Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

There are no direct flights to either Kinshasa or Kisangani from London. The best route to Kinshasa is usually via Paris which takes around 10hrs, while Kisangani usually requires travelling via Nairobi with Kenyan Airways and takes around 12hrs.

Useful Tips

• Drink a cold Primus beer after a hot day

• Try “Poulet à la Moamba” Chicken with peanut sauce " a Congolese speciality

• Don’t miss the Bonobo sanctuary in Kinshasa

• Ask for Restaurant Bambou in Kisangani

• Buy some gifts for the Pygmies before visiting them

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at www.stanfords.co.uk

Relevant Reading:
An excellent author to recommend is Alexander McCall Smith, born in Zimbabwe, his stories are wildly entertaining and insightful.

There are many novels that offer a vivid image of Congo during its years of civil unrest and also post-colonial. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad is an excellent start as it is controversial, Western point of view of Congo’s struggles. Five Years With The Congo Cannibals by Herbert Ward, who was one of the foot soldiers hired by Stanley when he returned to claim the vast river basin, employed by the Belgian king, Leopold II. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver offers rich imagery and an uncomfortable view of the meeting of Western and African cultures.

The Congo: Plunder and Resistance by David Renton, David Seddon and Leo Zeilig is an introduction to the history of Congo.

For a more recent perspective of the Congo River, the excellent Blood River by Tim Butcher is a must read and can be vouched for by several in the Wild Frontiers office!

When To Go

Being situated on the equator, Congo’s temperatures are fairly constant with an average of approximately 25-30°C during the day and 15-20°C at night. Rain can occur at any time, though when it comes it is usually in short outbursts in the afternoon.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to The Congo. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.
On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with. Clients should be aware that covering your head to protect against bees, and closing all leg-wear to prevent termites getting inside, is essential.

Therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 4 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long.
• 2/3 pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear dresses and skirts.
• 2 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts
• Good quality fleece or warm jumper
• Swim suit or trunks
• 2 x Pairs of shorts
• Sun hat or cap
• Pair of recreational shoes
• Pair of adventure sandals, trainers or pumps.

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for your trip:
• Two season sleeping bag
• Sleeping bag liner (cotton or silk)
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• A bandanna or large handkerchief is useful for dusty tracks
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Rucksack, duffel or soft bag.
• Plug adapter (see ‘Electricity’ section)

Personal First Aid Kit:
While we do carry a large medical kit we would advise that you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets (if necessary)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers
(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs
• Alarm clock
• Trekking Poles
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
• Lyons coffee bags if you cannot survive without ‘proper’ coffee.
NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are uncommon. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
The Democratic Republic of Congo is ahead of GMT + 1 in the west and + 2 in the east.

A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
Many restaurants and hotels will serve French influenced cuisine. For Congolese, the staple food is cassava.

While on the river there will be a cook present and meals will be as varied as possible. Breakfast is in a continental style, including Sliced Bread and Rolls with cheese, ham/salami and jam plus coffee/tea. Lunch and Dinner consist mainly of local specialties. Fresh fruit and local snack-food are served as lunch on board and dinner consists of meat, poultry, fish or pasta plus veg, rice, potatoes or 'Foufou', a local side dish made of the manioc plant. The Dessert traditionally consists of fresh fruit.

Electricity:
In most hotels you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug, but elsewhere it is unlikely you will find any form of electricity.

Money:
In the Democratic Republic of Congo the currency is the Congolese Franc.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com

A few points to help you plan:
• Payments are mainly made in cash.
• With individual small denomination currency notes being almost worthless, US$ are often easier to use.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel.
• It is strongly recommended you travel with US dollars. Foreign currency can be exchanged at exchange shops in large towns.

Language & Religion:
French is the official language of the country and is meant to be the ethnically neutral language to ease communication among many different ethnic groups of the Congo. Within the country are about 242 different languages including the four main ones Kikonga, Lingala, Tshiluba and Swahili.

Christianity is the majority religion in Democratic Republic of Congo, followed by about 90% of the population. The largest denomination is Roman Catholic.

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building. Please exercise care in this regard as the penalty may be to have your film and/or camera confiscated.