City: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Top Things to do in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Top Restaurants in Democratic Republic of the Congo
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10 Things to Do in Democratic Republic of the Congo That You Shouldn't Miss
Democratic Republic of the Congo from Africa region, is best know for Volcanos. Discover best things to do in Democratic Republic of the Congo with beautiful photos and great reviews from traveller around the world here!
Restaurants in Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Mount Nyiragongo
Overall Ratings
5 based on 210 reviews
Reviewed By mfre - Palma de Mallorca, Spain
300 dollars are a lot. But still incredible worth!
I was a bit annoying because we were 12 people. There were two ladies not ready at all for it but instead to make two groups we had to go all together and wait all the time.
I did not take a porter and I regret it as the way to get the pick was hard!
I went to the supermarket the day before but I can say that their food, even if overpriced as hell, looked good.
To save some money....I reached the base camp by boda boda! It is 30 minutes far from Goma and the way is pretty good.
cabins are basic but I would have spend more and more nights there!
REALLY incredible experience!!!!
2. Lola ya Bonobo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 196 reviews
Reviewed By FiFi A - London, United Kingdom
Been twice now and enjoyed both times. The guides are so articulate and really know and love their job. The bonobos are super cute and each have their own special personalities. It's a really great sanctuary and worth visiting to learn something new.
There is a souvenir shop (could be improved) and should really be a place to take photos to take away.
3. Zongo Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 84 reviews
Reviewed By Tim D - Belgium
It was actually a long time ago that we were there. However, it made a huge impact on us all and we speak of it often. Most other falls are usually compared to Zongo in some way. Well worth the trip.
4. Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 32 reviews
Reviewed By joseu1 - New York City, New York
Given that the DRC doesnt have a lot of tourism like other neighboring countries, this might be the cheapest gorilla visit you will find. Still this means $400 per person if you are not a DRC resident. The visit includes a security briefing and a small story about the gorillas that live there and then you go for a walk with a park ranger to see them. We walked probably for about 30 mins before finding the big guy (250 kilos) who is the alpha male and couple of small ones. The whole visit was probably about 1.5-2 hours. you need to arrange the transportation there as it is is a bit far from everything.
5. Jardin Botanique de Kisantu
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By TroisChatsLies - Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
We visited the Botanical Gardens while staying at Mbuela Lodge, 10 minutes away. There is a Guest House located within the Gardens, which we have heard is clean and air conditioned, and approximately $10/night. We had an excellent guide, who tailored our tour to our group size, the amount of time we wanted to spend, and the fact there was a baby in the group. He showed us interesting things, and one of my colleagues bought some seedlings from the nursery ($2 each). There is also a very small museum and gift shop on site.
The Gardens do have an entry fee, see my picture for details. After our guided tour we had lunch in the restaurant. The menu was rather limited, but just fine for a single visit. The food took around an hour to arrive. Recommended: beef brochette. Several in our group had fish and roast chicken (see pictures). They were ok but just average. Goat, poulet à la mwambe (chicken with peanut sauce) and capitaine were not available the day we visited. The outdoor restaurant was clean and had some nice Seating areas. The toilets were clean and adequate, and had toilet paper. Hand washing stations were provided.
You could visit the highlights of the Gardens in an hour or two, with children, or spend several days if you're a real nature buff or science teacher.
6. Cathedral of Lubumbashi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By EMoyo - Lilongwe
Had a quick tour of this magnificent building. Did not get inside but from the outside it looks very impossing
7. Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Overall Ratings
5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By FREDMKENYA - Nairobi
For so long I wanted to see the Okapi so I booked a safari and soon I was on the brink of fulfilling my dreams. The road trip was long but exiting features to see enroute. I soon approached a village with extremely short people who I was told were the pygmy tribe. Depending entirely on the dense green forest and the magic of their existance moved me. I later entered this quit area and saw something..huge with a big tongue reaching its back. It moved so gracefully as the tender attended to it out of the bushes popped a head of the Okapi.A huge animal that looked like a Zebra but bigger. I took hours watching it and feeding it the exotic leaves that they chew I later saw the mighty Congo River similar to the amazon
8. Virunga National Park
Overall Ratings
5 based on 136 reviews
Reviewed By Jaromír G - Ostrava, Czech Republic
Me and my wife visited Virunga and the gorillas in January 2018. The experience was amazing, we were guests in one gorilla family whole one hour watching the beautiful primates from very close distance. Organization was perfect and we were lucky with weather. The rain started just after we returned to the camp.
9. Ma Vallee
Overall Ratings
4 based on 73 reviews
Surrounded by the equatorial forest, Ma Vallée is a scenic African lake.
