-1960. The carefully crafted plan was rejected by the Congolese representative and the Belgians eventually conceded to hold elections in May and grant a hasty independence on 30 June. Regional and national political parties emerged with once-jailed leader Patrice Lumumba elected Prime Minister and head of the government.

Independence was granted to the "Republic of the Congo" (the same name neighbouring French colony Middle Congo adopted) on 30 June 1960. The day was marked by a sneer and verbal assault directed at the Belgian king after praising the genius of King Leopold II. Within weeks of independence, the army rebelled against white officers and increasing violence directed at the remaining whites forced nearly all 80,000 Belgians to flee the country.

Congo Crisis [ edit ]

After independence, the country quickly fell apart. The region of South Kasai declared independence on 14 June and the region of Katanga declared independence on 11 July under strongman Moise Tshombe. While not a puppet of Belgium, Tshombe was greatly helped by Belgian financial and military aid. Katanga was essentially a neo-colonial state backed by Belgium and the interests of Belgian mining companies. On 14 July, the UN Security Council passed a resolution authorizing a UN peacekeeping force, and for Belgium to withdraw their remaining troops from the Congo. The Belgian troops left, but many officers stayed as paid mercenaries and were key in warding off the Congolese army's attacks (which were poorly-organized and were guilty of mass killings and rape). President Lumumba turned to the USSR for help, receiving military aid and 1,000 Soviet advisers. A UN force arrived to keep the peace, but did little initially. South Kasai was recaptured after a bloody campaign in December 1961. European mercenaries arrived from all around Africa and even from Europe to help the Katangan army. The UN force attempted to round up and repatriate mercenaries, but didn't make an impact. The UN mission was eventually changed to reintegrate Katanga into Congo with force. For over a year UN & Katanga forces fought in various clashes. UN forces surrounded and captured the Katanga capital Elisabethville ( Lubumbashi ) in December 1962. By January 1963, Tshombe was defeated, the last of the foreign mercenaries fled to Angola, and Katanga was reintegrated into the Congo.

Meanwhile, in Leopoldville (Kinshasa), relations between Prime Minister Lumumba and President Kasa-Vubu, of opposing parties, grew increasingly tense. In September 1960, Kasa-Vubu dismissed Lumumba from his Prime Minister position. Lumumba challenged the legality of this and dismissed Kasa-Vubu as President. Lumumba, who wanted a socialist state, turned to the USSR to ask for help. On September 14—just two and a half months after independence—Congolese Army Chief of Staff General Mobutu was pressured to intervene, launching a coup and placing Lumumba under house arrest. Mobutu had received money from the Belgian and US embassies to pay his soldiers and win their loyalty. Lumumba escaped and fled to Stanleyville ( Kisangani ) before being captured and taken to Elizabethville (Lubumbashi) where he was publicly beaten, disappeared, and was announced dead 3 weeks later. It was later revealed that he was executed in January 1961 in the presence of Belgian & US officials (who had both tried to kill him covertly ever since he asked the USSR for aid) and later had his body dissolved (except a tooth) in acid. The CIA and Belgium were complicit in his execution.

President Kasa-Vubu remained in power and Katanga's Tshombe eventually became Prime Minister. Lumumbist and Maoist Pierre Mulele led a rebellion in 1964, successfully occupying two thirds of the country, and turned to Maoist China for help. The US and Belgium once again got involved, this time with a small military force. Mulele fled to Congo-Brazzaville , but would later be lured back to Kinshasa by a promise of amnesty by Mobutu. Mobutu reneged on his promise, and Mulele was publicly tortured, his eyes gouged out, genitals cut off, and limbs amputated one by one while still alive; his body was then dumped in the Congo River.

The whole country saw widespread conflict and rebellion between 1960 and 1965, leading to the naming of this period the "Congo Crisis.”

Mobutu [ edit ]

General Mobutu, a sworn anti-communist, befriended the US and Belgium in the height of the Cold War and continued to receive money to buy his soldiers' loyalty. In November 1965, Mobutu launched a coup, with U.S. & Belgian support behind the scenes, during yet another power struggle between the President and Prime Minister. Claiming that "politicians" had taken five years to ruin the country, he proclaimed "For five years, there will be no more political party activity in the country." The country was placed in a state of emergency, Parliament was weakened and soon eliminated, and independent trade unions abolished. In 1967, Mobutu established the only permitted political party (until 1990), the Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR), which soon merged with the government so that the government effectively became a function of the party. By 1970, all threats to Mobutu's power were eliminated and in the presidential election he was the only candidate and voters were given the choice of green for hope or red for chaos (Mobutu, green, won with 10,131,699 to 157). A new constitution drafted by Mobutu and his cronies was approved by 97%.

In the early 1970s, Mobutu began a campaign known as Authenticité , which continued the nationalist ideology begun in his Manifesto of N’Sele in 1967. Under Authenticité, Congolese were ordered to adopt African names, men gave up European suits for the traditional abacost, and geographical names were changed from colonial to African ones. The country became Zaire in 1972, Leopoldville became Kinshasa, Elisabethville became Lubumbashi, and Stanleyville became Kisangani. Most impressive of all, Joseph Mobutu became Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga ("The all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake."), or simply Mobutu Sese Seko . Among other changes, all Congolese were declared equal and hierarchical forms of address were eliminated, with Congolese required to address others as "citizen" and foreign dignitaries were met with African singing and dancing rather than a European-style 21-gun salute.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, the government remained under the tight grip of Mobutu, who constantly shuffled political and military leaders to avoid competition, while the enforcement of Authenticité precepts waned. Mobutu gradually shifted in methods from torturing and killing rivals to buying them off. Little attention was paid to improving the life of Congolese. The single-party state essentially functioned to serve Mobutu and his friends, who grew disgustingly wealthy. Among Mobutu's excesses included a runway in his hometown long enough to handle Concorde planes which he occasionally rented for official trips abroad and shopping trips in Europe; he was estimated to have over US$5 billion in foreign accounts when he left office. He also attempted to build a cult of personality, with his image everywhere, a ban on media from saying any other government official by name (only title), and introduced titles like "Father of the Nation," "Saviour of the People," and "Supreme Combatant." Despite his Soviet-style single party state and authoritarian governance, Mobutu was vocally anticommunist, and with the fear of Soviet puppet governments rising in Africa (such as neighbouring Angola) the US and other Western Bloc powers continued providing economic aid and political support to the Mobutu regime.

