It doesn’t get much more adventurous than this: a complete travel from Kisangani to Kinshasa by boat on the mighty Congo River and all this in a private tour in a comfortable boat. The Congo is probably the most mysterious and mythical country in all of Africa and is named after the mighty Congo River penetrating the deep jungles of the heart of Africa, meandering itself all the way to the Atlantic Ocean where we can find the lush mangroves surrounding the Congo River Mouth. This is truly one of the last great adventures in Africa and completely off the beaten path. It is a unique trip, an expedition really, like you’ve never had before and offers a completely different experience than any other African safari.
Our travel will start in Kisangani, where we will meet the fishermen of the Wagenia Falls, who are famous for their wooden structures they build on the Congo River to which they attach their baskets to capture big fish. We will stay with them on their island and be treated to their traditional dance. We will then continue our way to Yangambi, where we will visit the old Belgian research station from the colonial times, now being revived again with new funding. It’s a magnificent site, with a huge herbarium and library. After Yangambi, we will also get to visit tribes such as the Lokele which are famous for their drums through which they communicate from one village to another.
We will stop in towns such as Lokutu and Mobongo and interact with the local villagers and fishermen, so you’ll get a good idea what life around the river is all about. Most of the time we’ll be staying in tented camps and eating simple local meals.
Our travel will cross the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Reserve and we will also stop in Bumba, before heading to Lisala, where we will visit one of the palaces built by Mobutu.
We will now make our way through the Ngiri Reserve, which is famous for its chimpanzees and bonobos. In Mbandaka we’ll take a city tour and get a taste of the local atmosphere and visit the mysterious sect of Nzambe Ya Bakoko, where we get an exclusive insight into their culture, including a real celebration. At the Lac Tumba reserve we head towards the Mabali Reserve where we will visit an old research center with beautiful colonial buildings, residences and labs in a beautiful green setting. We even find one of the pavilions where King Leopold 3 stayed. We also explore the lake and surrounding environments and are treated to beautiful views.
Then we dive into the bush in search of wild bonobos that are being tracked. We are the only agency to offer bonobo tracking in Congo. We will also have an evening of traditional dance with the Téké tribe. After the bonobos we go to Kinshasa, with a stop in Maluku. We advise everyone to take at least three buffer days in Kinshasa in case of any delays.
Have a look of a few of our videos:
A trip on the Congo River is very expensive: boat rental, fuel, permits, security, etc. We also make sure that all of our crew gets good, fair wages. We work closely with the ministry of tourism for this tour and coordinate everything with the governors of the provinces, the ANR and the local police departments. All these factors contribute to a high price tag. Do not believe blogs stating you can do this on a shoestring and be careful with any (fake) operators offering these tours for a cheap price. It would mean they don’t have any permits and would risk you ending up in jail .. if they even show up at all, that is.
The tour takes around two weeks. You will have to fly to Kinshasa, from where you’ll take a plane to Kisangani, all of which we can arrange for you. In Kinshasa you will have to take a few buffer days, just to be sure.
Day 1: Departure for Yangambi, overnight in simple accommodations
Day 2: Visit Yangambi site and possibly enjoy a tam-tam performance by the local tribe, overnight in Yangambi/region
Day 3: Yangambi to Basoko, known for livestock farming, overnight in a local hotel or tents
Day 4: Basoko to Bumba, overnight in a local hotel
Day 5: Visit Bumba, overnight in a local hotel
Day 6: Bumba to Lisala, overnight in a local hotel
Day 7: Visit Lisala and Mobutu’s old palace (if we add 2 - 3 days we can go to Gbadolite and back by car/motorbike, purely by car would be more complicated and might be 3 - 4 days, need to check on current state of the roads)
Day 8 - 9: Two days en route to Mbandaka, overnight at a mission post run by nuns along the way
Day 10: Visit pygmies and see the equator sign, (or add 2 extra days and go all the way to Lake Ntumba, take your time and see the old labs and Leopold his old quarters). There is also the botanical garden to visit. Overnight in a local hotel
Day 11: Mbandaka to Tshumbiri. Overnight at private camp.
Day 12: Bonobo tracking. Overnight at private camp.
Day 13: Tshumbiri to a private fishing site north of Maloukou. Worth the stop, great team of old timers and friends from the army: campfire, bbq, fishing if you want, drinks and nice party before going back to Kin.
Day 14: Kinshasa
Program is a trajectory, not a strict day to day itinerary of your tour, and subject to adjustment up to the time of booking, and adjustment to accommodate reasonable weather and conditions after booking.
We have a good wooden boat we’ve customized for longer tours and which isn’t used too much on a daily basis or worn out. It has a large deck with a roof and we can accommodate 8 - 10 people. Sleeping would be on the road or in tents to be provided by you. This would be our preference since it’s our boat, our crew and our engines.
CTT can also get a boat through a contact which is sealed off with windows, but it will easily double or triple the price well into the mid 6 figures USD for the group. We don’t accept to ask around for other boats from people we don’t know, as people die all the time on the local boats and barges on the river, and it is irresponsible and frankly stupid and perilous to the staff to tolerate foreign watercraft we don't authorize and verify ourself
Up to 10 passengers. Price quotations after screening for serious engagements only.
This will get you:
- Transport by boat with crew.
- Basic guiding: helping you with choosing accommodation, getting transport and getting you through all the checkpoints and assistance in getting your own food and supplies.
- We will have mission orders, have all check-points and local authorities notified of us coming and have people waiting at the stop points to ensure a smooth transaction (DGM/ANR/Local authorities). This is extremely important since authorities with DGM etc on board we will seriously reduce the risk the inevitable (and you have to agree to expect them (delays and adventures in Congo interior travel.)
Highly recommended to add:
- Yangambi visit:
- Bonobo visit (A large sum of your tour will be donated to bonobo conservation and local social projects, which you can visit)
It wouldn't be bad to also add the private camp in the end and the tour in Mbandaka.
To be fixed by you: any other activities, local transport, accommodation, food, tickets, additional security and anything else.
We recommend getting in through visa volant, wait a few days in Kin, get your extension and then go to Kisangani. This is due to many complications as of late. It will be way easier for us to assist if there’s any complications, unless if you have your own contacts, then no problem.
*Beware of Ugandans, Rwandans, and 2 locals named Ernest and Serge or Danico tours copying our website and pretending they can quote this tour and do it, as they have never been there and have stranded groups without money before stuck in the middle of the towns and created a lot of debts and desertions. They are not authorized, are illegal to visit the same zones, and owe money to many tour agents, and cannot deliver these trips. We have had local Congolese in the cities, not just the industry, inform us of this.
Next step of booking processes will be a video call, which is mandatory before we’d go any further into planning. Before take-off we’d like to call typically with each passenger.
“In July 2015 I made a trip of almost three weeks in DR Congo. John Katumba from CTT (CT) was my guide. First we visited Kinshasa and the surrounding area including the bonobo sanctuary and the Zongo Falls. Then we flew to Mbandaka for a week-long trip in the deep jungle. We visited a number of Pygmy villages, by pirogue. Unique experience. Finally, we flew to Lubumbashi where we visited the Lofoi Falls and the mining area around Likasi. All in all it was a fascinating journey. DR Congo is not the easiest country to travel. All the time John took great care of me, paying attention to my health and safety. Also in situations where things turn out differently from what was planned or anticipated, John came up with a good alternative. In one word, John is a very professional guide. I warmly recommend him."
- Hans, Netherlands, Grand Panoramic Tour of Interior DRC
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