CONGO DR: Exploring DR Congo

As much a geographical concept as a fully fledged nation, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, formerly Zaïre) has one of the saddest chapters in modern history: from the brazen political folly of King Leopold of Belgium to the hideously corrupt kleptocracy of maverick leader Mobutu Sese Seko and the blood-stained battlegrounds of Africa's first 'world war'.

But after a decades-long decline in which much of the country descended into anarchy, Africa's second-largest nation is, by and large, headed in the right direction. It still has a long way to go (militias continue to brutalise civilians in many areas), but new roads, enormous untapped mineral wealth and the world's largest UN peacekeeping force have bred optimism among its tormented but resilient population.

Carpeted by huge swathes of rain forest and punctuated by gushing rivers and smoking volcanoes, DRC is the ultimate African adventure. There is absolutely nothing soft nor easy about about it but for an African immersion you'll never forget this is the place to be.

Kinshasa
Once touted as Kin la Belle (beautiful Kinshasa), locals have long since redubbed their chaotic capital 'Kin la Poubelle' (Kinshasa the trashcan). Sprawling seemingly forever from the banks of the Congo River, 'Kin' has the same maniacal drivers, dismaying poverty, mounds of trash, belching black tailpipes and persistent street hawkers that you've seen in many other African cities, but here it's all bigger, faster and louder than you've probably experienced before.

Académie des Beaux-Arts
This regarded art school has loads of sculpture around the grounds, and you can often see students and professors at work. Behind the back of the school is the Museé National de Kinshasa. At the time of research it was closed due to a lack of funds but if it re-opens it houses a small but impressive collection of Congolese masks.

Marché du Art
In need of a souvenir? Desperate for a fetish? Searching for distinctive art? Then say hello to the vendors at the Marché du Art. Take note that the market has been moved a couple of times in the last few years and there was talk of it moving again in the next year or two

Laurent Kabila's Tomb
This tomb of former President Laurent Kabila is worth seeing although reaching it involves passing through several layers of security – why a dead man needs so much security isn't totally clear!

Marché Central
It's worth losing yourself in this, one of the largest markets in Central Africa.

Chutes du Zongo
A popular trip for those who can afford 4WD hire (US$200), the gorgeous Zongo Falls are about 100km out of Kinshasa, the last half signed off the highway at Sona-Bata.

Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary
Ninety minutes west of Kinshasa, just beyond the city's sprawl, this provides a home for orphaned bonobos. Long thought to be chimpanzees it is only fairly recently that scientists have realised that they are a seperate species altoghter and one that is even more closely related to you and I. Bonobo's are known for being much more peaceful than chimpanzees and instead of fighting they prefer to have sex! Make love not war! Trails lead around the large, forested enclosures, but the playful bonobos often hang out right at the front, especially in the morning. The sanctuary is 8km off the Matadi road: follow the signs for Chutes de Lakaya, which has a little beach and weekend-only restaurant. If you're patient, you can hitch the last 8km off the highway. A hire car with driver from Kinshasa will cost US$100, but in the wet season you'll need a 4WD which is US$150-200.

Eastern DRC
Although the classic image of the DRC is that of a steaming untamed jungle, the part of the country that most travellers see is the very far east; an area of cloud-scraping volcanic mountains, lakes of lava and those lumbering giants, the mountain gorillas. All this is best experienced in the breathtaking Parc National des Virunga. Elsewhere the east does live up to the Congo cliches; there are vast stretches of dense tropical forest haunted by half-giraffe half-zebra okapis and riven with muddy rivers and muddier roads.

Goma
Until the M23 rebel advance of late 2012 this dusty border town, home to a massive UN presence, hosted more travellers than any other place in DRC, though that's still very few. Mostly people popped over briefly to track mountain gorillas, climb Nyiragongo Volcano, or, for the truly adventurous, trek the western slopes of the Rwenzori mountains, all of which happens in Parc National des Virunga, one of Africa's most diverse parks.

At the time of writing the park was pretty much closed to tourists: this includes gorilla tracking and Nyiragongo. The M23 rebels have, however, been leading gorilla-tracking trips that some travellers have taken advantage of. Partaking in such trips has to be one of the most irresponsible things a traveller could do – official park authorities cannot stress enough the risks these unauthorised trips pose to the gorillas. If that weren't enough, there is evidence to suggest that the money the M23 earns through these trips is used to purchase weapons – and this is a group whose leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and the use of child soldiers.

The national park website contains frequent update as to the status of the park and whether or not it is open to tourists. It also includes a list of tour companies they have blacklisted due to working alongside the M23.

The city itself has no proper attractions, but you can witness the destruction caused by Nyiragongo's 2002 eruption at the ruined cathedral and the aptly named Hôtel Volcano, where the basement used to be the ground floor before 3m of lava engulfed the building. Northeast of the airport is a moonscape with several lava vents that sent the stream of lava straight through the city centre. Lac Vert, west of town, is a much older crater now filled with a greenish-tinged lake.

If price is your primary concern, head to Guesthouse Shushu. Each room here contains a small double bed, chair and mosquito net. The shared showers are cold and would benefit from a decent scrub. Stella Matutina Lodge is better than anything in the town centre, plus it has great gardens and sweeping lake views. The best value in town however is La Brise Guesthouse, which has large rooms, tight security, semi-reliable hot water and a quiet lakeside location (although the restaurant is insanely overpriced). In the evenings, Belgian-owned Le Petit Bruxelles fires up its courtyard barbecue and serves tasty seared steaks and cold beer. The lunch menu is more limited, but the burgers are some of the best in town.