When the Cold War waned, international support for Mobutu gave way to criticism of his rule. Covertly, domestic opposition groups began to grow and the Congolese people began to protest the government and the failing economy. In 1990, the first multi-party elections were held, but did little to effect change. Unpaid soldiers began rioting and looting Kinshasa in 1991 and most foreigners were evacuated. Eventually, a rival government arose from talks with the opposition, leading to a stalemate and dysfunctional government.

First and Second Congo Wars [ edit ]

By the mid-1990s, it was clear Mobutu's rule was nearing an end. No longer influenced by Cold War politics, the international community turned against him. Meanwhile, the economy of Zaire was in shambles (and remains little improved to this day). The central government had a weak control of the country and numerous opposition groups formed and found refuge in Eastern Zaire, far from Kinshasa.

The Kivu region was long home to ethnic strife between the various 'native' tribes and the Tutsis who were brought by the Belgians from Rwanda in the late 19th century. Several small conflicts had occurred since independence, resulting in thousands of deaths. But when the 1994 Rwandan genocide took place in neighbouring Rwanda, over 1.5 million ethnic Tutsi and Hutu refugees flowed into Eastern Zaire. Militant Hutus—the main aggressors in the genocide—began attacking both Tutsi refugees and the Congolese Tutsi population (the Banyamulenge ) and also formed militias to launch attacks into Rwanda in hopes of returning to power there. Not only did Mobutu fail to stop the violence, but supported the Hutus for an invasion of Rwanda. In 1995, the Zairian Parliament ordered the return of all people of Rwandan or Burundian descent to return to be repatriated. The Tutsi-led Rwandan government, meanwhile, began to train and support Tutsi militias in Zaire.

In August 1996, fighting broke out and the Tutsis residing in the Kivu provinces began a rebellion with the goal of gaining control of North & South Kivu and fighting Hutu militias still attacking them. The rebellion soon gained support of the locals and collected many Zairian opposition groups, which eventually united as the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) with the goal of ousting Mobutu. By the end of the year, with help from Rwanda & Uganda, the rebels had managed to control a large section of Eastern Zaire that protected Rwanda & Uganda from Hutu attacks. The Zairian army was weak and when Angola sent troops in early 1997, the rebels gained the confidence to capture the rest of the country and oust Mobutu. By May, the rebels were close to Kinshasa and captured Lubumbashi. When peace talks between sides broke down, Mobutu fled and AFDL leader Laurent-Desire Kabila marched into Kinshasa. Kabila changed the country's name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, attempted to restore order, and expelled foreign troops in 1998.

A mutiny broke out in Goma in August 1998 among Tutsi soldiers and a new rebel group formed, taking control of much of the Eastern DRC. Kabila turned to Hutu militias to help suppress the new rebels. Rwanda saw this as an attack on the Tutsi population and sent troops across the border for their protection. By the end of the month, the rebels held much of the Eastern DRC along with a small area near the capital, including the Inga Dam which allowed them to shut off electricity to Kinshasa. When it looked certain Kabila's government and the capital Kinshasa would fall to the rebels, Angola, Namibia, & Zimbabwe agreed to defend Kabila and troops from Zimbabwe arrived just in time to protect the capital from a rebel attack; Chad, Libya, & Sudan also sent troops to help Kabila. As a stalemate approached, the foreign governments involved in fighting in the DRC agreed to a ceasefire in January 1999, but since the rebels weren't a signatory, fighting continued.

In 1999, the rebels broke up into numerous factions aligned along ethic or pro-Uganda/pro-Rwanda lines. A peace treaty among the six warring states (DRC, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda) and one rebel group was signed in July and all agreed to end fighting and track down and disarm all rebel groups, especially ones associated with the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Fighting continued as pro-Rwanda & pro-Uganda factions turned on each other and the UN authorized a peacekeeping mission (MONUC) in early 2000.

In January 2001, President Laurent Kabila was shot by a bodyguard and later died. He was replaced by his son Joseph Kabila. The rebels continued to break up into smaller factions and fought each other in addition to the DRC & foreign armies. Many rebels managed to gain funds through the smuggling of diamonds and other "conflict minerals" (like copper, zinc, & coltan) from the regions they occupied, many times through forced and child labor in dangerous conditions. The DRC signed peace treaties with Rwanda & Uganda in 2002. In December 2002, the main factions signed the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement to end the fighting. The agreement established a Transitional DRC government that would reunify the country, integrate & disarm rebel factions, and hold elections in 2005 for a new constitution & politicians with Joseph Kabila remaining president. The UN peacekeeping force grew much larger and was tasked with disarming rebels, many of which retained their own militias long after 2003. Conflict remains in North & South Kivu, Ituri, & northern Katanga provinces.

During the course of fighting, the First Congo War resulted in 250,000-800,000 dead. The Second Congo War resulted in over 350,000 violent deaths (1998-2001) and 2.7-5.4 million "excess deaths" as a result of starvation and disease among refugees due to the war (1998-2008), making it the deadliest conflict in the world since the end of World War Two.

Modern DRC [ edit ]

Joseph Kabila remained president of a transitional government until nationwide elections were held in 2006 for a new Constitution, Parliament, & President with major financial and technical support from the international community. Kabila won (and was re-elected in 2011). While corruption has been greatly reduced and politics have become more inclusive of minority political views, the country remains little improved from its condition at the end of Mobutu's rule. The DRC has the dubious distinction of having the lowest or second-lowest GDP per capita in the world (only Somalia ranks lower) and the economy remains poor. China has sought a number of mining claims, many of which are paid for by building infrastructure (railroads, roads) and facilities like schools & hospitals. The UN and many NGOs have a very large presence in the Kivu provinces, but despite a large amount of aid money, many still live in refugee camps and survive on foreign/UN aid. Fighting in Kivu & Ituri waned by the end of the decade, although many former militia members remain militant. Few have been tried and convicted for war crimes, although many former rebel leaders are accused of crimes against humanity & the use of child soldiers.

Soldiers formerly members of a militia that fought in Kivu from 2006 until a peace agreement in 2009 mutinied in April 2012 and a new wave of violence followed as they took control of a large area along the Uganda/Rwanda borders. Rwanda has been accused of backing this M23 movement and the UN is investigating their possible involvement.

