The '''Democratic Republic of the Congo''' (''Republique Democratique du Congo'') (Abbreviated:''DROC'') is a country in Central Africa. It straddles the Equator and is surrounded by Angola to the southwest, (Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province lies to the west and north of a very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean), Republic of the Congo to the northwest, Central African Republic to the north, Sudan to the northeast, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania in the east from north to south, and Zambia to the southeast.

The country has formerly been known as Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo or Zaire. The country is also known as '''Congo-Kinshasa''' to distinguish it from its northern neighbor, the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).

Regions

The Congo is divided into 25 provinces and one independent city (Kinshasa).

Cities

  • Kinshasa - Capital
  • Ports and harbors

  • Banana
  • Boma
  • Bukavu
  • Bumba
  • Goma
  • Kalemie
  • Kindu
  • Kisangani
  • Kuba
  • Matadi
  • Mbandaka
  • Other destinations

    Several parks are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
  • Virunga National Park
  • Kahuzi-Biega National Park
  • Garamba National Park
  • Salonga National Park
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve
  • Nyiragongo volcano
  • Understand

    The Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly known as '''Zaire''') is considered risky at this time, and tourism is NOT recommended at this time. The country has had a tumultuous recent history. Congolese politics have been dominated by the civil war in neighbouring Rwanda, with the influx of refugees from that conflict adding to the factional disputes following Mobutu's overthrow. Active civil war has been taking place on Congolese territory since approximately 1998. Joseph Kabila has established a government of national unity; however, bitter divisions still exist nationwide, and the situation is unstable at this time.

    History

    Mobutu Sese Seko was president from 24 November 1965 until forced into exile on 16 May 1997 when his government was overthrown militarily by Laurent Kabila. Kabila immediately assumed governing authority, but his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued.

    Kabila was assassinated in January 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph Kabila. In October 2002, the new president was successful in getting occupying Rwandan forces to withdraw from eastern Congo; two months later, an agreement was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and set up a government of national unity.

    Get in

    By plane

  • From Africa: South African Airways, Kenyan Airways serve Kinshasa three times a week each. Ethiopian Airlines has daily flights from Addis Abbeba.
  • From Europe: Air France, Brussels Airlines have regular directs flights. The cheapest flights are on African airlines flying London-Kinshasa and Paris-Kinshasa, roughly $500 per person ($1,000 roundtrip).
  • Local airlines will transport you inland, mainly with Russian planes: Hewa Bora, Wimbi Dira Airways, Bravo Air, CAA (Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation).

    By train

    No Train available yet

    By car

    By bus

    From Uganda to Congo via Bunagana Kisoro Border. There is many buses which operate daily between Bunagana /Uganda and Goma every day between 7AM and 1PM. Prices for the bus is US$5. A valid visa for both countries is required in either direction.Entry and exit procedures at Bunagana border are "easy" and straight forward and people are very helpful in assisting visitors to get through without troubles.

    By boat

    Passenger and VIP ferries operate daily between Brazzaville and Kinshasa roughly every two hours between 8am and 3pm. Prices for the ferries are: 15 US$ for the passenger and US$20 for the VIP ferry. The VIP ferry is recommended as these are brand new boats and not cramped. A valid visa for both countries is required in either direction. The bureaucracy at either end require some time. Entry and exit procedures in Brazzaville are "easy" and straight forward and people are very helpful in assisting to get through without troubles. In contrast, these procedures are a bit difficult in Kinshasa and depend much on whether you are an individual traveller or assisted by an organisation or an official government representative. There are also speed boats to hire, either in a group or alone (price!), however, it is not advisable to book them as they really speed across the river along the rapids.

    Get around

    By plane

    Due to the immense size of the country, the terrible state of the roads and the poor security situation, the only way to get around the country quickly is by plane. This is not to say that it's safe — Congolese planes crash with depressing regularity, with eight recorded crashes in 2007 alone — but it's probably the safest option. The largest carriers are '''Hewa Bora''' [http://www.hba.cd/], '''Wimbi Dira''' [http://www.wda.cd/] and '''Bravo Airlines''' [http://www.bravoairlines.com].

    By truck

    As smaller vehicles are unable to negotiate what remains of the roads, a lot of travel in the Congo is done by truck. If you go to a truck park, normally near the market, you should be able to find a truck driver to take you where ever you want, conflict zones aside. You travel on top of the load with a large number of others. If you pick a truck carrying bags of something soft like peanuts it can be quite comfortable. Beer trucks are not. If the trip takes days then comfort can be vital, especially if the truck goes all night. It helps to sit along the back, as the driver will not stop just because you want the toilet. The cost has to be negotiated so ask hotel staff first and try not to pay more than twice the local rate. Sometimes the inside seat is available. Food can be bought from the driver, though they normally stop at roadside stalls every 5/6 hours. Departure time are normally at the start or end of the day, though time is very flexible. It helps to make arrangements the day before. It is best to travel with a few others. Women should never ever travel alone. Some roads have major bandit problems so check carefully before going.

    At army checkpoints locals are often hassled for bribes. Foreigners are normally left alone, but prepare some kind of bribe just in case. By the middle of the afternoon the soldiers can be drunk so be very careful and very polite. Never lose your temper.

