Welcome to the Democratic Republic of Congo
A safari secret waiting to be discovered
Democratic Republic of Congo holidays are awesome adventures, covering ground some people never will. Are you up for it?
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has long been a country shrouded in darkness from its political turmoil, dwindling rainforest and internal wars over natural resources. These days, things are ever so slowly getting back on their feet.
DRC safaris are certainly an almighty adventure for those willing to charter new territory and discover truly magical moments in Africa’s wilderness.
Adventurous activities such as Mountain gorilla trekking, climbing an active volcano, chimpanzee trekking and hikes in the Rwenzori Mountains are all possible in the DRC.
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“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.”
– Anais Nin
DRC at a glance
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) straddles the equator and is carpeted by vast swaths of rainforest and bisected by the Congo River. To the west, the river rushes to the foaming Livingstone Falls and then empties into the Atlantic. Eastern DRC is home to a series of volcanoes and the Great Lakes merge into East Africa’s famous Great Rift Valley.
Formerly the preserve of the powerful Kongo tribe, the modern DRC’s official borders were carved out by European nations in 1885. The Congo was acquired by the ruthless King Leopold II of Belgium as his personal fiefdom which quickly crashed into chaos and cruelty. Luckily in 1908 the Belgian government stepped in and annexed the territory, bringing stability finally. Independence came in 1960.
As a country, DRC is racially complex and home to 250 individual ethnic groups and more than 700 languages and dialects are spoken.
The essential experiences are viewing mountain gorillas at Virunga National Park, one of the DRC’s five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The park is also home to chimpanzees, monkeys and hundreds of bird species. The park is managed and protected by a large force of park rangers, whose work has been documented in the excellent Netflix documentary Virunga.
Tectonic activity has also endowed eastern DRC with one of the largest active lava lakes and impressive volcanic mountains to climb.
Exploring the idea of an adventure in the DRC?
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of Africa’s most remote and thrilling frontiers – home to rare mountain gorillas, smoking volcanoes, dense rainforests and raw, untamed beauty. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for adventurous travellers, it’s unforgettable. If you’re ready to explore the road less travelled, we’ll help you do it safely and sustainably.
Let’s talk DRC