Congo River, Mai Ndombe Lake, & Village Visit Overnight Tour from Kinshasa

This is a 2 Day 1 Night Congo River village tour that will take you to fishermen and riverside villages. This is a very immersive tour and offers you the opportunity to participate in everyday activities of the local villagers.

Day 1: Kinshasa - Kinkole - Lukunga - Mai Ndombe

Pick up from Kinshasa and drive to Kinkole (about 30 minutes drive from Kinshasa). The city of Kinkole is a fishermen village located in the municipality of N'Sele. This is the historic place where the late President Mobutu announced 24 November to be the National Day for Fish, when the DRC was still called "Zaire". Today, the port of Kinkole is an important port that supplied agricultural products in Kinshasa.

The tour will start with a visit to the port and shortly after you will embark on your boat to Lukunga. Lukunga is a small village located on an island in the middle of the Congo River, whose population is almost exclusively working on agriculture and fishing. You will visit a small primary school and unique buildings on stilts that shelter the local villagers during
flooding periods. This village also has a beautiful panoramic view of N'Sele.

Set off to Mai Ndombe and arrive around 4:00 pm for a small briefing and welcoming. After that you can swim in the river with black waters. In the evening, you can walk around the village and talk to local villagers. Mai-Ndombe is a small village inhabited by the Teke tribe, a village at the mouth of the river. Mai Ndombe means black waters. The village is located between hills and has a wonderful panoramic view of the river.

Day 2: Mai Ndombe, Mountain Climbing, Kinshasa

After breakfast, you can visit "The Emperor" (the leader of this village is named Emperor because of his widely believed traditional powers), followed by visiting the village.  Return to camp and start to climb the mountain through the rapids of
the river. After lunch, embark on your boat and head back to Kinshasa.

You can also substitute the above activities at Mai Ndombe with a combination of the following activities:

- Participate in farming activities with local villagers

- Learn how to set traps for catching antelopes

- Learn how to make fishing lines with local fishermen

- Join the local villagers in their worshiping (Christian church)

Please remember to bring the following items:
1. A hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and sunglasses.
2. Hiking shoes, shirts with long sleeves for walking in the forest, swimwear, and fishing rod if possible.

Includes:

- An English speaking guide

- Boat, fuel, and boat driver

- Food during the trip

- 1.5 liters of mineral water (please bring more yourself if you need more drinking water)

- All activities as outlined in the program