Kinshasa - Post Report Question and Answers
What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Every time we leave on vacation overseas. The bread here is amazing, specially from Erik Kaiser and Pattisserie Nouvelle. - Aug 2022
If you get to travel for work, it will be some of the craziest and coolest work trips of your career. Propellor planes over jungles, rivers, and so many landscapes that look like they're straight out of National Geographic. Other highlights include exploring the fabric markets, drinking cold beers by the river rapids on hot weekends, and lots of fun and funny expat parties. And the rainstorms here are unexpectedly powerful and beautiful. - May 2022
Sand bar was awesome - just avoid it during the rainy season. We also loved the zip lines out at the safari park and having sundowner drinks on the Majestic. - Aug 2019
I didn't especially like living in Kinshasa, but I did enjoy every opportunity I had to travel within DRC. There are some possibilities for personal travel in the provinces surrounding Kinshasa, which I highly recommend. Zongo Falls in Kongo-Centrale province is popular and a nice weekend trip. My personal favorite was going to see bonobos in the wild a few hundred kilometers north of Kinshasa. That trip involved substantial planning and was not cheap, but was easily one of the coolest things I've ever done. DRC is a really beautiful country, hopefully the security situation calms enough that people can take advantage of the amazing opportunities for tourism such as seeing gorillas in the east, climbing Mt. Nyaragongo, etc. - Apr 2019
There are a few great trips outside of the city worth doing (Lac da Ma Valle, Bonobos, Zongo Falls, Bombo Lumene, https://congobucketlist.wordpress.com/. Sandbar trips on the Congo river, hiking Mount Mangengenge, pagne shopping, getting to know local staff. - Dec 2017
Evacuations to Brazzaville were very pleasant! Making new friends has been a joy. - Mar 2017
Zongo Falls is beautiful and there are a good number of restaurants to try. The best times have been hanging out with other expatriates. - Jan 2017
The Congolese are amongst the most warm and fun people I've ever lived/worked with, and I would love to work with them again. Cold beers and roasted goat meat listening to amazing music. Congo River trips. Concert after concert. Dancing rumba. I was fortunate enough to travel to eastern DRC multiple times, and the scenery there is breath-taking. - Sep 2016
Visiting the Bonobos (apes that are only found in DRC), visiting Zongo Falls, trips to sandbars in the Congo River, sewing with the amazing pagne (material) here, growing a fabulous vegetable garden, buying fabulous art and hearing wonderful Congolese music, eating avocados, mangos and bananas from the trees in our garden. - Apr 2016
I have been fortunate to travel extensively for work purposes, a benefit not readily available for personal travel due to the expense and lack of safe airlines. The large expat population and close-knit Embassy community mean one's social calendar can almost be overfull. There is good school choice for kids starting at age 2 or 3. Boating excursions on the Congo River are a wonderful respite from the grit and dust of Kinshasa and make for a lovely day of sun and water. Camping trips are fun and social events. Weekend trips to Zongo Falls, hiking up riverbeds to gorgeous waterfalls, visiting the bonobos, and the botanical gardens are all fun trips (which is nice as they are among the only easy trips near Kinshasa that are viable). - Jan 2014
Visiting the bonobo sanctuary, boat outings on the river, camping, day trips. There is not much non-work-related travel to do inside the DRC, but there are weekend and day trips that are fun to do in groups and with other families. - Nov 2012
Not much. Congo is hard living. Get out to see Zongo Falls, the bonobos, and the river. - May 2012
The embassy community was the best part of the tour. Very strong sense of community. Visiting Zongo Falls was a nice weekend. - Feb 2012
Marine Ball and occasional trips to Brazzaville. - Nov 2011
The pool, barbecues with friends, the great sense of humour of the Congolese - Aug 2011
Have met some great people and have seen another part of the world. Anyone who has not lived in a third-world country for a while (not visited, but lived there) needs to do so to truly understand how good they have it at home. - Jan 2011
Fun nights out at goat bars; mountain biking; having some very hearty laughs with the locals. - Oct 2010
