Democratic Republic of Congo is among the most biodiverse on earth. Come and witness a tour destination that houses an array of unique flora and fauna. Congo has 53 protected areas and 5 natural World Heritage sites, the most in the African continent. There are about 450 mammal species, 1,150 bird species, 400 fish species and 15,000 plant species. 6 percent of the mammals and 10 percent of the plants are endemic to Congo. Some of the best tour destinations you should visit in Congo include,

Virunga National Park

This UNESCO World Heritage site was established in 1925 and situated in eastern Congo in the Albertine Rift region. It covers about 7,769 km² and dominated by montane vegetation. Virunga National Park is home to about a third of the remaining mountain gorillas in the world. Wildlife includes almost 218 mammal species, 706 species of birds, 109 species of reptiles and 78 species of amphibians. Mammals you can see here include bush elephant, African buffaloes, hippopotamus, red forest duikers, Uganda kobs, bongos, giant forest hog and common warthog.

Birds constitute both resident and migratory species. There are also numerous Albertine endemics. Examples of Albertine endemic bird species are strange weaver, Rwenzori turaco, handsome spurfowl, dusky crimson wing, regal sunbird, mountain masked apalis, Kivu ground thrush. Other birds that call Virunga National Park home include African thrush, mountain yellow warbler, African dusky flycatcher, Angola swallow, olive sunbird, mountain oriole, olive woodpecker, western tinkerbird and Alpine swallow.

There are 22 species of primates in Virunga National Park beside the mountain gorillas. These are the Dent’s mona monkeys, eastern chimpanzees, De Brazza’s monkeys, blue monkeys red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, mantled guerezas, and Hamlyn’s monkeys etc. There are 8 families of gorillas habituated for trekking tours throughout the year. other activities you can enjoy at Virunga National Park include birdwatching, visit to Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage Center, forest walk, hiking mountain Nyiragongo etc.

Kahuzi-Biega National Park

This is a wide national park covering about 6,000 km² in eastern Congo. This UNESCO World Heritage site was established in 1970 and gets its name from mountains Kahuzi and Biega. Kahuzi-Biega National Park is primarily known for sheltering over 270 eastern lowland gorillas, with 2 habituated gorilla families for trekking tours. Other primate species found in the montane and lowland vegetation here include chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, owl faced monkeys and vervet monkeys.

There are almost 140 mammal species and 349 species of birds in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The mammals include bongos, giant forest hogs, bush buffaloes, bush elephants, giant forest genets, aquatic genets, leopards and Rwenzori otter shrews etc. Birds to see include the Congo peafowl, Rockefeller’s sunbird, African green broadbill, red-eyed dove, handsome francolin, yellow-billed waxbill and Rwenzori turaco. Activities you can enjoy here include eastern lowland gorilla trek, Lwiro chimpanzee tour, birdwatching, hiking tours and forest walks etc.

Lake Kivu

This is a freshwater lake found at the border of Congo and Rwanda. The lake covers a total land surface area of about 2,700 km², and a maximum depth of about 475m. Lake Kivu is among the African Great Lakes and also nestled in the wildlife rich Albertine Graben. Lake Kivu is primarily drained by River Rusizi that flows into Lake Tanganyika. Activities you can enjoy at Lake Kivu include boat cruise, sport fishing, birdwatching, hiking, community visits sunbathing, sightseeing and canoeing etc.

Lake Kivu is home to around 29 fish species, with haplochromine species making up the majority. Birds here include numerous Albertine endemics and other residents and migratory species. These are lesser black-backed gull, speckled pigeon, morning collared dove, bronzy sunbird, variable sunbird, African green pigeon, Klass’s cuckoo, swamp flycatcher, African pied wagtail, red collared widowbird, southern red bishop, western citril, yellow fronted canary, yellow bellied waxbill, house sparrow, African firefinch and collared sunbird etc.

Mountain Nyiragongo

Found just north of Lake Kivu, Mount. Nyiragongo is in the Virunga Massif and part of the 8 volcanoes that comprise the ranges. Towering at 3,470 meters above sea level, this active volcano provides you an opportunity to climb and get spectacular views of the Nyiragongo crater. The guided hiking tour also offers you other highlights such as numerous bird species, wild animals, reptiles, amphibians and plants. Mammals to see include bush elephants, duikers, mongooses, civets, chimpanzees, leopards, genets and mountain gorillas etc.

There are more tourist sites to explore during your tour in Congo. You might want to visit Garamba National Park in the northeast, Salonga National Park, Upemba National Park and Okapi Wildlife Reserve among others.

Explore Congo on any day of the year. But, if you are planning for outdoor activities like gorilla treks, game drives and hiking tours, its best if you visit during the dry season. This is experienced from June to August. This season offers relatively warmer air temperatures and less humid conditions to ensure you are comfortable. The vegetation in the nature destinations is less dense in the dry season to offer maximum visibility. Rainfall patterns are also lower therefore causing drier trails and tracks. This makes traversing the nature sites less challenging.

For birding tours, the wet season is the optimal period. This season is experienced from September to May. November to April normally offer great sighting of both resident and migratory bird species from various parts of the world. This is because more frequent rains cause dense vegetation cover in the nature sites to offer more shelter and nourishment for the birds. The water sources in the nature sites also increases which is another factor that enhances their survival.

Congo can be accessed mainly by road transportation. This is mainly done from Kigali, Rwanda. You will pass via Rusizi 1 border to Kahuzi-Biega National Park. If you are going to either Virunga National Park or Mount. Nyiragongo, you will pass through the border at Goma. Yet, currently you are only allowed to cross the borders between 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM. You will need a tourist visa to be considered a legal traveler in Congo. To acquire a tourist visa, it will cost you $50 if you are from East Africa and $100 if you are a foreigner.