Climate [ edit ]

The country straddles the Equator, with one-third to the north and two-thirds to the south. As a result of this equatorial location, the Congo experiences large amounts of precipitation and has the highest frequency of thunderstorms in the world. The annual rainfall can total upwards of 80 inches (2,032 mm) in some places, and the area sustains the second largest rain forest in the world (after that of the Amazon). This massive expanse of lush jungle covers most of the vast, low-lying central basin of the river, which slopes toward the Atlantic Ocean in the west. This area is surrounded by plateaus merging into savannahs in the south and southwest, by mountainous terraces in the west, and dense grasslands extending beyond the Congo River in the north. High, glaciated mountains are found in the extreme eastern region.

Read [ edit ]

• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. A short novel published in 1903 based on the experiences of Conrad while working in the Congo Free State.
• Through the Dark Continent by Henry Morton Stanley. An 1878 book documenting his trip down the Congo River.
• King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild. A non-fiction popular history book which examines the activities of Leopold and the men who ran the Congo Free State. A best-seller with 400,000 copies printed since publication in 1998. It is the basis of a 2006 documentary of the same name.
• Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart by Tim Butcher. The author carefully retraces the route of Stanley's expedition in Through the Dark Continent and describes the challenges he faces.
• Dancing in the Glory of Monsters by Jason Stearns. Written by a member of the UN panel investigating Congolese rebels, this is a meticulously researched yet accessible account of the Congo wars.

People [ edit ]

More than 200 ethnic groups live in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the Kongo, Mongo, Mangbetu, Azande, and Luba, who constitute 45% of the population of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Holidays [ edit ]

• January 1 - New Year's Day
• January 4 - Martyrs Day
• Easter - moveable
• May 17 - Liberation Day
• June 30 - Independence Day
• August 1 - Parents Day
• November 17 - Army Day
• December 25 - Christmas
• December 30 - St. Paul's Day

Get in [ edit ]

Entry requirements [ edit ]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is not one of the easiest countries to enter, even for citizens of various African countries. The DRC has very few visa-free arrangements in place, and thus visas are required for almost everyone.

Citizens of Burundi , Rwanda , Republic of the Congo , and Zimbabwe can enter the DRC visa free for up to 90 days. Citizens of Kenya , Mauritius and Tanzania can obtain a visa on arrival, valid for only 7 days.

Visa application requirements [ edit ]

DRC visas are expensive (The DRC embassy in the United States charges $100 for a single entry visa), so plan and prepare accordingly. Although requirements vary from country to country, you must submit the following to obtain a DRC visa:

• A completed visa application form
• A passport-sized photograph
• An invitation letter from your host or tour guide (hotel reservations will suffice)
• A copy of your flight itinerary
• A copy of your passport.

Additional requirements [ edit ]

• If you have visited the DRC in the past, you are required to submit copies of DRC visas you've obtained in the past.
• If you are of Congolese origin, you are not required to get an invitation letter.
• A yellow fever vaccination card is mandatory .

Information [ edit ]

You can find the visa requirements on the Interior Ministry website (in French) . However, getting a visa—like most government services—isn't straightforward and can be a messy process, with different officials telling you different stories in different places around the country and at different embassies/consulates worldwide. And then there are immigration officials trying to get more money out of you for their own gain. What follows are the requirements that seem to be in place as of June 2012, although you may hear stories telling you otherwise.

If arriving by air (Kinshasa or Lubumbashi), you will need to have a visa before arrival and proof of yellow fever vaccination. Visas on arrival are not issued, or at least not commonly enough that you risk being placed on the next plane back. You should also have one passport-sized photograph, and evidence that you have sufficient funds to cover your stay, which includes evidence of a hotel reservation. The requirements and costs for visas vary from embassy to embassy, with some requiring a letter of invitation, others an onward air ticket, proof of funds for travel, and others nothing beyond an application. If planning to get a visa in a third country (e.g.: an American arriving by air from Ethiopia), wait for a visa before booking the airfare, since DRC embassies in some African countries only issue visas to citizens or residents of that country.

As for arriving overland, you're best off if your home country doesn't have a DRC embassy (such as Australia & New Zealand) in which case you can apply for a visa in neighbouring countries without too much trouble. If your passport is from a country with a DRC embassy then embassies in neighbouring countries (Uganda, Rwanda, etc.) may tell you that you can only apply for a visa in your country of citizenship or residence.

If you're entering the DRC from Uganda or Rwanda (especially at Goma), the visa process seems different for everyone. You can apply for a visa at the embassies in Kigali, Kampala, or Nairobi with a 1-7 day turnaround for US$50–80. Applying for a transit visa at the border no longer appears to be practical. Travellers trying to get a visa at the border have been asked for as much as US$500! (2012). The actual cost depends on who's working at the post that day, your nationality, and how persistent you are, with US$100 seeming to be the real price, but many being told US$200–300 either as just the "fee" or a fee plus "tip" for the officials. These visas are either "transit" visas valid for 7 days or visas only valid to visit the Goma and border areas. Given the bad security situation in North/South Kivu, you probably shouldn't venture outside Goma or the national parks anyways. If you visit Virunga National Park ( official site ), you can get a visa for USD50 and apply on-line or through your tour operator. If you can't get a visa at Goma for a reasonable price, you can travel south and try to cross at Bukavu and take a boat across the lake to Goma (do not go by road: too dangerous). Also, be sure if you cross the border to the DRC immigration post, you have officially left Uganda or Rwanda, so ensure you have a multiple-entry visa before leaving.

When exiting the country by air, there is a US$50 departure tax that you'll need to pay in cash at the airport. If you travel by boat from Kinshasa to Brazzaville, you must have a special exit permit and a visa for Congo-Brazzaville. To save time, money and stress, you should probably contact your embassy in Kinshasa before taking the ferry.

By plane [ edit ]

The main gateway to the DRC is Kinshasa-N'djili airport ( FIH  IATA ). Built in 1953, it hasn't had much in the way of upgrades and certainly doesn't rank among the continent's better airports.

From Africa : South African Airways, Kenyan Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, & Royal Air Maroc serve Kinshasa-N'djili multiple times a week from Johannesburg, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, & Casablanca (via Douala), respectively.

Other African airlines serving Kinshasa-N'Djili are: Afriqiyah Airways (Tripoli); Air Mali (Douala, Bamako); Benin Gulf Air (Cotonou, Pointe-Noire); Camair-co (Douala); CAA (Entebe); Ethiopian/ASKY (Brazzaville, Cotonou, Douala, Lagos, Lome); RwandAir (Kigali); TAAG Angola Airways (Luanda).

