Democratic Republic of the Congo
Africa · Country #107
Did you know?
It holds the world’s deepest river, the Congo River, which is so powerful it can generate massive underwater currents that shape the ocean far offshore
My Experience
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was one of the countries I was most nervous to visit, having been plagued by decades of conflict. After a seven-hour drive from Rwanda, I crossed into Bukavu, a city in the country’s unstable east. I stayed in a small lodge owned by a Belgian man who had moved there decades earlier and, despite the instability, had fallen in love with the region and decided to make it his home.
The highlight of my visit was trekking eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. With so few tourists visiting, I had five park rangers all to myself as we hiked through the dense rainforest in search of a gorilla family. Watching these incredible animals in their natural habitat was an experience I’ll never forget.
That evening, I watched the dramatic 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France surrounded by Congolese football fans. Their passion for the game was exactly the same as anywhere else in the world. Moments like that remind me that, despite our different backgrounds and circumstances, we often have far more in common than we realize.
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