The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) formerly known as Zaire is a tourist destination for lovers of adventure. The country is accommodates a number of UNESCO designated national parks. They have got active volcanoes, raging rivers, and all the wildlife you expect of Africa. The country is literally the heart of Africa. DR. Congo is a country that should be on every travelers list,as it offers attraction for tourists seeking adventure, nature and culture.
This article will list out some of the best places to visit in The Democratic Republic of Congo for tourists.
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List of Best places to visit in Democratic Republic of Congo:
There are a number of best and interesting places to visit in Congo. Below are the few ones we could draw out from the rest:
1. The Congo river :
The Congo river is the second most extensive river system in the world after Amazon. It is the deepest river in the world with an overall volume that is second only to the amazon. The river is home to over 713 species of fish, crocodiles, hippos, birds and waterfalls. Talking about waterfalls, the Congo river is capable of supplying all the hydro-electric power needed in Africa. Over 40 power plants have been built along the river.
2. Kisangani:
Which was formerly known as Stanleyville, is the 3rd largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The city is surrounded by tropical forests on all sides as rural citizens migrate to the urban centers. There is a lot to do in Kisangani. Among these activities include visiting the Boyona waterfalls, shopping at the local markets, eating Congolese food from one of the many restaurants, marveling at the unique city architecture, visiting one of the museums, going to the zoo or botanical gardens. The key attraction centers in the city includes; The University of Kisangani and The catholic cathedral in the central market.
3. Idjwi Island:
Idjwi Island is also known as Ijwi, this island is found in Congo’s section of Lake Kivu. The Island covers a large area of close to 340 square kilometers and is considered the 2nd largest inland island in the continent of Africa.
4. Virunga National Park:
is the oldest national park in Africa and one of the UNESCO World heritage sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park was established in 1925 and is located in the eastern part of the country. Virunga was first named Albert National Park and by then included the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and parts of Mgahinga Gorilla Park in Uganda. Virunga is the most visited national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. What stands out about it apart from volcanoes and mountain gorillas, this Park is home to lions, leopards, chimpanzees, elephants, hippopotamus and rare creatures like the okapi. Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park is the most popular activity followed closely by hiking Mount Nyiragongo.
5. Lake Kivu: is one of the best places to visit in DR Congo. It is one of the largest lakes in Africa. This Lake is shared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lake Kivu lies next to the great Virunga and Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
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About the Democratic Republic of Congo:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Kinshasa, DRC, DR Congo, or simply the Congo was formerly called Zaire. It is a country in Central Africa. By land area, the Congo is the second-largest country in Africa and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of about 112 million, the Democratic Republic of Congo is the most populous officially Francophone country in the world. The national capital and largest city is Kinshasa, which is also the economic center. The country is bordered by the Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania (across Lake Tanganyika), Zambia, Angola, the Cabinda exclave of Angola and the South Atlantic Ocean. The official language in the country is French but there are other recognize languages like; Swahili, Lingala,Kituba etc.
What is the Economy status of DR Congo?
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-poorest and one of the least develop countries in the world. Poverty is widespread and unchecked across the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Despite being the second-largest country in Africa, with an approximate area of 2.3 million square kilometres (890,000 sq mi), and being endowed with rich natural resources, the DRC is the second-poorest country in the world after Haiti.
List of Tourist attraction centers in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):
- Valle de la Lufira is one of the tourist attraction centers in DR Congo. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve found in Lubumbashi.
- Maiko National Park is a tourist site in DRC. Its covers an area of about 10,885 square kilometers.
- Dimba Cave is a site to behold for cave explorers. This cave contains evidence of human activity and artifacts dating back to the stone age period.
- The Matupi cave in Ituri rain-forest also provides evidence of human settlements that occurred about 40,000 years ago.
- Kahuzi-Biega National Park: This national park is located in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the border with Rwanda and close to Lake Kivu. It is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Congo for tourists enthusiast.
- Salonga National park is located within the Congo river basin and covers an area of about 36,00 square kilometers. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
We hope this information was helpful for your travel preparations. Contact us for more useful, entertaining and educative articles.
