East Africa - Detour: Democratic Republic of the Congo (PDF Chapter)

This is the Detour: Democratic Republic of the Congo chapter from Lonely Planet’s East Africa guidebook.

Carpeted by huge swaths of rainforest and punctuated by gushing rivers and smoking vol-canoes, the Democratic Republic of Congo is the ultimate African adventure. A small but fast-growing tourism industry has seen travellers return to what is easily one of Africa’s most thrilling – and challenging – destinations.

• stare down in wonder at the lava lake of magnificent Nyiragongo – quite simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience
• maps
• visit the habituated mountain gorillas that thrive in the thick forests of Africa’s oldest na-tional park, Parc National des Virunga
• transport
• cross gorgeous Lake Kivu to the friendly town of Bukavu, from where you can explore DRC’s most overlooked national park, Parc National de Kahuzi-Biéga
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Goma, Parc National Des Virunga, Bukavu, Under-stand the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC Today, Culture, Environment, Survival Guide.