Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is undoubtedly one of the untapped African jewels, boasting her lush rain-forests, wildlife, unique cultures, water bodies to mention but a few. D.R. Congo is the second largest country in Africa occupying over 905,355 sq. kms, only behind Algeria. It is also the 4th most populated African state with over 78 million people.
The D.R. Congo is found in Central Africa and it is one of the endowed nations with precious minerals including gold, tin, diamond, Coltan, cobalt and copper. It is considerably the largest producer of cobalt and world’s 2nd largest diamond producer. Other than minerals, D.R. Congo is also greatly endowed with natural wonders and most of its attractions haven’t been fully explored.
The D.R. Congo is a host to 3 distinct kinds of wildlife; the rare mountain gorillas, the Eastern Lowland gorillas and Okapis. Besides, the Eastern side also features the beautiful Lake Kivu.
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT D.R. CONGO?
Gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking is of no doubt the main reason most holidaymakers consider Congo safaris a must-do. The D.R. Congo is a significant home to 2 sub-species of Eastern gorillas-The mountain gorillas which are trekked in the Virunga National Park and Eastern Lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
It is also the most affordable of all the gorilla destinations in Africa, each gorilla permit issued at US Dollars 450 per person.
Mountaineering/volcano hiking.
The D.R. Congo is also most visited for volcano hiking/mountaineering experience. It is a host to the largest and powerful lava lake on the active Mt. Nyiragongo. Hiking to the summits of Mt. Nyiragongo takes an estimate of 6 hours and permits are available for booking at US Dollars 350.
Cultural encounters.
The D.R. Congo is a culturally diverse country in Africa and visitors get to enjoy authentic cultural experiences. The cultural experiences in the D.R.C vary from unique dances, music performances, learning more about the traditions, community visits for you to closely interact with local communities or you can have a taste of local dishes.
Birding.
Congo isn’t about trekking to see gorillas but it is also the preferred bird watching destination. Over 706 bird species call DRC a home and they include most of the Albertine rift endemics. The country’s iconic bird species include the Kivu ground thrush, red faced woodland warblers, Rwenzori batis, Rwenzori double collared sun-bird, Shelley’s crimson wings, regal sunbird, red throated alethe, Rwenzori Turacos, stripe breasted tit, blue headed sun bird.
There are also many non-endemic birds including black billed Turacos, Tambourine dove, brown necked parrots, African goshawk, Grey crowned cranes, mountain buzzard, white necked raven trogon, red chested cuckoo and others. The other significant species include African flycatcher, Grey throated barbet, Angolan swallow, western tinker bird, black saw wing, African dusky flycatcher, Archer’s ground robin.
The checklist of birds in the D.R. Congo is endless and there is possibility to identify the bronze mannikin, white browed crombec, Sharpe’s starling, narrow tailed starling, Grey chested illadopsis, black throated wattle eye, green sandpiper, streaky seed eaters and the chestnut throated apalis.