    By ferry

    A ferry on the Congo River operates, if security permits, from Kinshasa to Kisangani, every week or two. You can pick it up at a few stops enroute, though you have to rush as it doesn't wait. A suitable bribe to the ferry boss secures a four bunk cabin and cafeteria food. The ferry consists of 4 or so barges are tied around a central ferry, with the barges used as a floating market. As the ferry proceeds wood canoes paddled by locals appear from the surrounding jungle with local produce - vegetables, pigs, monkeys, etc - which are traded for industrial goods like medicine or clothes. You sit on the roof watching as wonderful African music booms out. Of course it is not clean, comfortable or safe. It is however one of the world's great adventures.

    Do

    Congo is the centre of popular African music. The rhythms are irresistible, once you get the feel for it. Try visiting a local bar or disco, in Bandal or Matonge (both in Kinshasa), if possible with live soukouss music, and just hit the dance floor!

    Buy

    The currency is the '''Congolese franc'''. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 centimes, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 francs. They are almost worthless, as the highest valued banknote is worth only about 90 US cents.

    There are some supermarkets in Gombe commune of Kinshasa: City market, Peloustore, Kin Mart, Hasson's sell food and drinks, soap, kitchen devices and bazar. SIM cards and prepaid recharge for mobile phones are available in the street and at Ndjili airport, at reasonable price.

    Money

    Mastercard/Maestro ATMs are available now in Kinshasa at the "Rawbank" on boulevard du 30 Juin (Gombe District), and in Grand Hotel. It spits out USD$. Visa card are also usable with "Procredit" bank ATMs in Kinshasa, avenue des Aviateurs, or outside in front of Grand Hotel (only 20 and 100 $ notes).

    Eat

    Congo has one national dish: ''moambe''. It's made of eight ingredients (''moambe'' is the Lingala word for ''eight''): palm nuts, chicken, fish, peanuts, rice, cassave leaves, bananas and hot pepper sauce.

    Drink

    Don't drink the local water. Bottled water seems to be cheap enough but sometimes hard to find for a good price. The usual soft drinks (called ''sucre'' in Congo) such as Coke, Pepsi and Miranda are available in most places and are safe to drink. Local sodas like Vitalo are amazing. Traditional drinks like ginger are also common.

    The local beer is based on rice, and tastes quite good. It comes in 75 cl bottles. Primus, Skol, Castel are the most common brands. Tembo, Doppel are the dark local beers.

    In rural areas, you may try the local palm wine, an alcoholic beverage from the sap of the palm tree. It is tapped right from the tree, and begins fermenting immediately after collection. After two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. The wine may be allowed to ferment longer, up to a day, to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste, which some people prefer.

    Beware of the local gin. The distillation process, if not controlled properly, can generate methanol instead of ethanol, which is toxic and can cause blindness.

    Sleep

    There are more and more hotels in Kinshasa: Grand Hotel and Memling are the oldest and most expensives, with satellite TV, pool, restaurants and bar.

    Hotel Venus, African Dream, Residence Marika, hotel Cana, Residence Sofia, hotel Invest, Residence 165 have good standard (air-conditionning, TV, some of them with a pool, restaurant). Hotel Pyramides is not too far from Kinshasa, in "Ma Campagne" area.

    Smaller hotels like Estoril, Gombe, Luntu, Ascension, Christmas, Bellevie, Diplomate, Fontana are also available in Gombe and Ngaliema area.

    Learn

    Work

    Stay safe

    At present, the country cannot be considered a tourist destination. Travel by car is extremely dangerous, particularly outside Kinshasa, Goma and Kisangani. Certain regions are controlled by rebel forces and cease fire agreements are weak. Several countries (''e.g.'', Germany) have issued a travel warning. A UN peace keeping mission is trying to prevent warfare.

    Public transport is also unreliable at best, predominantly due to a lack of vehicles, and bad road conditions during the rainy season. Safety equipment is missing.

    Stay healthy

    Congo is malarial, so use insect repellent and take necessary precautions. Seek advice from a physician before visiting. Hygiene is not good, so beware of food and catering.

    It is dangerous to go to local town hospitals in towns since they are not hygienic and are often without a registered doctor. Needles are also unsafe because of the lack of sterilization. Ebola outbreaks have recently been reported in some areas. If you need emergency medical assistance, it is advised that you go to your nation's embassy. The embassy doctors are normally willing and skilled enough to help.

    There are safe hospitals in Kinshasa, like "CMK" (Centre Medical de Kinshasa) which is is private and was established by European doctors (a visit costs around 20$). Another one private and non-profit hospital is Centre Hospitalier MONKOLE, in Mont-Ngafula district, with European and Congolese doctors. Dr Leon Tshilolo, a paediatrician trained in Europe and one of African experts in Sickle-Cell Anaemia, is the Monkole Medical Director.

    Respect

    When motorcades pass, all vehicular traffic is expected to provide a clear path. Photography of these motorcades is illegal. Also illegal is photography of borders or government buildings or airports.

    At approximately 6AM and 6PM daily, the national flag is raised and lowered. All traffic and pedestrians are required to stop for this ceremony, with reports indicating that those who do not are detained by security personnel.

    Contact