Sustainable Tourism Network | Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/julien_harneis/2695481554/

Intro

Located in central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo is the 3^rd biggest country of the African continent and it has been said that it is the country around which all other African countries revolve. Two thirds the size of Europe with only 450 km of paved road- an area of vast jungles and dark corners, scattered outposts and tribal strong-holds, equatorial rainforests and active volcanoes – truly one of the most untamed countries on the surface of the earth.

However, the DCR boasts many beautiful landscapes, with lakes, forests, waterfalls and numerous rivers that traverse the country, of which the Congo River is the largest. The natural scenery is diverse and characterized by a tropical rainforest that covers more than half of the country. The central plateau rises to volcanoes and mountains in the east, where one can find the diverse wildlife of the Congo, including the famous mountain gorillas. Plateaus form into savannas in the south, and in the northern regions there are grasslands around the river basin.

As the DRC is a vast country with an almost non-existent transport infrastructure due to two subsequent wars, it hasn’t been accessible for tourists during the past years as travelling was practically impossible. However, now that the political situation has stabilized, tourists are able to visit this magnificent country again.

Weather

The climate is tropically hot and humid in the lower western and central regions. Frequent heavy rains occur south of the equator from October through May, whilst in the north, they fall from April to November. Along the equator there is only one season. The higher regions of the east have fairly temperate weather.

Language

French is the official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is meant to be an ethnically neutral language, to ease communication among the many different ethnic groups of the Congo.

There are an estimated total of 242 languages spoken in the country. Out of these, only four have the status of national languages: Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba and Swahili.

Tourist Attractions

Among the main tourist attractions of the DRC are national parks, museums, botanical and zoological site and several sites of interest in connection with the history of the country and its culture and traditions.

Visit the rainforests and see the unique wildlife

Climb the Nyragongo Volcano
See Gorillas in their natural surrounding
Lofoi Falls: the highest of Africa and the second in the world with 384 m of height and a continuous water jet of 347m. The falls are located in the National Park of Kundelungu in the Katanga region.

Enjoy the city life in Kinshasa
For those with lots of time, take a ride down the Congo River on a twenty-one day tour. A cruise boat makes a voyage of 1750 kilometers down the Congo River from the capital of Kisangani to the eastern city of Kinshasa
Visit one of the 5 UNESCO National Parks:
- Kahuzi Biega Park: dominated by two extinguished volcanoes and home to 250 mountain gorillas as well as a number of other monkey breeds such as the chimpanzee or owl-faced monkeys
- Salonga Park: home to the endangered bonobo monkey, various duikers, crocodiles, hippotamus and elephants
- Virunga National Park: a large park with a varied fauna including elephants, hippotamus, buffalos, lions, gorillas and chimpanzees
- Garamba Park: the reserve lies near the borders with Sudan and is well known for the numbers of white rhinoceros that live there. Three other mammals predominate: elephants, giraffes and hippotamus.
- Okapi Wildlife Reserve: it lies near the borders with Sudan and Uganda and covers approximately one fifth of the area of the Ituri Forest. As implied by the name, it is home to many okapis.