Complete Congo River Cruise (22 days)

Complete Congo River Model Cruise (22 days)

(Kisangani-Kinshasa by Private Local-Craft-Built Boat)

With a total length of 4371 km, the Congo River is the second longest river in Africa after the Nile, and with an average flow rate of 40,000 cubic meters per second, it is the second largest river in the world after the Amazon. It also holds claim as the deepest river in the world with measured depths in excess of 220 m (720 ft).  From its source in southern Katanga, at an altitude of 1435 meters, the river contours throughout the country, via Kisangani, Mbandaka, Kinshasa and Matadi before reaching the Atlantic Ocean, near Banana. 

The great part is navigable from Kisangani to Kinshasa and Matadi in the Atlantic Ocean (and extremely unnavigable in between and outside those spans, deadly so) Between the two sections, navigability is limited by a series of rapids that will produce a large hydro - electric dam 'Inga' that feeds the DRC and other neighboring countries with electricity.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE RIVER AND YOUR TRIP:

• The boat is purpose-built in the Congolese tradition, equipped with powerful outboard engine.
• In addition to crew you have a professional guide accompanied by the main guide (branch manager), and cooks.
• Evenings and nights are spent in tents on the ground, allowing for exchange with local people in the welcoming villages.
• For assured special attention and safer sailing, our cruise runs at a maximum capacity of 12
  participants and the program is indicative. You may propose a
  modification to your satisfaction and our team will dovetail with the
  schedule.

Considering the Congo? Always wanted to come to this river? Stop right here. Read:

FIRST, WE RECOMMEND FOR MOST GUESTS THE BEST OF DR CRUISING PRODUCT. THE BELOW CRC TOUR IS MORE SUITABLE FOR MEDIUM OR LARGE GROUPS WHO WOULD LIKE TO TRAVEL IN THE SPIRIT OF PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA

Next, a word about the river and the region:

Be very careful of American, European, and some African resellers who re-sell our tours and are on a blacklist of agents we do not work with. There’s a lot of disinformation and dishonesty among reseller agents, and you are advised to plan & read carefully.

The Congo River is grand, and open for 2017, but it is very very remote. It is among the real and out-of-the-media last wildest places on earth, and certainly in Africa.

You need to read the briefing room section and the terms and conditions. Don’t forget! This is not Africa. This is the Congo. 

This is not the 190 other countries you’ve visited prior to this on your adventure. This is the Congo, and not like there, nor does there prepare you for this part of the world. 

We appreciate adventurers. Yet: Past travel experience in Africa is worse than irrelevant and is dangerously misleading.

You must listen and please examine your trip plans and align expectations according to reality, the rules, and instructions of the tour authority on this one. There are serious to severe consequences of not paying attention, for everyone on your trip.

Ready?...Come on over to Africa’s Mightiest and Most Epic River Ride!

THE BELOW IS A MODEL ONLY - EVERY YEAR AND GROUP WILL USE A DIFFERENT BOAT AND DAY BY DAY ROUTE

(THIS ROUTE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A PAST CTT VOYAGE, HOWEVER THE ITINERARY IS AS FLUID AS THE RIVER ITSELF - THIS IS NOT A DISNEY CRUISE, AND PLEASE BRING A SERIOUS GROUP AND SERIOUS FLEXIBILITY.)

NOTE: WARNING - TAKING PHOTOS IN AREAS OUR GUIDES AND STAFF TELL YOU NOT TO IS NOT SAFE FOR THEM, NOR FOR YOU, NOR FOR THE GROUP. ANY TOURIST WHO VIOLATES THE RULES WILL END THEIR TRIP.

Please note it is possible for any independent tourist to attempt to orchestrate a Congo River trip on their own of this sort. You can try to get a visa on your own, and fly to Kisangani on your own, find a safe boat on your own, and quality unwatered fuel and boatmen, and clean food, and places to sleep before darkness falls on the river each night for a month. We cannot help you plan costs or count days for this sort of trip. The fuel alone for private boat is very expensive. Please be very careful.

Day 1: Arrival Kinshasa, assistance at the airport by the team and transfer to Hotel (Usually Hotel Leon.) Briefing Night stay at the hotel. Free evening.

