The Democratic Republic of Congo or the Congo-Kinshasa is the larger of the two countries to which the name Congo can be attributed. The DRC is vastly covered by rainforest and has been a Belgian colony for quite some time. It was during the Belgian rule that Congo declared independence, plunging the country into a military dictatorship and two civil wars. Till this day in the aftermath of the civil wars DRC experiences numerous minor conflicts, political turmoil, starvation, and many other disasters.

Traveling info

Everyone traveling to DRC must have a valid passport. There are no tourist visas issued to DRC. Visitors coming to the DRC need to have an invitation from a person residing in the DRC. Those who wish to drive in DRC must have a valid driving permit and an international driving permit. Beware that international driving permit does not substitute for the original document and is only a translation of it. Both documents must be with the driver at all times. IDP may only be issued in the visitors country of origin.

Traveling hazards

Roads throughout the DRC are generally in poor condition, and often impassable in the rainy season. When driving in cities, keep windows up and doors locked. At roadblocks or checkpoints, documents should be shown through closed windows. In the event of an automobile accident, remain inside your vehicle and wait for the police. If a hostile mob forms or you feel your life is in danger, leave the scene and proceed directly to the nearest police station or gendarmerie to report in the incident. Any form of public transportation is unregulated, generally unsafe, and unreliable. Taxis, minibusses, buses, and trains are in poor mechanical condition and are often filled well beyond their intended capacity. Official motorcades pose serious risks to drivers and pedestrians in Kinshasa. If you hear sirens or see security forces announcing the approach of a motorcade, pull off the road as far as possible and extinguish your headlights. Do not attempt to move until the entire motorcade has passed, security forces will indicate when this has occurred. Failure to comply may result in arrest or vehicle damage with possible personal injury.

Environmental hazards

Apart from armed to the teeth militias scattered all over DRC, the country has its fair share of dangerous animals stalking the land. Lions can be found in the southern part of DRC where the forests are not as thick. African bush elephant can also be found in the Congo. These giants are generally docile however when startled or angered they can easily trample people and flip over cars. These giants are known for breaking trees, for fun. Hippopotamuses inhabit the rivers of Congo. These river giants may look docile however they are fierce and territorial. They will attack any intruders. There are numerous venomous snakes found in the Congo. Among these are the boomslangs, cobras, pit vipers and many others. Out of all the snakes found in the DRC, venomous snakes make for the minority. Despite that visitors should avoid all encountered snakes as an untrained eye won’t be able to tell venomous and non-venomous snakes apart. The inefficiency or complete lack of emergency services in some areas of the country make snake bites result in deaths much more often. DRC has a narrow strip of land which gains it access to the Atlantic ocean. The beach area is not exactly popular with tourists since no tourist visas are granted.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is exposed to a number of hazards including volcanic and limnic eruptions, earthquakes, flooding, and drought. The local populace is especially vulnerable to these hazards due to political turmoil, armed conflicts which leave no help from the government to prepare for the occurrence of such natural hazards.

Health hazards

There are several outbreaks of different diseases in the DRC. There is an outbreak of measles, therefore, everyone visiting DRC is strongly advised to keep up to date on their routine MMR vaccines (measles, mumps, rubella). There is an outbreak of Ebola in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces. Traveling to either of these two provinces is strongly discouraged. Finally, there is a polio outbreak in Throughout the country. Visitors are not required but strongly recommended to get a polio vaccine. All visitors are required to have a yellow fever vaccination and proof of such vaccine as one of the requirements to enter the country. There are other vaccines which are recommended when visiting the DRC. These are hepatitis A and B, typhoid, cholera and rabies vaccines. Mosquitoes in the DRC are often carriers of Zika and malaria. Pregnant women should reconsider travel. There are no vaccinations against these diseases however alternatively visitors may protect against mosquito bites by using mosquito nets and mosquito repellants. There is also medicine on prescription against malaria which should be available to visitors after consulting their local general practitioner. Beware that medicine against malaria must be taken prior, during and after the trip to ensure safety from malaria. After the independence in 1960 the country seemed like it had a lot of potentials however due to the political instability, numerous conflicts which tore the Congolese economy to shreds, healthcare is in a very poor state. Public healthcare is mostly provided to citizens of large cities. Remote areas of the country receive very poor or no health services at all. Most hospitals are heavily underfunded, in short supply of both medicine and modern equipment. Most services provided to the locals are very basic. Private facilities exist however they are almost exclusive to cities and few people are able to afford private services.
There is no official ambulance emergency number in DRC.

Crime

DRC is a vast country and crime rate varies in different parts of the country. Petty crime is most commonly reported both by locals and visitors. Westerners are particularly targeted as they are perceived as wealthy. Thieves rather work stealthily however instances of armed robbery are also common. The desperate situation in the country turns to the increase of such occurrences. Criminals can be confrontational and use force when resisted. Safety from robbery cannot be guaranteed anywhere. Most of such crime occurs in large cities. Outside of the cities, militias will be more of a worry for visitors than a robbery. Don’t trust anyone offering you help on the spot. It’s a sad part of traveling through the Congo, but it will keep you safe. Militias in the country keep bickering between each other and the local government. Although bombings as such are not popular, militias often raid various places ranging from hospitals, churches, etc. Muslim militias often raid Christian villages, missions, and other places often slaughtering the locals. Drugs are strictly illegal and punishable by jail however the ineffective police force lacks the means to properly enforce the law making drugs widely available throughout the country.

Summary

Despite the political turmoil in the country, the DRC is one of the only places in the world where people may witness gorillas in the wild and experience the harsh conditions of the African jungle. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo/passport-visa/
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/democratic-republic-of-congo
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/polio-democratic-republic-of-congo
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/ebola-democratic-republic-of-the-congo
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/measles-democratic-republic-of-the-congo