Congo safaris

Democratic Republic of Congo is located in central Africa known as D.R.Congo and it’s the largest country in sub- Saharan Africa formerly known as Zaire, the second largest in all of Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. It’s also boarded by Uganda in the east.

D.R. Congo’s official language is French and there are some few people who know English and Swahili and the people are known as the Bakongo. One of the common local languages of the Bakongo is Lingala and due to the modern world they have reduced the number of people who believe in the traditional gods and the most number adopted the religions of the missionaries. The people of Congo have very interesting cultures that are known as the Kikongo speaking people

Tourist attractions

Virunga National Park

Virunga is a national park in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo bordering volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Rwenzori and Queen Elizabeth national park in Uganda. It was created in 1925 and is among the first protected areas in Africa. Virunga national park is one of the oldest wildlife protected area in Africa with unique wildlife species and rich in diverse eco system like block mountain, volcanic mountains like Nyiragongo Mountain which offers you stunning views of the beautiful active volcanoes.

Virunga national park has two active volcanoes which include Mount Nyiragongo and Mount Nyamuragira. Mount Nyiragongo is one of the most active volcanos in the world, stunning nature and a sea of lava when you reach the summit located inside Virunga national park in Congo about 20 km north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu and just west of the border with Rwanda

Kahuzi – Biega National Park

Kahuzi Biega national park has a large number of the eastern lowland gorillas and is made up of two great extinct volcanoes of Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega and a home of lowland gorillas. Kahuzi Biega national park is a unique habitant with very rare wildlife species; Eastern lowland gorillas, Alexander’s bush squirrel, eastern needle- clawed galago, the Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse, the bongo antelope among others.

Activities done in Kahuzi Biega national park includes; Gorilla trekking, hiking Mountain Kahuzi, bird watching, camping safaris, nature walks and community tours. Kahuzi Biega National park travellers from either Rwanda or Uganda get to Bukavu town in Congo which is 30km from the boarder. There are numerous gorilla families in the park as well as chimpanzees, monkeys, buffalos, antelopes and forest elephants.

Mountain Kahuzi

This is the highest peak in the park, at 3,308m. The climb takes approximately 4 hours through bamboo forest and sub alpine vegetation, and 3 hours to descend. The summit provides spectacular views of Lake Kivu and the city of Bukavu.

Mountain Biega

The second highest peak in the park lies at an altitude of 2790m. The vegetation differs significantly from Mount Kahuzi making it a wonderful ecological experience. The climb takes about 6 hours return, so it is important to make an early start.

Salonga National Park

Salonga is a national in the democratic republic of Congo and Africa’s largest tropical rainforest reserve located south of the majestic Congo River. The park has a number of unique wildlife species where among the mammals there is a pygmy chimpanzee, pan paniscus which are found in the North West, north east and south east margins of the park.

Salonga national park is known for sheltering bonobos and it’s a home for a variety of bird species such as cattle egret, yellow-billed stork, migrant black stork, black – bellied bustard and many more. It offers a number of activities which include; bird wantching, wildlife viewing, guided nature walks, fishing, cultural encounters among the lyalima people, and hunting.

Maiko National Park

Maiko national park is found in the eastern part of Congo west if Kisangani and south of Lake Kivu bordering Rwanda. The park is divided into three sectors and one of the most remote areas of congo with very primitive tribes.

Maiko national park has a rich biodiversity with various wildlife, two rivers that is Oslo and Lindi together with Congongos endangered species which are congo peafwowl, grauers gorilla and the okapi. The activities that can be done include; gorilla trekking, wildlife viewing and bird watching.

Garamba National Park

Garamba national park is located in north east of Congo bordering south Sudan in the Orientale province. The park is renowned for its large herds of elephants and it’s the only place where you can find the kordofan giraffe in Congo but at first when it was established it was known for habituating numerous species of northern white rhinos but greatly suffered poaching and the others were killed during the civil war in 2008

Garamba national park is a very old park and its elephants were trained to work in agriculture fields and for forestry purposes. The park offers a number of activities which may include; wildlife watching, boat cruising on one of the Garamba Rivers, fishing, bird watching and guided nature walks. This park can be accessed from Arua to Nagero but air transport is more convenient.

