Itinerary

Day 1 Gisenyi

Gisenyi is a city in Rubavu district in the West Province of Rwanda. Gisenyi is contiguous with Goma, the city across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city features a resort on the shores of Lake Kivu, with several hotels and three sandy beaches. The area is also known for water sports. The northern shore of the lake on which Goma and Gisenyi lie is a flat plain featuring lava formations from the eruptions of nearby Mount Nyiragongo. Gisenyi but not Goma escaped the lava flows of the 2002 eruption which destroyed between 15 and 40% of the latter. The centre of Gisenyi lies at the foot of hills in the north-east corner of the lake.

Your guide will take you on a tour of the new and vibrant capital city of Kigali. The new prosperity features a number of thriving markets and features the mountain terrain famous in Rwanda. A sober contrast to its recent history. For survivors and others whose families were murdered in Rwanda´s genocide 1994, the Memorial sites and centres are places of dignified remembrance for loved ones lost. It is also a place of reflection and learning for the wider community, both in Rwanda and internationally.

Transfer to Gisenyi along the shores of Lake Kivu.

Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities.

Lake Kivu Serena Hotel is located in the Rwandan resort town of Gisenyi, on the shores of Lake Kivu, the sixth largest lake in Africa. The hotel is ideally situated on a sandy beach, with the nearby Virunga Volcanoes providing a spectacular backdrop on one side and a panoramic view of the lake on the other. Accommodation comprises of 66 air-conditioned rooms, including 6 luxury suites, 23 family rooms and one room especially equipped for disabled guests. The restaurant offers a stunning view of the lake as you have breakfast, lunch or dinner. Lake Kivu Serena Hotel offers business facilities including a boardroom and three conference rooms available for business meetings, cocktails and banquets. The hotel also has a gym, outdoor swimming pool and two tennis courts.

Overnight at Lake Kivu Serena.

Day 2 Okapi Wildlife Reserve

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a World Heritage Site in the Ituri Forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the borders with Sudan and Uganda. At approximately 14,000 km², it covers a massive territory. Nomadic Mbuti pygmies and indigenous Bantu farmers live within the reserve. The reserve is home to 4000-6000 okapis, out of a global population of around 10,000–20,000. It is also the location of the Epulu Conservation and Research Center, on the Epulu River. This facility dates back to 1928 when the camp was founded by American anthropologist Patrick Putnam. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is also home to other interesting or endangered animals, such as the forest elephant, and at least 13 species of anthropoid primates.

Transfer to Goma (DRC) with your private vehicle and driver.

Take your flight from Goma to Kinshasa today. The flight duration is approximately 2.5 hours.

Drive to Epulu Station in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (~5 hours) on dirt road. Will pass through Nia-Nia with opportunity to buy snacks and do local shopping.

Overnight at the guesthouse of ICCN (Institute Congolese for the Conservation of Nature) located in the town of Epulu. This preserved farmhouse has one room with double beds and three rooms with a single bed all including mosquito netting. The bathroom facilities are Spartan, but soap and towels are provided. There is electricity from a generator which shuts off at 10pm. All rooms have a kerosene lamp. Hearty meals are provided with local ingredients in Congolese style. Excellent views from the balcony of the nearby Epulu River.

Overnight at Epulu ICCN Guesthouse.

Day 3 Okapi Wildlife Reserve

Found only in the Congo, the okapi is a shy and reclusive forest dweller and is the only living relative of the giraffe. Almost impossible to see in the wild, the Epulu Research Programme is a rare opportunity to see okapi up close. Dedicated staff look after a dozen captive okapi. 45 pygmy trackers bring in 35 different types of forest leaves each day, which are combined into 20kg bundles for each animal. The health, feeding and care of each okapi is carefully monitored. This station is the only source of okapi for the world's zoos. It is a unique view into a program run by incredibly dedicated staff.

The Bambuti pygmies are primarily hunter-gatherers, foraging for food in the forest. They have a vast knowledge of the forest and the foods it yields. The Bambuti use large nets, traps, and bows and arrows to hunt game. Women and children sometimes help out by trying to drive the animals into the nets. Both sexes gather and forage. Each band has its own hunting ground, although boundaries are hard to maintain. We will be permitted to follow such a group into the forest and where, possible, take our tents and overnight in their hunting camp.

Overnight in tents at a pygmy village. The Bambuti pygmies live in villages that are categorized as bands. Each hut houses a family unit. At the start of the dry season, they leave the village to enter the forest and set up a series of camps. This allows the Bambuti to utilize more land area for maximum foraging. These villages are solitary and separated from other groups of people. Their houses are small, circular, and very temporary. The walls of the structures are poles that are placed in the ground. At the top of the poles a vine is woven to keep them together. Large leaves are also used in the construction of the huts.

Overnight at Pygmy Village.