From Europe : Air France & Brussels Airlines have regular direct flights. Turkish Airlines will begin service from Istanbul in August 2012. You can also try booking travel through one of the major African airlines like Eithiopian, South African, Kenyan, or Royal Air Maroc.

The DRC's second city Lubumbashi ( FBM  IATA ) has an international airport served by Ethiopian Airlines (Lilongwe, Addis Ababa), Kenya Airways (Harare, Nairobi), Korongo (Johannesburg), Precision Air (Dar es Salaam, Lusaka), & South African Express (Johannesburg).

Other airports with international service are Goma ( GOM  IATA ) with service by CAA to Entebbe (Kampala) & Kisangani ( FKI  IATA ) which is served by Kenya Airways from Nairobi.

By train [ edit ]

There are no international passenger trains from neighboring countries, and limited freight traffic, despite two international railway lines, one from Angola and one from Zambia into the Katanga region. Lines are in various state of disrepair and others are simple abandoned. While some repairs, mainly with Chinese help, have taken place it's unlikely that new cross-border services will materialize in the next few years. However, for the intrepid traveler it's possible to catch a train to the border town of Luao , in Eastern Angola , and cross the border by other means. There are also trains to Kitwe and Ndola in the Copperbelt of northern Zambia, from where it's possible to cross the border.

By car [ edit ]

The roads as a whole are too rocky or muddy for cars without 4 wheel drive. Decent paved roads connect the Katanga region with Zambia and Kinshasa down to Matadi and Angola. Roads enter the DRC from Uganda, Rwanda, & Burundi, although travelling far past the border is very difficult and parts of the Eastern DRC remain unsafe. There are ferries to take vehicles across the Congo River from Congo-Brazzaville and it may be possible to find a ferry from the CAR to the remote, unpaved roads of the northern DRC. Do not entirely trust your map. Many display an unfortunate wishful thinking. Roads are frequently washed out by rains, or were simply never built in the first place. Ask a local or a guide whether or not a route is passable.

By bus [ edit ]

From Uganda to Congo via Bunagana Kisoro Border. There are many buses which operate daily between Bunagana /Uganda and Goma every day 07:00-13:00. Prices for the bus is USD5. A valid visa for both countries is required in either direction. Entry and exit procedures at Bunagana border are "easy" and straight forward, and people are very helpful in assisting visitors to get through without troubles.

By boat [ edit ]

Passenger and VIP ferries also locally known as 'Carnot Rapide' operate daily between Brazzaville and Kinshasa roughly every two hours 08:00-15:00. Prices for the ferries are: USD15 for the passenger and USD25 for the VIP ferry (Carnot Rapide). The latter is recommended as these are brand new boats and not cramped. A valid visa for both countries is required in either direction as well as (at least "officially") a special permit. The bureaucracy at either end require some time. Entry and exit procedures in Brazzaville are "easy" and straight forward and people are very helpful in assisting to get through without troubles. In contrast, these procedures are a bit difficult in Kinshasa and depend much on whether you are an individual traveller or assisted by an organisation or an official government representative.

There are also speed boats to hire, either in a group or alone (price!), however, it is not advisable to book them as they really speed across the river along the rapids.

Get around [ edit ]

With an area covering 2,345,409 square kilometres (905,567 sq mi) and inadequately developed infrastructure, the DR Congo can be a very tough country to get around in.

DRC's roads are best described as tremendously underdeveloped . The country's entire road network is notorious for being difficult to drive on and poorly maintained, primarily due to the Congolese government's negligence. The DRC has few paved roads for its population and geography — neighbouring Zambia and Botswana have much more.

During the rainy season, the roads become muddy, making most long-distance road journeys virtually impossible. Going from one city to another can take several weeks .

Driving around in major cities like Kinshasa is fine.

Due to the immense size of the country, the terrible state of the roads and the poor security situation, the only way to get around the country quickly is by plane. This is not to say that it's safe. DR Congo's share of world air traffic is less than 0.1%, but it has accounted for nearly 4% of total air accidents from 2010-2019. But flying is still a better alternative to travelling overland or by boat.

The largest and longest-operating carrier is Compagnie Africain d'Aviation , with service to Goma, Kananga, Kindu, Kinshasa-N'djili, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Mbandaka, Mbuji-Maya, & Entebbe(Kampala), Uganda.

Air Kasaï operates from Kinshasa-N'Dolo to Beni, Bunia, Goma, & Lubumbashi.

By truck [ edit ]

As smaller vehicles are unable to negotiate what remains of the roads, a lot of travel in the Congo is done by truck. If you go to a truck park, normally near the market, you should be able to find a truck driver to take you where ever you want, conflict zones aside. You travel on top of the load with a large number of others. If you pick a truck carrying bags of something soft like peanuts it can be quite comfortable. Beer trucks are not. If the trip takes days then comfort can be vital, especially if the truck goes all night. It helps to sit along the back, as the driver will not stop just because you want the toilet. The cost has to be negotiated so ask hotel staff first and try not to pay more than twice the local rate. Sometimes the inside seat is available. Food can be bought from the driver, though they normally stop at roadside stalls every 5/6 hours. Departure time are normally at the start or end of the day, though time is very flexible. It helps to make arrangements the day before. It is best to travel with a few others. Women should never ever travel alone. Some roads have major bandit problems so check carefully before going.

At army checkpoints locals are often hassled for bribes. Foreigners are normally left alone, but prepare some kind of bribe just in case. By the middle of the afternoon the soldiers can be drunk so be very careful and very polite. Never lose your temper.

By ferry [ edit ]

A ferry on the Congo River operates, if security permits, from Kinshasa to Kisangani, every week or two. You can pick it up at a few stops en route, though you have to rush as it doesn't wait. A suitable bribe to the ferry boss secures a four bunk cabin and cafeteria food. The ferry consists of 4 or so barges are tied around a central ferry, with the barges used as a floating market. As the ferry proceeds wood canoes paddled by locals appear from the surrounding jungle with local produce - vegetables, pigs, monkeys, etc. - which are traded for industrial goods like medicine or clothes. You sit on the roof watching as wonderful African music booms out. Of course it is not clean, comfortable or safe. It is however one of the world's great adventures.