Road travel out of Goma to the rest of DRC is unsafe at the moment, but taking the boat to Bukavu is rarely a problem.

There are daily flights to Kinshasa and Kisangani.

Kisangani
Kisangani was known in colonial times as Stanleyville and was immortalised as the unnamed city in VS Naipaul's classic novel A Bend in the River. Once a pleasant place and a major hub for travellers, Kisangani suffered as much as any town during the war years. The city was founded by its original namesake in 1883 because it's the last point ships can travel upriver from Kinshasa before being blocked by Boyoma Falls, a 100km stretch with seven major waterfalls. The final drop, just east of town, is a lovely spot, with a rocky stage and a jungle-clad backdrop, though the Wagenia Fishermen (best seen on the south bank) are pushing it in their demands for US$30 to look at their famous scaffolds and conical fish traps. Tshopo Falls, 3km north of town by the dam and the old Skol Brewery, is far smaller, but still nice. There are sandy beaches and a bar-restaurant (popular at night) nearby.

Rooms are small, but copious plants and other quaint touches make Les Chalets Kisangani's best value place to stay. Guest House Saint Charles offers cheaper and fairly pleasing rooms. Riviera Restaurant, part of the hotel of the same name, is fronted by a terrace, trees and colonial homes and is the most popular place to dine.

Almost everyone arrives from Kinshasa by air, but riverboats are sailing once again. Land transport departs from northeast of the central market. There are several jeeps and buses to Beni (US$45 to US$60, jeeps 12 to 15 hours, buses 16 to 20 hours) daily; most travel overnight to avoid hassles with the police.

Bukavu
DRC's most attractive city, which crawls along a contorted shoreline at the southern tip of Lake Kivu, is the base for visiting the criminally undervisited Parc National de Kahuzi-Biéga, Virunga's little-known neighbour, where you can track habituated eastern lowland gorillas (Grauer’s gorillas). It's often possible to get permits (US$400 per person) for same-day hiking. The starting point is at Tshivanga, 30km northwest of town. Taxi-motos there and back cost about US$20 to US$30, while hiring a jeep costs US$100. The park also has a chimpanzee orphanage (and is in the process of habituating wild groups of chimps to human presence) and some worthy hikes up the mountains (US$35 to US$100). You can camp in the park for US$50.

Floating out in the middle of Lake Kivu, Idjwi Island is, at 340 sq km, the second-largest lake island in Africa. Little visited by tourists, it's nevertheless a safe and blissfully low-key place to relax for a few days. Lodging is available in small guesthouses and boats run daily to the island from Bukavu.

There are only two rooms at the friendly little Esperance Guest House - and they both share a bathroom, but everything is kept polished and clean and a good dinner is available for US$10 extra. Call ahead. The smartest place in town is the resort-style Orchids Safari Club where gorgeous rooms are set around even more gorgeous gardens and there are views over Lake Kivu that are, yes you guessed it, gorgeous.

Several boats depart daily to Goma. Choices range from US$15 on the shadeless, grossly overcrowded deck of a ferry (eight to 10 hours) to US$50 for a canot rapide (speedboat; two to three hours). The road to Kisangani is so devastated that only motorcycles can manage it.

NYIRAGONGO
Beautiful and brooding, locals in Goma fear and respect the power of Nyiragongo Volcano. Having destroyed half the city in 2002, the volcano certainly deserves its reputation, though this isn’t to say you shouldn’t climb it if you’re feeling fit. Those who do undertake the five-hour climb are rewarded with views into the earth’s smouldering heart and the world’s largest lava lake from the crater’s rim. Wrapped in a sleeping bag, watching the fiery glow of the lava light up the night sky is a wickedly surreal, if slightly unnerving, experience.

Preparation

As the summit stands at 3468m, with a short but impressively steep section near the top, you will need to be moderately fit to tackle this beast. Guides and armed security are included with your permit, but consider hiring your own porter (US$12 per day, maximum weight carried 15kg) and cook (US$15 per day) at the small ranger post at the start of the climb.

While it is possible to make a round trip in one day, by doing so you’ll miss the lava at its spectacular nighttime best. Most people opt to spend the night in one of the eight A-frame cabanas built on the crater’s rim (no additional charge). Each cabana has two bunks, each bed with a mattress and pillow but nothing else. You will need to bring your own food, water, sleeping bag (these can be rented from ICCN for US$5), stove, cooking utensils, sunscreen, toilet paper, torch and warm clothing. The latter is essential; nights are extremely cold on the summit and gloves, hats, windbreakers and sweaters will go a long way towards making your experience more enjoyable.

Katanga Province
Mineral rich, but all-too-often cash poor, Katanga, in the far southeast, is the mining capital of DRC. Milked for all it was worth during the Mobutu era, Katanga has weathered the recent storms better than most, and is one of the more stable parts of the country.

Lubumbashi
Known to locals as L’shi or Lubum, this languid yet likeable city was known as Elizabethville during the Belgian colonial period. Founded in 1910 as a hub for the extraction industry, it suffered willful neglect during the Mobutu years, but briefly found a starring role as the legislative capital from 1999 to 2003.

Kisantu
Kisantu, 100km out of Kinshasa, has many colonial-era relics, including the incongruously large Cathèdrale Notre Dame de Sept Douleurs and the 222-sq-km Jardin Botanique de Kisantu, with trees from around the world. There's a small natural history museum, a cactus garden and a pleasant restaurant.