Democratic Republic of the Congo travel guide
Africa's 'heart of darkness' is still challenging travel territory, but mountain gorillas, bonobos and other primates reward the intrepid explorer
If you’re a battered old Africa hand, sick of safaris and savannahs, it may be time to add a stamp to the Democratic Republic of Congo to your passport. After years of war and bloodshed, the region’s doors are slowly opening up to tourism, thanks mainly to the high profile conservation of the western mountain gorillas in the Parc National des Virungas. But be warned: rural DRC is infested with armies, rebel groups and simple bandits, the major roads are routinely washed out and only the most intrepid of travellers would ignore the FCO’s advice against unguarded rural travel.
Thanks to years of conflict and instability, DRC doesn’t offer much in the way of large-scale cultural events or festivals. However, as with any other destination, daily life can be as lively and momentous as staged theatrics, so make time to visit local sports matches, concerts and art exhibitions in the cities you visit, and keep an eye out for impromptu dances and music in rural areas.
The capital is Kinshasa. It was founded in 1881 as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley (and called Leopoldville) next to a tiny fishing village. Now it has a population of ten million, and is the second-largest francophone city in the world (after Paris). It's a surprising city, set on the River Congo and looking across to Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. This is the intellectual heart of the country, with three universities, and though it does attract the best musicians and artists, its affluent residential areas are outnumbered by sprawling, miserable slums.
The city's sophistication ends with the tarmac though, and that's not far out from the centre. Independence from Belgium was followed by the crazed dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko: various wars since mean there are a lot of functioning guns in circulation. Despite UN initiatives and various ceasefires the country is basically ungoverned. The only visitors to towns such as Goma and Bukavu are aid workers and they fly in: the roads are generally impassable.
This is a shame. Vast, even by African standards, the country has mineral wealth and natural beauty. It has the second-largest rainforest in the world (after the Amazon) rising up to the mountains of the east. There are no less than five Unesco biospheres and huge tracts of equatorial jungle but most of the country remains unexplored.
Pack a copy of Joseph Conrad's classic
Heart of Darkness, up-to-date embassy info, and your sense of adventure – and look forward to an intrepid journey into Africa’s unexplored centre.
Wanderlust recommends
- Climb Nyiragongo Volcano. Towering over the city of Goma, this spectacular natural wonder last erupted just eight years ago. Mind the lava lake at the top – it may be spectacular, but it’s also deadly
- Track Gorillas. A momentous effort has been made to open up the Parc National des Virungas with its resident mountain gorillas. Tracking here is a rather wilder experience than across the border in Rwanda’s Parc National des Volcans and Uganda’s Impenetrable Forest: they have lodges! It’s hoped that gorilla tracking will provide a boost to international confidence in DRC and protect those gorillas that have survived years of human conflict
- Cross the River. Packed to within an inch of its life, a public ferry wobbles across the water from Kinshasa to Brazzaville, giving you the chance to get another exotic passport stamp. Don't get stranded though: it stops running in the afternoon, never runs on Sundays, and sometimes just stops running at all
Wanderlust tips
Take nothing for granted. All border crossings can close without notice and that includes Kinshasa's airport and the ferry to Brazzaville. The DRC isn’t the destination of choice for relaxing breaks or momentous cultural awakenings, and if it’s adventure you’re after you may get too much. In Kinshasa beware of armed robbers, sometimes posing as policemen.