Odzala National Park

Odzala national park is situated in the rain forests north west of congo near the Gabon boarder. The park has a number of western lowland gorillas and about 450 species of birds, mammals and other primates.

Odzala national park offers the following activities; gorilla trekking where the trekking minimum age is 15 years, wildlife viewing, bird watching, cultural experience with the Ombo people, nature guided walksand boat cruises at the Lekoli River.

Ntokou Pikounda National Park

Ntokou pikounda national park was mainly established to protect the western low western lowland gorillas in 2012. The park is now a home for Congo’s largest hippo population and over 950 chimpanzees, elephants and gorillas.

Ntokou pikounda national park offers the following activities; gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, waildlife viewing of animals like golden cat, bush pigs,forest elephants among others, bird watching and boat cruising.

Conkouati National Park

Conkouati national park is found in the south western congo with coastal savannahs, mountains, rivers and wildlife. The park is in a very remote are but with a stunning views and worth a visit. The park offers a view of marine animals like orca, dolphins, whales, marine turtles among others

Conkouati national park offers the following activities; bird watching, marine life, boat cruises, gane viewing of animals like leopard, cuvettes, buffalos, monkeys among others, fishing and cultural experiences. The best time to visit is during the dry season when the vegetation is not thick and the park is 100 kilometers ay from noire town,

Mangroves National park

Mangroves national park is a small park with lush forests, wetlands and mangroves mostly. The park can offer the following activities; wildlife viewing of bush bucks, manatee and red bucks, boat cruising in the Congo River where you will get a chance to see crocodiles, hippos and a splendid view, bird watching, fishing and viewing of plant species.

Lomani National Park

Lomani national park is one of the newest parks in Congo located in a very remote area. The park was named after Lomani river which is located within the prk boundaries near kindu city and Kisangani city. The park is rich with diversity of wildlife, tropical rainforests and three rivers which include; Lomani, Tshuapa and Lualaba.

Lomami national park offers the following activities; cultural experience ang the Mbole and Mutuku people who stay near these parks, bird watching, fishing, wildlife viewing, boat cruises in one of the of the magnificent rivers.

Kendelugu National Park

Kendulugu national park is found in the formerly known as the Shaba provincethe now Katanga province. The park is connected Ted an ecological corridor which allows migration between to the neighboring Upemba national park.

Kendulugu national park has magnificent falls which include glorious waterfalls known as Lutshipuka, lofoi falls and the Masansa the lofoi waterfalls which are said to be the largest. The park offers a number of activities which include; bird watching, game drives, and hiking to lofoi falls. The park can be accessed from lumbashi in a two hours drive.

Upemba National Park

Upemba national park is located in the south eastern Congo which is the largest park in Katanga province with a diversity of savannah, wetlands, kiombo waterfall, lakes among others. The park has an excellent view and all antelope species with various animals. This park was named after Lake Upemba which borders the park in the west.

Upemba national park is a home for a number of bird soecies, animals like lions, zebras, baboon, buffalos and many other more.the activities that can be done include; wildlife watching, bird watching, fishing, cultural visits with in the nearby villages and hiking at the top of Kiombo waterfall. The park is 400 kilometers from Lubumbashi.

Nouabale Ndoki National Park

Nouabale ndoki national park is situated in the northern part of Congo with a highest concentration of animals. This park is very incredible especially with the fact that there has never been a touch of human settlement and it’s still intact with its nature. The park has over 300 bird species, various mammalian species, and different plant species

Nouabale ndoki national park offers the following activities; wildlife viewing, gorilla trekking mostly at mbeli bay, cultural experience with the acient pygmy people, bird watching, guided nature walks and boat riding,

Ougoue Lekiti National park

Ougoue lekiti national park is found in the western democratic republic of Congo where the northern sector of the park contains the acient sand dune with vast savannah woodlands patched with dense rain forests.

The park offers activites which includes; game drives, gorilla trekking safarisand bird watching activities.

Other attractions that Congo has include the national museum of Congo, Boyoma falls, lola ya bonobo which is a home for orphaned apes , itombwe mountains, zongo falls, lofoi falls, Parc de la vellee de la nsele, Okapi wildlife reserve and idjwi island