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Is anyone actually travelling in Congo these days?

I was there in like 1996 (don't remember the exact year)... and it was great, although the country was already falling apart (or had fallen apart a long time ago). I've got lots of pretty good pictures but they're not in digital format, so that's a project there, to make them digital, then I can share them here.

Anyways, even though the country was in such bad shape back then, there was a small trickle of travelers. I was based in Kisangani for a while, and there would be a traveler or two coming through every other week or so. There was a track you could do coming from west Africa, going through Congo, into east africa. I don't imagine that's possible or reasonable anymore, with all the violence the last few years.

So is anyone still actually traveling to Congo?

By Peter (Moderator) on Jun 15, 2008, 12:05 in Congo forum.

dmo says on Sep 9, 2008, 20:19:

There are still a few travelers that make those West to East Africa overland tours through Congo, but man, you should see the kinds of vehicles they need to take to make it through. =) I met people who have made it through the country on their own using "public transport", but it is not kid stuff for sure. Infrastructure is nonexistent. It seems like pretty much the only way to get around the country without spending weeks or months is to fly. There is always the river option between Kinshasa and Kisangani, but after Kisangani it gets pretty dicey I think. Even if you have your own vehicles a lot of the "roads" are pretty much impassable to all but foot/bicycle traffic a lot of the time. As an aside, someone did tell me that there is a working passenger train between Lubumbashi and Kananga. I was in Northern and Southern Kivu for a little while in 2005, but I didn't have the time to try to make it further West. I wish the Ituri forest wasn't so damn full will rebels/militia these days as it seems like it would make an awesome destination. All that said, I would love to go back...

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Peter (Moderator) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 29, 2008, 03:20:

I took the road from Kisangani to Rwanda - it's not a good area to be in these days, plus the road is unpassable in the rainy season.

Poor but snappy

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