Day 2: After breakfast, visit Kinshasa and the Mausoleum of the late President Kabila, the rapids of the Congo River, symphony arts, the bonobos in the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary, the art market 'For thieves,' and numerous monuments and historic buildings. Overnight at hotel

Day 3: Transfer tp Kinshasa-Kisangani regular flight. Arrival, check in at the hotel and visit the city of Kisangani. Overnight at hotel.

Day 4: Boat trip: Kisangani - Yangambi (95 km)

Yangambi is a forest research center. The site is very important from the point of view of biodiversity, as it hosts about 32 000 species of trees. The elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis), bush pig (Potamochoerus porcus) and monkeys (Cercopithecus spp.) Are present in the forest to the center but sometimes difficult to see.

Day 5 to 12 - Boat trip: Yangambi - Mbandaka (910 KM)

During our travels we visit many villages:

Lokutu (a large village of 20,000 inhabitants marked by large plantation and plant oil palm.) Mombongo town, village Bumba and Lisala which is the hometown of former President Mobutu Sese Seko. He was born here in a small municipal maternity clinic we would visit too. 

In the village, a wide trunked tree with a large rock commemorates the birth of the King of Zaire Mobutu.

This part of the river is nearly 20km wide with several islands and settlements of fishermen. We visit the villages IATE Moleka, Bolombo, Bolombo, Malonga, Makanza to arrive in Mbandaka

Day 12: You will be arrived in Mbandaka for a night at the hotel and a day of rest. 

Mbandaka, - Locational capital of the province of the equator, formerly Coquilathville, founded by Henry Morton Stanley in 1883, the city is located at the crossing of the River Congo and Ruki River. 

The city retains some fine houses of colonial architecture that hold to this day. The town is inhabited by the tribute Mongo who live in harmony with the Pygmies. 

According to geographers, the city is level with the equator. A fat stone is placed 5 km from the city center to mark the passage of the line.

A visit in the area:

The Eala Botanical Garden and the Catholic mission Bamanya.

The Botanical Garden of Eala was established February 3, 1900 by the Belgian botanist Emile Laurent. It was also the headquarters of the National Institute for Agronomic Studies of the Belgian Congo. The garden is full 3,200 species of trees and plants, 12,000 seagrasses, and several fruit trees. EALA was one of the largest gardens in Africa, which aims to preserve the botanical diversity of Africa and study the agronomic species. Each time, although it is a botanical garden, we reported the presence of a crocodile captured since 1953 and who lives to this day inside.

Day 13: After breakfast, a visit to the city (Musse popular market), the Eala Botanical Garden, Catholic mission Bamanya and Night Hotel

Days 14, 15; 16: Boat trip Mbandaka - Bolobo (505 km) or we will temporarily leave the boat for the visit of Bonobos in the reserve Malebo) in the course visited the villages such as:

Irrebi: commando training center of the Congolese navy to meet the Chief Lolo and learn about the history and adventures of the Congo River Navy.

Ngomnbe, Lukolela (capital territory Lukolele) Tchumbiri and numerous encampments of fishermen

Day 17: arrive in Bolobo, free evening and overnight at the inn for Catholic priests

Day 18: Transfer town Nkala (Malebo reserve), courtesy visit to the village chief, and some dance steps will be observed with the folklore group Teke 'Ekoulbalow' Stay overnight in tents at the farm Mbomou -Tour

Day 19: Morning out ​​in the woods with the trackers to follow the Bonobos. Back to the Villages around 12:00. After lunch, transfer from Tchumbiri town to join our boat and follow the descent to Kinshasa.

Day 20: Following the descent, visit of the town -Ndombe Bac Mai and meet the traditional chief of the Teke tribe who considers himself an Emperor. Overnight in tents in the village.

Day 21: After breakfast we continue the descent for about 2 hours, when we will at last enter our Kinshasa and we finally leave the boat and crew.

Transfer Downtown, free evening and overnight at the hotel. 

A special dinner buffet with Congolese cuisine.

Day 22: Free day. At last, transfer to the airport to head out of the Congo.