Reviewed By TroisChatsLies - Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
This place is now called "Africa Park Adventures" (as of 2016), so check reviews with that name. The lake is still called "Lac ma vallee," but it has new management and many new activities to do, beyond just a walk around the lake. Take comfortable shoes, insect repellent and sunscreen. There is an entrance fee of $5 for adults and $3 for children ; outside food and drinks are not allowed.
10. Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By EisBaer - Chicago, Illinois, USA
WHY GO: This is one of the few places in the world where regular tourists can see Bonobos in the wild, in their natural environment. In addition to visiting the Bonobos, the extensive trip just to get to this park is worth it. The sights on and along the Congo River are unique and beautiful as you pass villages and locals going about their daily lives (see photos). This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
HOW TO GET THERE: Currently, the only tour operator that has Congolese government permission to take tourists to this park is Go Congo Tours in Kinshasa. I booked my trip through their European partner Trekking Africa (located in Wels, Austria). The normal, planned trip to get to Lomako is to fly from Kinshasa to the Mbandaka, a regional capital. From there, it is a 2-3 day trip up the Congo, Lulanga, Maringa and Lomako rivers river by open canoe (known locally as a pirogue, see photos). Note that in my case, the flight from Kinshasa to Mbandaka was cancelled (which occurs often), so our group ended up having to take a boat up the Congo from Kinshasa to Mbandaka, an additional journey of four days. Once you get to the last closest village to the park, it is about a 5 hour hike through the jungle to get to the ranger camp. The trail is mostly about 1 foot (30cms) wide, in some cases you will need to walk through knee high water. You will need to climb over fallen logs, roots, rocks and other obstacles along the path. There are a lot of biting ants along the path, so tucking your pants into heavy socks is highly recommended. The return trip from Lomako to Kinshasa takes about the same time, the 5-hour hike, then 2-3 days to Mbandaka by canoe, then the 1 hour flight to Kinshasa.
AT THE CAMP: The ranger camp is very rustic and isolated. There is no running water here, only bottled water brought up from the canoe for drinking/cooking and river water for bucket bathing. There are pit toilets. They do have solar panels for limited charging of camera batteries. There is no mobile phone service, unless you have a satellite phone. Accommodations during the trip (except for Kinshasa) were spacious tents and air mattresses that the tour operator brought along. I brought along my own sleeping bag. See photos for images of the camp.
VISITING THE BONOBOS: Visiting the Bonobos requires getting up around 3-4am in order to hike through the jungle to the Bonobo nests before they wake up. The hike can take anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on where the Bonobos have made their nests. The rangers know where they are and will lead you there in the dark. Once you get close to the nests, you will wait in silence until the Bonobos wake up and the day begins to lighten. Once they have gotten accustomed to your presence, you will be allowed to follow the Bonobos as the move through the forest eating and socializing. Note that you may be following a group as small as 3-5 or as large as 15-20, and be aware that they do not always come down from the top of the trees in which case seeing them or taking pictures can be very challenging due to the density of the jungle. After 3-4 hours (depending on where the Bonobos go), you will return to the camp.
TIPS & WARNINGS: (1) Note that the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most corrupt countries I've ever been to. While the local guide will handle the payoffs to the local authorities (which seems to occur at every village you stop in), I still recommend bringing at least US$500.00 (in clean, post-2000 bills) in cash to handle unexpected emergencies. Credit cards and travelers cheques are useless. Even at places in Kinshasa that take credit cards, the readers are often down and can't process payments. Expect that situations will arise where you will need to pay extras to get through the trip. (2) Bring a sun hat, lots of sunscreen and insect repellent. The canoes do not have any sun protection and it can get very hot during the day. In Kinshasa, along the river and in the jungle, you will need to spray yourself liberally with insect repellent, especially if you are travelling during the rainy season. (3) Bring a waterproof bag for all of your possessions, especially while in the canoe. The canoes tend to leak, and since they are not covered, will also fill up when it rains. A rain cover will not be enough. Expect that your backpack will be sitting in the water in the bottom of the canoe. (4) Bring a fleece jacket, it can cool off at night time, especially if you are sitting in the moving canoe. (5) A decent pocket knife, waterproof matches, and a small camp towel are also recommended.
SUMMARY: Travelling along the Congo River and visiting the Lomako Reserve is a surreal experience. The Bonobos are a very rare animal to see in the wild, while the landscape of the Congo is a visit to the true heart of Africa. This is not the Africa of Kenya or South Africa, this is raw, untouched, wild Africa. The experience of seeing the locals along the river going about their daily lives is something that, in all likelihood, can only be found in one or two places in the world. Yes, it is not an easy trip (actually more like an expedition), but it can be very rewarding if you can handle the unpredictable environment that is the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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