The few trains which still operate in the DRC are in very poor condition and run on tracks laid by the Belgian colonial government over a half century ago. The rolling stock is very old and dilapidated. You are lucky to get a hard seat and even luckier if your train has a dining car (which will probably have limited options that run out halfway through the trip). Expect the car to be overcrowded with many sitting on the roof. Trains in the DRC operate on an erratic schedule due to lack of funds or fuel and repairs/breakdowns that are frequent. On many lines, there can be 2–3 weeks between trains. If there's any upside, there haven't been too many deaths due to derailments (probably less than have died in airplane crashes in the DRC). There's really no way to book a train ride in advance; simply show up at the station and ask the stationmaster when the next train will run and buy a ticket on the day it leaves. The Chinese government in return for mining rights has agreed to construct US$9 billion in railroads and highways. As a result of this, the Kinshasa-Matadi railway has been renovated.

As of 2023, the following lines may be in operation, but you should double-check this once you arrive as information is very hard to find outside the country.

• Kinshasa - Matadi — The busiest and best equipped route in the whole country. As of 2019 there is one "express" service per week in each direction. Trains are semi-modern and has both a first-class carriages and a dining car. The railway line was first built in the 1890s and is infamous for the enormous human cost, where thousands of the forced laborers perished.
• Lubumbashi - Ilebo — This route has been somewhat upgraded and new trains with couchettes and a restaurant run several times per week. Journey time for the full length is about two days. Ilebo lies at the end of the navigable portion of the Kasai River, allowing travellers to transfer to ferry to reach Western DRC.
• Kamina-Kindu — Unusable after the war, this line has been rehabilitated. The line connects with the Lubumbashi-Ilebo line, so there may be trains running from Lubumbashi-Kindu.
• Kisangani-Ubundu — A portage line to bypass the Stanley Falls on the Congo, service only runs when there is freight to carry when a boat arrives at either end which may be once every 1–2 months. There are no passenger ferries from Ubundu to Kindu, but you may be able to catch a ride on a cargo boat.

Lines that are most likely inoperable or very degraded/abandoned are:

• A branch of the Lubumbashi-Ilebo line that runs to the Angolan border. It once connected with Angola's Benguela railway and ran to the Atlantic until the 1970s when the Angolan side was destroyed by a civil war. The western half of the Benguela railway, in Angola has been rehabilitated and trains run up to the border with DRC.
• The Kabalo-Kalemie line runs from the Kamina-Kindu line at Kabalo to Kalemie on Lake Tanganyika. The easternmost section has been abandoned. Although unlikely, there may be service on the western half of the line.
• Bumba-Isiro — Also known as the Vicicongo Line, this is an isolated, narrow-gauge line in the northern jungles. There were reports trains ran on a small western section from Bumba-Aketi (and possibly Buta) around 2008, but as of 2023 this line is believed to be completely abandoned.

Bus Express Kinshasa, Transco Express, RVA and VIP Congo offer long distance bus transport in DRC.

Talk [ edit ]

French is the lingua franca of the country and nearly everyone has a basic to moderate understanding of French. In Kinshasa and much of the Western DRC, nearly everyone is fluent in French with Kinshasa being the largest French-speaking city in the world, although locals may be heard speaking Lingala amongst themselves. Much of the eastern half speaks Swahili as a regional language. The other major regional languages in the country are Kikongo and Tshiluba , and the Congo also has a wide range of smaller local languages. Like the regional languages, the local languages are mostly in the Bantu family. If you are travelling to the southwestern border near Angola you can find some Portuguese speakers.

See [ edit ]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, often called the "Heart of Africa" in terms of vastness, is the largest nation in sub-Saharan Africa and one of the most enigmatic countries on the continent. Much of the DRC is wild, but its attractions include a multitude of varied cultures and a beauty of tropical landscapes, which include rainforests scattered with waterways and captivating wildlife.

The "Academie des Beaux-Arts" is often considered a touristic site and is in itself and with its gallery a good place to meet the famous artists of this country. Big names like Alfred Liyolo, Lema Kusa oder Roger Botembe are teaching here as well as the only purely abstract working artist Henri Kalama Akulez, whose private studio is worth a visit.

Do [ edit ]

Congo is the centre of popular African music. Try visiting a local bar or disco, in Bandal or Matonge (both in Kinshasa), if possible with live soukouss music, and just hit the dance floor!

Buy [ edit ]

There are some supermarkets in Gombe commune of Kinshasa that sell food and drinks, soap, kitchen devices and bazar: City Market, Peloustore, Kin Mart, Hasson's.

SIM cards and prepaid recharge for mobile phones are available in the street and at Ndjili airport, at a reasonable price.

Money [ edit ]

The local currency is the Congolese franc , sometimes abbreviated FC and sometimes just with a capital F placed after the amount (ISO international currency code: CDF ). The currency is freely convertible (but impossible to get rid of outside the country).

Banknotes are issued in denominations of FC50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000. The only Congolese bank notes in circulation in most places are the 50, 100, 200 and 500 franc notes. They are almost worthless, as the highest valued banknote (the 500 franc note) is worth less than US$0.20.

US dollars in denominations above US$2 are much preferred to francs. In contrast, US coins and one and two US dollar bills are considered worthless. If you pay in dollars, you will get change in francs. Though francs may sometimes come as notes so old they feel like fabric, US dollar bills must be crisp (less than 3 folds) and be printed in or after 2003, or they will not be accepted.

In some shops, the symbol FF is used to mean 1,000 francs.

MasterCard/Maestro ATMs are available now in Kinshasa at the "Rawbank" on boulevard du 30 Juin (Gombe District), and in Grand Hotel. It dispenses US dollars. Visa card is also usable with "Procredit" bank ATMs in Kinshasa, avenue des Aviateurs, or outside in front of Grand Hotel (only US$20 and US$100 bills).

You can withdraw money with a Mastercard or Visa card at all Ecobank or Equity banks ATMs in DRC.

Eat [ edit ]

Congo has one national dish: moambe . It's made of eight ingredients ( moambe is the Lingala word for eight ): palm nuts, chicken, fish, peanuts, rice, cassave leaves, bananas and hot pepper sauce.

Drink [ edit ]

The usual soft drinks (called sucré in Congo) such as Coke, Pepsi and Mirinda are available in most places and are safe to drink. Local drinks like Vitalo are amazing. Traditional drinks like ginger beer are also common.

The local beer is based on rice, and tastes quite good. It comes in 75 cl bottles. Primus, Skol, Castel are the most common brands. Tembo and Doppel are the local dark beers.

