Trip to the D. R. of the Congo and the R. of the Congo: The explorers’ route

Discover the highlights of this trip to the D.R. of the Congo and the R. of the Congo

We will meet tribes from the Congo River

The objective of this trip to the D. R. of the Congo and the R. of the Congo is to meet some isolated communities of different tribes that live along the Congo River.

Lokele tribe

From Mbandaka, we will take a motor canoe to go up the Congo River to some villages of the lokele tribe . The Lokele are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group who are dedicated to fishing and had the tradition of tattooing their bodies. Nowadays, this practice can only be seen on the bodies of older women.

Ntomba tribe

This hunter-farmer Bantu ethnic group has a peculiar tradition that affects women who give birth to their first son or daughter. After becoming mothers for the first time, young women from the Ntomba tribe become ‘walés’ (breastfeeding women). This is when a life of seclusion begins, during which they will spend several years caring exclusively for their children. You can read more about the Walé women in our blog post, 'The Walé women of the D.R. Congo'.

Batwa tribe

During this trip to the D. R. of the Congo, we will visit the camp of a nomadic group. The Batwa tribe depends on the agricultural products of the Mooto Bantu farmers and the latter depend on the animals they hunt and the medicinal plants that the Batwa collect. It is a total symbiosis between both peoples. We will learn aspects of the lives of these jungle people.

Banunu tribe

We will stop at the town of Yumbi, inhabited by the Banunu tribe. We will meet the local chief and organize some local ceremonies in order to learn about their culture.

Bateke tribe

We will stop in Negabe to meet members of the Teke or Batch royal family. King Makoko signed a treaty with explorer Fernando de Brazza to annex his kingdom to the French colonial empire in the late 19th century. We will learn about the culture of the Bateke tribe and admire a traditional dance.

Lesio Louna Gorilla Reserve

We will cross the Bateke hills and a few towns until we reach the protected area of the Lesio Louna Gorilla Reserve. By the way, we will stop to admire the views of the reserve, a forest oasis in the middle of herbaceous colonies. After arriving at the protected area, we will settle in the park’s guest house and prepare our motorized canoe and walking safari through the jungle. Our target is the lowland gorillas that live deep inside the jungle. The park guards will bring fruit to call the gorillas and get them closer to the shore, where it will be easier to observe and photograph them.

We will admire the remains of Belgian colonial architecture

During this trip, we will explore on foot the remains of Kinshasa's Belgian past, ancient Leopoldville. We will visit the Forescom Art Deco building and nearby colonial buildings. Also, we will visit different places of interest in Mbandaka, such as the colonial post office, the botanical garden and some nearby colonial buildings.

© Photos by Jordi Zaragozà Anglès, Joan Riera and Xavi de las Heras taken during a trip to the D. R. of the Congo and the R. of the Congo.

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