It is possible to visit some parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo in relative safety. The safest areas and most scenic regions of the country that tourists may find interesting, are the Virunga National Park, Goma and the capital Kinshasa in the western part of the country.
Although a beautiful country, there are still extremely serious security threats in the country for tourists, hence it is highly advisable to rather go with a tour company that knows how to keep you as safe as possible. Solo travelling is not recommended.
The rainy season periods in the Democratic Republic of Congo are from April to October in the north and from November right until March in the south. Flash flooding and landslides can happen during these periods and could severely disrupt crucial services.
Visitors should always monitor local news reports before travelling in these areas.
Volcanic eruptions are quite common in parts of the country. Mount Nyiragongo, situated on the edge of Goma, has erupted many times in the past and has been showing signs of eruption once again. It has been remaining on alert level “yellow”, showing no immediate danger, but visitors should still exercise an extreme amount of caution and monitor the news and any available reports before travelling in that direction.
While North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces have been plagued with Ebola outbreaks, North Kivu and Ituri provinces also have had terrorism attacks in the near past.
The eastern DRC region and the three Kasai provinces (Kasai, Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Central), should be avoided due to crime, civil unrest, armed conflict and kidnapping.
There is often the possibility of violent crime such as armed home invasions, armed robbery and assaults. The local police lack means to respond effectively to serious crimes and criminals might even pose as police or security agents
During recent years there have been a lot of demonstrations and many of them are becoming common in many cities, of which some have turned violent. Police react with extreme tactics to these violent demonstrations, which have resulted in civilian casualties and arrests.
Most importantly, visitors should be aware that there has been an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the eastern parts of the country. This could also affect the other areas.
Avoid demonstrations at all costs as even peaceful ones can break out into extreme amounts of violence.
Use extreme caution whenever you are walking or driving around. Seemingly calm circumstances can change very quickly. It is also advisable to stay off the streets after dark.
Most of the time a reputable tour company will give their clients an armed escort if they need to go around on their own.
Always have a copy of your passport and DRC visa so that you can keep the original documents in a secure location. Always carry your passport and DRC visa when crossing provincial borders or flying domestically.
Make sure that you have read the CDC Travel Notice on Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and visit the CDC Travellers’ Health Page for the country. It is a good idea to prepare for a contingency plan for emergency situations when visiting the country.
Fortunately for the safety of would be visitors to the Democratic Republic of Congo, you have to have a tour booked with a reputable travel country before you can even obtain a visitor’s visa. The safest possible transport should be provided by the tourism operator since it is strongly advised not to travel in any other way around the country than using internal flights.
Do not take photographs in public, especially of the river, government buildings and the airport, which are viewed as places of national security. Transgressing this rule may lead to your arrest and being detained. A reputable tour guide, without which no visitor should do any sightseeing, should be able to tell you when it is safe to take photos.
Local authorities can ask a visitor to present his or her passport and visa at any time. Be calm in all situations like these and stay cooperative. If you do not, they can expel you from the country or worse. Always carry a certified copy of your passport and visa with you so that you can keep your original passport in a safe place.
It is mandatory for motorists and pedestrians to stop for the raising and the lowering of the national flag at approximately 07:30 and 18:00 every day. Policemen or military personnel watch out if people adhere and often detain and fine people who fail to do so.
Same-sex sexual activity – both male and female – is theoretically legal in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but members of the local communities tend to be very discreet as homophobia is rife. There is no accessible gay life in the country for tourists. Same-sex couples are not likely to have eyebrows raised at your accommodation establishments, but public displays of affection could attract unnecessary negative attention.
The Democratic Republic of Congo does not encourage or facilitate illicit production or distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, nor does it encourage or facilitate the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions.
Do not offer to carry a package from an unknown of suspicious source in your luggage as you risk being used as a drug mule.
Duty free products that may be taken in or out of the DRC include 100 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 227grams of tobacco, one bottle of an alcoholic beverage, and a reasonable amount of perfume for personal use. Banned imports into the country include firearms, ammunition and explosives, and animals.