In rural areas, you may try the local palm wine, an alcoholic beverage from the sap of the palm tree. It is tapped from the tree, and begins fermenting immediately after collection. After two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. The wine may be allowed to ferment longer, up to a day, to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste, which some people prefer.

Beware of the local gin. Sometimes unscrupulous vendors mix in methanol which is toxic and can cause blindness. Some people believe that the methanol is a by product of regular fermentation. This is not the case as regular fermentation can not yield methanol in toxic amounts.

Sleep [ edit ]

There are more and more hotels in Kinshasa, with smaller hotels available in Gombe and Ngaliema area. In many small towns the local church or monastery may have beds available. You may also encounter the occasional decaying colonial hotel. Not all are safe.

Stay safe [ edit ]

DR Congo remains one of the most underdeveloped countries in Africa and a significant portion of the DRC is not safe for any travel or sightseeing. In addition to active conflicts, the country has very limited health care and tourism facilities, even by African standards.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen more than its fair share of violence. A number of ongoing wars, conflicts, and episodes of fighting have occurred since independence, with sporadic, regional violence continuing today. As a result, significant sections of the country should be considered off-limits to travellers.

In the northeastern part of the country, the LRA (of child-soldier & 'Kony' fame) continues to roam the jungles near the border with the CAR/South Sudan/Uganda. Although a few areas very close to the Ugandan border are relatively safe to visit, travel anywhere north and east of Kisangani & Bumba is dangerous.

The regions of North & South Kivu have been in a state of continuous conflict since the early 1990s. The days of the notoriously bloody violence that occurred during the First and Second Congo Wars (during which 5 million died in fighting or through resulting disease/famine) officially ended with a peace treaty in 2003. However, low-level violence spurred by several warlords/factions has occurred ever since and this region is home to the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world (as of 2012). Hundreds of thousands live in refugee camps near Goma. In April 2012, a new faction—"M23"—arose, led by Gen.Ntaganda (wanted by the ICC for war crimes) and has captured/attacked many towns in the region, where they are accused of killing civilians and raping women. This has been the most serious crisis since the end of war in 2003. In mid-July, they threatened to invade Goma to protect the Tutsi population there from "harassment"; the UN peacekeeping mission quickly responded that they would reposition 19,000 peacekeepers to protect Goma & nearby refugee camps. How serious the threat of fighting in Goma remains to be seen BBC report ) The only safe areas in North/South Kivu are the cities of Goma & Bukavu and Virunga National Park, all on the Rwandan border.

Public transportation is almost non-existent and the primary means of travel is catching a ride on an old, overloaded truck where several paying passengers are allowed to sit atop the cargo. This is very dangerous.

Congolese planes crash with depressing regularity, with eight recorded crashes in 2007 alone. Despite this, the risks of air travel remain on par with travel by road, barge, or rail. The notorious Hewa Bora airlines has gone out of business and the creation of a handful of new airlines between 2010 and 2012 should lead to improvement in the safety of air travel in the DRC. Avoid at all costs, old Soviet aircraft that are often chartered to carry cargo and perhaps a passenger or two and stick with the commercial airlines operating newer aircraft (listed above under "Get around/By plane"). If you are still fearful of getting on a Congolese plane and aren't as concerned about cost, you can try flying with a foreign carrier such as Kenyan Airways (which flies to Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, & Kisangani) or Ethiopian (Kinshasha, Lubumbashi). Just be sure to check the visa requirements to transit.

Travel by river boat or barge remains somewhat risky, although safer than by road. Overcrowded barges have sunk and aging boats have capsized travelling along the Congo River, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Before catching a ride, take a look at the vessel you will be boarding and if you don't feel safe, it is better to wait for the next boat, even if you must wait several days. Most of the country's rail network is in disrepair, with little maintenance carried out since the Belgians left. A few derailings have occurred, resulting in large numbers of casualties. Trains in the DRC are also overloaded, don't even think about joining the locals riding on the roof!

Crime is a serious problem across much of the country. During the waning years of Mobutu's rule, Kinshasa had one of the highest murder rates in the world and travel to Kinshasa was comparable to Baghdad during the Iraq War! While violence has subsided considerably, Kinshasa remains a high crime city (comparable to Lagos or Abidjan). Keep anything that can be perceived as valuable by a Congolese out of sight when in vehicles, as smash-and-grab crime at intersections occurs. Markets in larger cities are rife with pickpockets. Keep in mind that the DRC remains among the 3-4 poorest countries in Africa and compared to the locals, every white person is perceived as rich. Be vigilant of thieves in public places. If travelling in remote areas, smaller villages are usually safer than larger ones. Hotel rooms outside the biggest cities often don't have adequate safety (like flimsy locks on doors or ground-level windows that don't lock or have curtains).

Taking photos in public can be cause for suspicion. By some accounts, an official permit is needed to take photos in the DRC. In reality they will likely be difficult or impossible to find or obtain. Do not photograph anything that can be perceived as a national security threat, such as bridges, roadblocks, border crossings, and government buildings.

Additionally, the DRC has very poor health care infrastructure/facilities. Outside the capital Kinshasa, there are very few hospitals or clinics for sick or injured travellers to visit. If you are travelling on one of the country's isolated, muddy roads or along the Congo River, you could be over a week away from the nearest clinic or hospital! A number of tropical diseases are present—see "Stay healthy" below.

Those visiting for business, research, or international aid purposes should consult with their organization and seek expert guidance before planning a trip. Travellers visiting on their own should consult the advice of your embassy for any travel to the DRC.

Political unrest [ edit ]

While the country has made some advances in terms of democratic institutions, civil society participation, regional cooperation, and peacekeeping efforts, the DRC's political situation, as a whole, is fragile, fluid, and uncertain.

Protests and rallies can start anytime and get violent. They have caused clashes between protesters, police, and others. More protests may happen across the country. They can be dangerous and disruptive. Stay away from these places, follow the local authorities, and check the local news often. The airport in Kinshasa may close in a crisis. It is near the parliament, where protests happen. Avoid this road if there are protests.

Driving conditions [ edit ]

DRC's roads are best described as tremendously underdeveloped . The country's entire road network is notorious for being difficult to drive on and poorly maintained, primarily due to the Congolese government's negligence. During the rainy season, the roads become muddy, making most long-distance road journeys virtually impossible. The DRC has few paved roads for its population and geography — Zambia and Botswana have much more.

