Democratic Republic of the Congo

DR Congo

Africa’s second-largest country, the 2,344,858km2 DRC extends west from its border with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania all the way to the distant Atlantic coastline. It is arguably the most biodiverse country in Africa, best known for the green swathes of rainforest associated with the vast Congo River Basin, but also home to the western slopes of the immense Ruwenzori and Virunga mountains, as well as several massive lakes. Unfortunately, the DRC is also one of Africa’s most problematic countries, and much of it is undeveloped for tourism and practically off-limits following long decades of poor governance and civil war.

The one exception is the eastern border area with Rwanda and southern Uganda, where the astoundingly biodiverse Virunga National Park reopened to visitors in 2009 and has since attracted a steady trickle of tourism, albeit with a few interruptions due to sporadic outbreaks of fighting. Easily visited as a cross-border excursion from Rwanda or Uganda, Virunga is popular with adventurous budget-conscious travellers because gorilla-tracking permits are far cheaper than in neighbouring countries, and more easily obtained at short notice. The park also boasts one truly unique attraction in the form of Mount Nyiragongo, a climbable active volcano whose kilometre-deep crater hems in the world’s largest lava lake.