Very few people know about travel in this part of the world, but Democratic Republic of the Congo offers tourists many unique opportunities to see wildlife, indigenous cultures, and geological wonders not found easily or anywhere else in Africa. In the DRC, you can trek to see both mountain and lowland gorillas in wild, meet pygmies still practicing their traditional way of life in the forests, spot bonobos and okapi, two rare species not found anywhere else on earth, and climb to the summits of active volcanoes and see a boiling lava lake in the crater of the Nyiragongo . The DRC has appeared frequently news the past few years because of unrest in the eastern past of the country, but thankfully the region has come to enjoy peace over the past year, and tourists from overseas have been coming in growing numbers to enjoy its attractions.
Tourist Attractions
- Virunga National Park
- Mount Nyiragongo
- Congo River
- Bonobo
Is Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) your dream destination and you do not know which tourist attractions to explore? Well, DR Congo is remarkably one of a few most endowed African states when it comes to natural wonders. It features a wide range of attractions and while on your safari, you won’t be left out choice. Among others include;
The Congo River
This is one of the deepest rivers in the world and features as the second most extensive river worldwide by volume of water discharged after the Amazon River. It is about 13% of world hydro power potential but at a moment, about 40 hydro power plants are within the Congo basin. Looking at water species, the Congo River Basin is a home to more than 700 species of fish and also inhabits numerous crocodiles a mention but a few.
Virunga National Park
The Virunga National Park is suitably situated in eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo and remarkably a few most stunning forested parks in Africa. It was established around 1925 by King Albert 1 of Belgium making it the first national park in Africa. Its establishment was mainly to offer refuge to mountain gorillas and after sometime, it extended north to cover the Rwindi Plains, Lake Edward and the Rwenzori Mountains range in the far north. The park is gifted with alot of things such a mountain gorillas and mountain Nyiragongo the most thought after things to see and do on a safari to Congo. The park is also a habitat to chimpanzees, golden monkeys, baboons, elephants, okapis, giraffes and many more.
Nyiragongo Volcanoes
Imagine waking up hearing sounds of earthquakes deep below the surface. The movement knocked giant rocks off the crater walls forming a new vent on the edge. This is a true story about the recent volcanoe eruption in Congo what is known as the world most beautiful active volcanoe near Lake Kivu at the eastern boarder of Congo in Virunga National Park. The Big thanks goes to all the people of Goma who accepted change and gave way to nature.Nyiragongo Volcanoes offers visitors wonderful hiking experience filled with impressive views of the blue skies, mountain Rwenzori in Uganda and the entire view of virunga national park. Nights and morning up in the mountains are incredible and the dazzling magma appears in a unique form best for photography and observation.
Livingstone waterfalls
This magnificent tourist site is one of DR Congo’s remarkable areas you need to explore while on safari in Africa. These waterfalls are a succession of large rapids and cataracts on the lower course of the Congo River in western Equatorial Africa, downstream from Malebo Pool and it was named after explorer David Livingstone.
Boyoma falls
Before, these waterfalls were famously called Stanley falls. Boyoma falls comprises of 7 cataracts each with not more than 5 meters high, expanding over 100 kilometers via a curve of the Lualaba River between River port town. Also, the 1000 meters portage railway bypasses a series of rapids linking Kisangani and Ubundu.
Lola ya Bonobo
The Lola ya Bonobo is the only sanctuary in the world where orphaned bonobos are found and it lies south of the suburb of Kimwenza at the Petites Chutes de la Lukaya, Kinshasa in the DRC and founded in 1994 by Claudine Andre and offers refuge to about 60 bonobos.
The historical buildings
DR Congo comprises of several historical buildings both within and out of the city center. They include among others the Chapel of the American Baptist Missionary Society established in 1891 and a Roman Catholic Cathedral in 1914.
Mount Nyamuragira
This is one of the most active volcano mountains in Africa and straddles within Nord Kivu approximately 25 kilometers from Lake Kivu. On the other hand, there is Mount Nyiragongo which lies within Virunga National Park and features as the most active and powerful volcanoes in the world. This natural wonder has a permanent Lava Lake-the largest in the world and most powerful.
Lake Kivu
This is one of the great lakes in Africa and features as the 10th largest inland island in the world-Idjwi island which is situated within this water Lake. There is also tshegera that is found within the border area of Virunga National Park. This lake currently has about 55 billion cubic meters of dissolved methane gas at a depth of about 300 meters. It inhabits numerous fish species like Clarias, Barbus, Haplochromis, Nile Tilapia, Tanganyika sardine, Limnothrissa miodon and others.
Caves
DR Congo features numerous caves that are worth exploring while on safari in Africa. They include among others Dimba Cave which inhabits the oldest remnants of human activity in Bas Lower Congo. It was inhabited in the 18000 BC or even earlier. There are also arte facts that date 2nd to 1st C. BC and this mark the shift from Stone Age to Iron Age.
Matupi cave-Orientale, Mount Hoyo-this is significant archaeological monument which lies within Orientale, Mount Hoyo in Ituri rain-forest. It consists of sediments that have recorded a sequence of human settlement that lasted for about 40000 years. There are also some oldest microlithic tools in the world that were used as arrows and saws. At a time when these tools were made about 12000 years back, this area was savanna grassland.
Thysville caves also known as Mbanza Ngungu caves Bas Congo a group of caves in Bas Congo that feature endemic blind fish caecabarbus geertsii boulenger dating from 1921 living in 7 of these caves. The fact that it is one of unexplored areas, perhaps there are a lot more endemic animals that live in here. Kakanda malachite caves straddle within Katanga popular to be lined with highly rare malachite stalactites and also feature rare malachite crystals of about 2 centimeters large.
Other most significant touristic sites you need to pay a visit include pyrochlore mine of Rutshuru, frère gillet botanic gardens.