Data from the World Health Organisation shows that the DRC has a high road traffic death rate.

You are strongly recommended not to drive from one city to another in DRC unless you know the country well and are experienced in driving in difficult conditions.

Corruption [ edit ]

Corruption in the DRC is systemic and endemic, affecting everything it touches in the country, from the government to the business world. It has sadly become an accepted and tolerated practice.

The police force is routinely regarded as one of the most corrupt institutions in the DRC. Due to their low salaries − the typical police officer earns $50-100 a month, which is not enough to afford a decent standard of living in many parts of the world − they often target and extort people for bribes. According to one source, each police station (allegedly and reportedly) in Kinshasa collected an average of $12,100 in bribes per month in 2015, a staggering amount in a country where most people live in poverty.

You are advised not to trust the police at all.

Photography [ edit ]

Taking photographs of strategically important structures − government buildings or structures, police stations, border crossings, military installations, power plants, and airports − is illegal. Engaging in this may cause the authorities to (incorrectly) assume you're a spy, a member of an armed group at odds with the Congolese government, or a terrorist.

Given DR Congo's history of enduring years of conflict, anything perceived to threaten the country's national security is taken very seriously.

You will be detained by police if caught and unable to bribe them for your transgression.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

Excellent medical care is almost entirely non-existent in DRC, especially for non-citizens.

Ebola Virus – a virus which killed 49 people in DRC during a three-month outbreak in 2014 – remains present in the equatorial forest region of Bas-Uele province (bordering Central African Republic/CAR). On 1 August 2018, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces. Travellers should avoid eating bushmeat, avoid contact with persons that appear ill, practice good personal hygiene and seek medical advice before travel. As of September 2019, this outbreak is still ongoing with more than 3,000 cases and 2,000 deaths.

You will need a yellow fever vaccination in order to enter the country by air (this requirement is often ignored at land entry points, particularly the smaller ones). There are health officials at some major entry points, such as the airport in Kinshasa, who check this before you are allowed to enter.

Congo is malarial, although slightly less in the Kivu region due to the altitude, so use insect repellent and take the necessary precautions such as sleeping under mosquito nets. The riverside areas (such as Kinshasa) are quite prone to malaria.

If you need emergency medical assistance, it is advised that you go to your nation's embassy. The embassy doctors are normally willing and skilled enough to help. There are safe hospitals in Kinshasa, like "CMK" (Centre Medical de Kinshasa), which is private and was established by European doctors (a visit costs around US$20). Another private and non-profit hospital is Centre Hospitalier MONKOLE, in Mont-Ngafula district, with European and Congolese doctors. Dr Léon Tshilolo, a paediatrician trained in Europe and one of the African experts in sickle-cell anaemia, is the Monkole Medical Director.

Drink lots of water when outside. The heat and close proximity to the equator can easily give those not acclimated heatstroke after just a few hours outside without water. There are many pharmacies that are very well supplied but prices are a few times higher than in Europe.

Do not drink tap water . Bottled water seems to be cheap enough, but sometimes hard to find for a good price.

Respect [ edit ]

As is the case in most African nations, it is customary to show respect to elders and authority figures. If a figure of authority asks you to do something, it is advisable to comply or at least show deference. Try not to do anything that would make an older person feel challenged. Don't use first names unless you've been told to do so. Use the terms Monsieur (for men) and Madame or Mademoiselle (for women) for people you don't know.

Witchcraft is a highly controversial topic in the DR Congo. Witchcraft accusations are often used to scapegoate, marginalise, or exploit vulnerable groups, such as women, children, older people, and people with disabilities.

Do not photograph people without their explicit permission; most certainly, do not take pictures of women or children without their consent. Taking photographs of women or children may cause people to (incorrectly) assume you are a rapist, a kidnapper, or someone with malicious intentions. Keep in mind that sexual crimes against women and children are depressingly common in DR Congo, and some Congolese people believe in a highly disturbing superstition that having sex with a virgin woman will cure HIV/AIDS. To prevent misunderstandings and heated arguments, always ask. Better yet, don't photograph anyone at all.

When motorcades pass, all vehicular traffic is expected to provide a clear path. Do not photograph these processions.

The national flag is raised and lowered at dawn and dusk (c. 06:00 and 18:00 daily). All traffic and pedestrians must stop for this ceremony.

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Republic of the Congo Travel Advisory

Travel advisory july 31, 2023, republic of the congo - level 2: exercise increased caution.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Exercise increased caution in the Republic of the Congo due to crime.

Country Summary: While not common, violent crime, such as armed robbery and assault, remains a concern throughout the Republic of the Congo.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens outside Brazzaville.  U.S. government employees must use two vehicles to travel to the Pool region. They are also restricted to beaches adjacent to their hotels in Pointe Noire due to crime.

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to the Republic of Congo.

If you decide to travel to the Republic of the Congo:

• Avoid demonstrations.
• Use caution when walking or driving at night. Always carry a copy of your U.S. passport and visa (if applicable). Keep original documents in a secure location.
• Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter .
• Review the Country Security Report for the Republic of the Congo.
• Have a contingency plan for emergency situations.  Review the Traveler’s Checklist .
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.

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What Is Congo Famous For? 12 Facts About Congo

Congo is famous for its rich natural resources, including fast deposits of vast industrial diamonds, copper, and cobalt. It is also the second-largest country by area in Africa after Algeria. It borders the following countries; Burundi, Rwanda, Angola, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and the Central Africa Republic.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest country in Africa. The DRC Congo is comprised of over 200 ethnic groups and sub-tribes. And nearly over 250 languages. Kinshasa is the capital city of DRC and also the second-largest French-speaking city in the world.

The Congo rainforest is greatly known for its high level of biodiversity. It consists of almost 10,000 animal species, such as forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, okapi, leopards, hippos, lions, and 600 species. It has some interesting facts, such as the Congo River, the Bonobo, and the home of the famous Pygmy Tribe in Africa; thus, it’s a place worth visiting.

Table of Contents

Languages- Highly Diverse Linguistic Country

In DRC, French is the national language that is used in education and government. There are also four national languages, namely;

• Kituba(Kikongo)

The distribution of the four speakers in Congo is subjected to different parts of the country where Swahili is widely used in the east, Lingala in the northwest, Kituba in the southwest, and Tshiluba in the southeast.

However, Lingala is commonly used in the country, with approximately 90 million people speaking the language.

