Congo

Climate There are only two seasons across the Congos: dry and rainy, though depending on where you are, the times for these will change. In the rainforest the rainy season arrives like clockwork in the winter, from about October to April; frequent downpours and scattered clouds will greet the traveller, and could heed movement across…

Old colonial façades abound in this relaxed town in the DR Congo. Lubumbashi is a unique city in the DR Congo: with clean, wide streets, its citizens have taken an active interest in the appearance of their town. The old colonial façades are recently painted, squalor is at least hidden away rather than in direct…

Perilously close to active volcanoes and lava fields, this town is constructed of black volcanic rock. Black volcanic rocks permeate Goma’s landscape, lending it a unique look amongst the towns and cities of the DR Congo. They are everywhere – used to build walls, roads, crushed and reconstituted into bricks; the city is a mixture…

As well as two of the world’s most active volcanoes, Virunga is also home to the largest remaining population of mountain gorillas. If there is one park in all of Africa that you should visit, it is Virunga. This is more than mere hyperbole: it is easily the most varied region on the continent, if…

Watch Wagenia fishermen securing their catch across this river. On your list of things not to miss in the DR Congo should be the Wagenia fishermen, doing their business just in front of the Wagenia Falls. These villagers have been using an interesting tactic of catching fish along the river with large conical baskets suspended…

These parks are home to rare species such as the bonobo, giant pangolin and slender-snouted crocodile. In fact two parks located in the heart of the DR Congo, Salonga North and Salonga South, the Salonga Park stands as one of the most untouched regions of the country. Its focus is the protection of the equatorial…

A lifeline for the deep interior of central Africa, this river is the second largest on the continent. Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean and slowly winding its way in a lazy coil eastward is the Congo River, bisecting both countries and a lifeline for the deep interior of central Africa. Second longest on the continent…

This newly popular national park is one of the last undeveloped wilderness regions on the planet. This is quickly becoming a prime attraction for visitors to Congo, bringing tour groups directly into the Pokola base camp and on guided tours from there in. In 1990, it began as an extension of the Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve…

Highlights and itineraries Highlights There are many high points across the region, mostly natural – such as the towering Ruwenzori Mountains in the east, which are climbable along a trail of guesthouses to the peaks. The Congo River is a sight to behold anywhere along its banks, and the history of central Africa’s largest river…

HealthSafety Health With Dr Felicity Nicholson. For up-to-date information on health issues across Africa, click here. People new to exotic travel often worry about tropical diseases, but it is accidents that are most likely to carry you off. Road accidents are very common in many parts of the Congos so be aware and do what you can…