As most countries do not have embassies in the DRC, the loss of a passport could land you in a tricky situation. Before travelling, find out if your country has an embassy there or where the closest one is. Ensure you travel with a reputable tour operator who should be able to assist you in directing you to what to do. Report it to the local police station as soon as possible and obtain a copy of the reported stolen or lost passport.
Consult a doctor for preventive medical advice before leaving for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many diseases that exist in the DRC have similar symptoms to Ebola. If you suspect you have Ebola, you could face travel delays, quarantine, and enormously expensive medical costs.
There are a few quite modern, private health-care hospitals and clinics in Kinshasa and Goma. It is best to go to one of the major cities if you become seriously ill. The cost of medical treatment is extremely high, so it is important to make sure that you have adequate travel medical insurance for your trip before you leave.
It is mandatory for all visitors to have a yellow fever vaccination certificate once they arrive in the country. You can be asked to show this certificate at any given time while travelling around the country, so it is a good idea to keep a certified copy with you at all times.
The DRC is also a high-risk malaria area so make sure you get preventative medication before you travel. Other recommended vaccinations include that against typhoid and hepatitis A, as well as routine vaccinations such as against polio, diphtheria and tetanus.
The DRC has the second highest number of malaria cases and deaths globally. So, it is mandatory to make sure you take medication for the prevention of the disease. Make sure you have a lot of insect repellent for your journey as well. Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite. When this mosquito bites you, the parasite is released into your bloodstream.
Symptoms can be flu-like or cause shaking chills that can range from moderate to severe, also look out for a high fever, profuse sweating, headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, muscle pain and bloody stools.
Travellers need to have a yellow fever vaccination before arriving in the DRC. Yellow fever is spread by infected mosquitoes. Symptoms are similar to malaria, ranging from flu-like chills and fever to server hepatitis and jaundice. If left untreated or not diagnosed early, the disease is life-threatening.
The DRC is an endemic country for cholera. Periodic cases and outbreaks are fairly common, particularly in the eastern provinces of the country. Kinshasa is not part of the prevalent provinces for cholera but has reported several cholera outbreaks over the last couple of years.
The symptoms of cholera are diarrhoea which comes on suddenly and can quickly cause dangerous fluid loss. Diarrheal due to cholera often has a pale, milky appearance that looks like milky water. Vomiting occurs especially in the early stages of cholera and can last for hours.
Symptoms of cholera include dehydration fatigue, sunken eyes, irritability, a dry mouth, extreme amount of thirst, dry and wrinkled skin that’s sluggish to bounce back when pinched into a fold; low blood pressure, little to no urination, low blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat.
The DRC is facing the second largest outbreak of Ebola in the world. More than 2200 deaths and 3300 confirmed infections have been reported since the outbreak was declared on 1 August 2018. The epidemic is occurring in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. The virus causes fever, body aches, and diarrhoea, and sometimes bleeding inside and outside the body.
As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes levels of blood-clotting cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.
The World Health Organization reported that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a large-scale growing HIV/AIDS epidemic, with an estimated national average adult prevalence of 4 percent and 1.19 million people living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2005.
The principal mode of transmission is heterosexual sexual activity. The most severely affected age groups are 20–29 years among women and 30–39 years among men. The disease is spread through sexual contact or shared blood or contaminated medical equipment.
Visitors should avoid the risk by avoiding new sexual encounters while on holiday. If you cannot abstain, condoms can provide some protection.
Tourists should drink only bottled water or other bottled beverages as the tap water and ice in the DRC may be contaminated and not safe for drinking. Avoid eating food bought from street vendors. Thoroughly cooked hot foods can be eaten as it will mean most infections can be avoided. Raw fruits can be eaten only if they have an unbroken skin and are peeled. Raw vegetables and salads should be avoided due to possible contamination.
If food has been left out of a refrigerator for longer than an hour especially eggs, chicken and dairy rather do not consume them.
Women should not travel alone to the DRC. Travelling alone should be avoided at all costs, and even taking taxis or walking on the streets alone during the day is not advisable unless you are accompanied.
MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to the DRC. We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in the DRC who make safety a priority.