Due to a variety of ethnic and tribal lines of over 200 groups of people that stays in Congo, it is very interesting for a visitor to interact with the people of Congo.

Kinshasa – The Capital City

Kinshasa is the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and it’s one of the 11 provinces in Congo with over 10 million people residents. Henry Stanley established the city in the late 19th century.

In Congo, you may embark on an adventure with a boat ride and a picnic by the river’s edge, or visit the Merche des Voleurs, a lovely city market that is vibrant, intense, and a lot of fun.

There is great street art culture in Congo, if you go to small cafes on the Juin Boulevard, the artist will come to you and show you their sales where you can enjoy a great time interacting with locals and relaxing.

Visit the Sanctuary Site of Lola Ya Bonobo

Lola Ya Bonobo is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kinshasa. It’s a sanctuary for orphaned bonobos which are hunted for bushmeat. When the mother is killed, the babies are taken to the black market and sold as pets.

One of the apes among the four, bonobos, was isolated until the 20th century. The sanctuary accepts volunteers. This sanctuary covers roughly 30 hectares of forest and you are allowed to visit several feeding stations of the apes that the staff used to track the apes.

The Kahuzi Biega National Park- the safe and top sites destination of the park

This park is located in the South Kivu Province, from the Congo River basin to Bukavu. This historical park was named after Mt. Kahuzi and Mt. Biega, extinct volcanoes offering incredible hiking.

This park was created back in 1970 to protect the Eastern Lowland Gorillas and later was designated to UNESCO as a world heritage site.

The park authority has greatly helped prevent Gorilla poaching, a problem for decades.

The Gorillas’ lifestyle and condition have been improved through education efforts that are conducted. In this place, you will find incredible biological diversity in the park, which includes;

• endemic plants

Nyiragongo Mountain- The volcanic mountain with devastating eruptions

Nyiragongo mountain is approximately 3000+ meters which last erupted in 2011, destroying surrounding of roughly 15% of the environment leaving over 120,000 people homeless.

Nyiragongo is located at the junction of the African tectonic plate, where the plate is breaking. The landscape around the Goma area is striking with black lava and the place looks like an above-ground coal mine.

The crater has an active lake called Lake Lava inside it, which can be visited sometimes. Lately, the area has changed from the last eruption, and you can find new shops and markets in the area.

Visit Virunga National Park to witness the Gorilla trekking safari

Virunga National Park is located along the borders of Uganda and Rwanda. The park is the country’s oldest park which was also designated to UNESCO as the World Heritage Site. It’s recommended as the most biologically diverse.

There are lava plains, savanna grasslands, forests, valleys, volcanoes, glacier peaks of the Ruwenzori Mountains, and swamps in the park.

Virunga is the only park with three of the four great apes in one geographical area. The famous Okapi, an endangered species that resembles a crossbreed between a giraffe and a zebra, makes this place their home. 25% of Mount Ruwenzori is the home of Gorillas.

When you visit this place, you can spot a variety of animals such as; elephants, lions, hippos, rare and exotic birds along the;

• Ruwenzori Mountains
• Lake Edward area
• The Mikeno Volcano area.

Lake Kivu- The greatest freshwater lake in Congo

Lake Kivu is a freshwater lake in the region located between the border of DRC and Uganda. It is the sixth-largest lake in Africa. The lake offers very beautiful scenic drives between the towns that connect with the shores of the lake.

The towns of Gisenyi and Cyangugu are located within the premises of the lake and offer winding roads whereby there are tons of bananas and eucalyptus trees lines along the road where locals will pause and wave as you pass by.

Gisenyi was once a town with a colonial beach resort thus contains some beautiful old mansions and good places to visit and relax.

The Beautifull Falls of Zango and Boyoma falls.

Falls of Zango is located around 130 km from the city of Kinshasa in Bas-Congo. These falls represent the mother of Earth at her best. You can decide to hike and take a cool dip below the falls.

Boyoma Falls is a long series of cataracts that are found along the Lualaba River. The falls merge with the Congo River.

A fishing tribe popularly known as Wagenya has lived in the region for decades and has continued to develop new fishing methods generation after generation.

Upon visiting this place, you’ll see the extraordinary people with wooden woods in rapids, relaxing in the natural holes formed between the rocks of the running water. They hold their baskets that serve as nets for fishing.

Note: You can rent a camp or rent a restaurant to explore the area for a couple of nights.

The Green Island of Idjwi

Idjwi is an Island of green mountains and incredible biodiversity. This Island feels like a different world within DRC. You can take two hours to ride from the nearest city of Bukavu, which will lead you to Idjwi.

Visitors are welcomed and greeted with fresh fruits. Walking and motorcycle are the two modes of transportation, where hiking around the Island are peaceful. The residents are proud since this place has never experienced war.

Accommodation is sparse in this area, but the adventurers who visit this Island will have good places allocated to visitors.

Garamba and Salonga National Parks- The greatest African elephants domestication centers

Garamba National Park is filled with grasslands and savannah, which are filled with animals like elephants, giraffes, hippos, black rhinos, and white rhinos.

It is always difficult to find big mammals sharing the same space, and that is why Garamba and Salonga is a famous and exciting place to visit.

Salonga is the largest African rainforest. In this place, you will find species like Congo peacock dwarf chimpanzees the slender-snouted crocodile forests elephants.

The Salonga forest is a large ecosystem that plays a big role in the climate regulation of the whole country.

Tips: This park is somehow isolated and therefore you must take a boat to reach it with guiding tours who are always there to receive tourists.

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve- One of the largest drainage systems in Africa

This wildlife reserve is unique with its large variety of exotic birds and primates which live in this place. There are several waterfalls within the reserve, and visitors can trek to witness, including the landscapes along the Epulu and the stunning Ituri rivers.

The pygmy, the nomad tribes of the Efe and Mbuti hunters, live around this area where they call it home. It is great to witness the Okapi, roughly a sixth of the entire population found in this place.

The Congo River

River Congo is the deepest river in the world at 220 meters deep. According to Phys.org, it is also the world’s second-largest river, with a length of 4,700 kilometers.

The river floors between the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo countries from the Congo basin to the ocean. It is fun to visit this particular river and witness the activities carried out by local societies.

Final Thought

The Congo basins, the Congo River, and the largest rain forest with prime nature of both animals and birds make it a famous and ideal place to visit due to its good climatic conditions.

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https://www.usaid.gov/democratic-republic-congo/environmen

https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/congo/language