Democratic Republic of the Congo

Nature and outdoor activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Nature & Outdoors

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's landscape is defined by the volcanic Virunga Mountains, home to active peaks like Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. The region preserves rare biodiversity, including the world's only bonobo sanctuary and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. Significant hydrological features include the Boyoma Falls, a series of seven cataracts, and the 340-meter-high Lofoi Falls. Protected areas like Kahuzi-Biéga National Park safeguard eastern lowland gorillas, while the Kisantu Botanical Gardens showcase over a century of botanical research.

Nature & Outdoors — Map

J. Flynn / Public domain

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Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a protected area near Bukavu town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ivtorov / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Mount Nyiragongo

Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470 m in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift.

Ad Meskens / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Boyoma Falls

Boyoma Falls, formerly known as Stanley Falls, is a series of seven cataracts, each no more than 5 m high, extending over more than 100 km…

NASA / Public domain

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Nyamuragira

Nyamuragira, also known as Nyamulagira, is an active shield volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,…

Vanessawoods / Public domain

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Lola ya Bonobo

Lola ya Bonobo is the world's only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos. Originally founded by Claudine André in 1994, since 2002 the sanctuary…

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Lake Mai-Ndombe

Lake Mai-Ndombe is a large freshwater lake in Mai-Ndombe province in western Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Pandries / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Kisantu Botanical Gardens

Established in 1900, this 225-hectare botanical garden in Kongo Central features an extensive collection of tropical plants, including an arboretum and a significant orchid house.

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Mount Karisimbi

Mount Karisimbi a stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lutz2015 / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Mount Sabyinyo

Mount Sabyinyo is an extinct volcano in eastern Africa in the Virunga Mountains. Mount Sabyinyo is the oldest volcano of the range.

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Mount Bisoke

Mount Bisoke is an active volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift.

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Mambatuta falls

The Mambatuta Falls is a steep waterfall on the Luapula River, which originates in Lake Bangweulu and flows through Zambia and along the…

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Mambilima falls

Mambilima Falls is a series of rapids on the Luapula River on the boundary between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Mount Mikeno

Mount Mikeno is an extinct volcanic mountain located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo section of the Virunga Mountains along with…

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Mount Sabyinyo 1st Peak

Mount Sabyinyo is an extinct volcano in eastern Africa in the Virunga Mountains. Mount Sabyinyo is the oldest volcano of the range.

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Edward

A major peak of Mount Baker within the Rwenzori Mountains, reaching an elevation of 4,842 meters on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

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Chutes de la Lofoi

Located in Kundelungu National Park, these falls are among the highest in Africa, featuring a single vertical drop of approximately 340 meters.

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Okapi Breeding Station Zoo

Situated within the Epulu station of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, this facility focuses on the conservation and breeding of the okapi, a species endemic to the Ituri Rainforest.

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Mont Ngaliema

A historic hill in Kinshasa overlooking the Congo River, once the site of explorer Henry Morton Stanley's camp and later a presidential compound.

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