Departure Date: All year

• The Congo River Cruise includes visa invitations
• Includes food on the boat and during the cruise. NOT in the cities before and after.
• Includes 2 star hotel accommodation in Kinshasa, Kisangani, and Mbandaka, and tented accommodation during the water voyage.
• Includes all sightseeing as indicated on the day-by-day program in the previous itinerary sent, and current on the website.
• Includes airport transfers in Kinshasa and Kisangani.

• Includes French and English speaking guides. Japanese/Chinese/Spanish/or Portugese guide can be arranged at an additional cost (and advance notice)

*for clarity, the tour does include hotel in Kinshasa the night before the tour, and the night after the tour. It does not include food at this hotel.

1. Hotels (sample options)

-Kinshasa: The Release **** hotel (downtown Gombe)

-Kisangani: Balme Beach ***

-Mbandaka: Nina river and Bamanya *** (tent)

2  Restaurant Kinshasa (sample options_

-    The September 5 dinner at the hotel (release) $ 25 / person

-   The September 6 lunch Yacht Club Kinshasa (river board) $ 20 / person,

-    The September 6 Dinner super bargain (buffet at will) $ 25 / person

-   September 25 dinner Hotel relaxes $ 20 / person

-   September 26 Lunch: River Hotel $ 40 / person before leaving for the airport

-   Dinner restaurant Kinkole dining home $ 20 / person.

3 Boat

Please ask us after reading ALL of the above provisions and conditions.

4 Villages: 

The villages we will stay in the accommodation listed on the itinerary (see program) for quality control and safety. We will also have security from our staff as well as locals.

5 Tent: 

Please ask us after reading ALL of the above provisions and conditions for current tents

6 Animals 

In this run, we don not have a lot of large animals to see, except: bonobos in Kinshasa, the crocodiles in Ehala (Botanical Garden of Mbandaka) and many other surprises, but lots of birds, fish, and occasional mammals like monkeys, bats, cevette cats, etc. are to see outside the villages and markets while passing jungle by chance.

7 Food in the boat (sample wilderness menu)

Breakfast: tea, instant coffee, milk, yawning, margarine, chocolate, jam, egg omelette, cheese, bread

Lunch; choices: vegetables, rice, bread, but canned beans and tuna, carrots and mushrooms, plantain banana (starch), banana fruits (sweet), pineapples, oranges, sweet potatos, and many other fruits.

Dinner: the choices: chicken, meat, fish, vegetable, rice ... and plantain bananas, manioc/fufu (African food starch), chips and potato.

Our past river menu in general: 

Breakfast: Tea, coffee, sugar, milk, jam, chocolate, butter, egg omelette

Meals: chicken, meat, fish, vegetables, .........corned beef, sardines, tuna, crab.

Accompaniment: Rice, bread, chicken wings, sweet potato, banana, plantains, chikwangues, fufu

Dessert: pineapple, fruit bananas, oranges, papayas and other wild fruits

*We handle food and water during boating, except for Kinshasa

Beer Arrangement (bring and buy your own and enjoy! Plenty of opportunities!) 

Life Jackets/ River Rescues

We mandate life jackets : adult size maximum body weight of 100 KG. 

Tent

We have had 5 double and 5 single tents tents for this trip in the past. We will put a person in each as we can, unless there are married couples, etc.

We also have a central tent, table, chairs for the meal! (You will love it.) 

Sometimes we eat in the boat to avoided the looks of the villagers. Sometimes we eat in the main tent or in our host homestay. 

....Even in the church with ex-Catholic priests ... It depends on circumstances and what will give the clients the most enjoyment and comfort.

For luggage

We have no problem within reason to tow extra luggage on request for a surcharge, but CAA airline allows 30 kg checked and 10 kg in cabin hand luggage. 

We accept max 60 kg of luggage per person in the boat free of charge.

It is also possible to leave luggage at the hotel if you will not need it during the trip. 

Items to bring

-           Hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent cream, anti sunglasses,

-           Preventive treatment against malaria and other rescue medication

-           Shoes bush shirt or Long Sleeve T-shirts to walk in the forest

Prices are totally non-negotiable. The guide is THE only absolute authority on tour, and safety overrides all else 100%.