Day 4 Okapi Wildlife Reserve

Set off with your expert guide, park ranger, and porters, to track through the tropical forest. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a World Heritage Site, and part of the great Ituri Forest. The reserve takes its name from the Okapi, found only in the Congo. Although the okapi bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. The wildlife reserve is also home to the forest elephant, and at least 13 species of anthropoid primates. Unfortunately, the animals are very skilled at hiding so wild game sightings are rare. However, the vegetation in this primary growth rain forest is amazing. Comfortable hiking boots, long sleeve clothes, hat, and mosquito repellent are all necessities. A day pack is handy for bottled water, snacks, and your camera.

Overnight at the guesthouse of ICCN (Institute Congolese for the Conservation of Nature) located in the town of Epulu. This preserved farmhouse has one room with double beds and three rooms with a single bed all including mosquito netting. The bathroom facilities are Spartan, but soap and towels are provided. There is electricity from a generator which shuts off at 10pm. All rooms have a kerosene lamp. Hearty meals are provided with local ingredients in Congolese style. Excellent views from the balcony of the nearby Epulu River.

Overnight at Epulu ICCN Guesthouse.

Day 5 Kisangani

Kisangani is a city lying at the central heart of Africa’s great rainforests. It’s the 3rd largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the provincial capital of Tshopo. Some 1,300 miles from the mouth of the Congo River, the city of Kisangani is the farthest navigable point upstream. Kisangani is the nation’s major inland port after Kinshasa, an important commercial hub point for river and land transportation and a major marketing and distribution centre for the north-eastern part of the country. It has been the commercial capital of the northern Congo since the late 1800s.

Drive to Kisangani (~7 hours) on dirt road.

Overnight at Palm Beach Hotel.

Day 6 Kisangani

Set off for a cruise down the Congo River in a motorized wooden canoe. This is the traditional form of transport to move people and goods down the length of the Congo River from Kisangani to Kinshasa - 1200 km down river. Wind past pockets of lush green secondary forest, semi-deciduous secondary rainforest, climax forests with Brachystegia laurentii flora and marshland forest, inhabited by colourful birdlife and animals. You’ll also have the chance to explore the "Rive Gauche", the left bank of the Kisangani river with its crumbling port and railway station.

Kisangani was founded by Sir Henry Morton Stanley in January 1877. Memorable sites include the Tshopo River Falls and the Wagenia Fisheries, set up in the midst of the river rapids. Fishing is carried out by means of a complex structure set among the rocks: lianas attached to cross poles act as stretchers for the nets submerged in the foaming water. The fishermen use pirogues (traditional dugout canoes), twisting between rapids and rocks. Their agility and daredevil attitudes are a constant source of amazement.

Overnight at Palm Beach Hotel.

Day 7 Kinshasa

Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River. Kinshasa ties with Johannesburg for the status of the second largest city in sub-Saharan Africa and the third largest in the whole continent. It is the second largest francophone city in the world after Paris. The city was founded as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley in 1881 and named Léopoldville in honor of King Leopold II of Belgium. It is a major cultural and intellectual center for Central Africa, with a flourishing community of musicians and artists. It is also the country's major industrial center, processing many of the natural products brought from the interior.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Airport transfer with private vehicle and driver.

Take your flight from Kisangani to Kinshasa today. The flight duration is approximately 1hour.

Airport transfer with private vehicle and driver.

The Memling Hotel is a five-star hotel located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, offering 180 deluxe rooms and executive suites. The hotel is ideally located in the heart of the Kinshasa business district. The facilities include two restaurants, a bar, five conference rooms, a lobby bar, a swimming pool, a health club, a shopping arcade, a private parking and outside catering facilities. The hotel also provides a business centre and is a fully wireless zone for internet users. The Memling Hotel has been continuously maintained to meet every modern businessman's standards. Hotel Memling is the only hotel situated in the heart of the business and embassy district, only a few steps away from Boulevard du 30 Juin, Kinshasa's main street. The hotel represents a unique place to organise social and professional events.

Overnight at Hotel Memling.

Day 8 Kinshasa

Founded by Claudine Andre in 1994, Lola ya Bonobo is a chimpanzee sanctuary just outside of Kinshasa. Lola ya Bonobo means ‘paradise for bonobos’ in Lingala, the main language of Kinshasa In 2007, Lola ya Bonobo is home to 52 bonobos who live in 30 hectares of primary forest. The Bonobo is endangered and is found in the wild only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Along with the Common Chimpanzee, the Bonobo is the closest extant relative to humans. Since the two species are not proficient swimmers, it is possible that the formation of the Congo River 1.5–2 million years ago led to the speciation of the Bonobo. They live south of the river, and thereby were separated from the ancestors of the Common Chimpanzee, which live north of the river. This 2-3 hour walking tour will allow you to see baby Bonobos under the care of the sanctuary staff, and adult Bonobos in the wild.

Explore the city of Kinshasa with your expert guide and private vehicle. A city with a chequered past and thousands of stories, in a short span of time it has gone from virgin jungle to the capital of the colony of Congo, independence, cold war politics, and two civil wars. Recent political peace has seen new prosperity and economic growth, and you will see new buildings and signs all around the city. You will have an opportunity to shop at a local souvenir market - and practice your bargaining skills.

Airport transfer with private vehicle and driver.

Depart from Kinshasa international airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.

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