You will be met at the Ndjili International airport by our staff who will help with airport assistance, and custom clearance. After collecting your luggage, you will be ushered to your private car for hotel transfer that may last an hour if you arrive between 5 – 9 pm. Upon arrival at the hotel, check-in, briefing for the next day’s program, diner and night.

Upon arrival at Ngobila Beach (Kinshasa harbour), we walk for about 100 m or so, board our bus for the hotel where we stop for check-in and lunch.

In the morning after breakfast, we leave the city of Kinshasa and drive northward to the land of the Bonobo at the northern part of the city. Locally referred to as “Lola Ya Bonobo” – English for “The Bonobo Paradise”, this site harbours a large group of the Pygmy Chimpanzees also called the Bonobo Chimps. These primates are endemic to the D.R.C. and are famous for their high levels of sexual behaviour. In the Bonobo society, sex functions in conflict appeasement, affection, social status, excitement, and stress reduction. It occurs in virtually all partner combinations and in a variety of positions. This is a factor in the lower levels of aggression seen in the Bonobo when compared to the common chimpanzee and other apes. A stone-throw from the sanctuary is the breath-taking Lukaya Ma Vallée Lake that we may casually glance at before driving back to Kinshasa for lunch.

In the afternoon, we embark on a city tour of Kinshasa, the capital city of the D.R.C. and one of the most populated cities in Africa. Kinshasa and Brazzaville are among the few numbers of capital cities sharing boarder. A sightseeing tour of Kinshasa and its vicinity consists of a journey through series of historical vestiges spread out around the DRC capital. These include the National Institute of Museum (guided tour by the conservator will enable us to understand best the history/foundation/genesis of the DRC), the Kabila Mausoleum, craft market, the old Presbyterian Church, the Boboto Center, the Gombe Avenue, the Symphony of Art, the Independence Square and much more. Kinshasa is known as a very old city that started her history in 1890. It is a highly populated city that was merely a fishermen village at the beginning. Today, it is home to more than 11’000 inhabitants. The town itself does not offer too much to see tourism wise, but there are numerous interesting places to experience the daily life of the ‘Kinois’. By dusk, we drive to the hotel for dinner and night.

Our highlight of the day is at the Zongo waterfalls near the city of Kisantu, located 140km away from Kin, and best known for the gigantic Zongo water falls that offer a unique and spectacular cascade over 65 m altitude. The falls dramatically culminate downward a rocky ridge therefore spurting a natural shower at a far distance of 10m. Along picturesque landscape, we drive across habitats and culture with several picture opportunities along the way. We expect to attain the falls in the late hours of the morning / early afternoon and check-in at the at Seli Safari Lodge where we have lunch.

Later in the afternoon, we embark for a day excursion in the falls where we spend some hours before returning to the hotel for diner and night.

After an A.M. visit to the falls, we leave Zongo and drive for the picturesque town of Kisantu that lays about 70 km ahead and attainable after a couple of hour drive through unpaved but well-maintained road. Kisantu is named after the Eponym River that traverses it and is one of the oldest entities in the province that has preserved its colonial past backed by numerous Belgian-colonial styles built with metallic armature or baked earth bricks. The imposing cathedral that constitutes the landmark of the place is built in old roman style over a hilly settlement. The fresh food market does worth a quick detour as it exhibits a great collection of tropical fruits locally cultivated. We drive to Insinki River at the opening mouth of the Congo River and stop at the hydroelectric dam and further stop at the famous Botanical Garden of Kisantu. The garden was founded in 1900 by the Jesuit Brother Reverend Gullet and constitutes a reservoir for more than 200 species both endemic and non-endemic. From here, we take the road back to Kinshasa which we attain after 3 – 4h drive.

After breakfast, we go to the port of Kinkole and board a motorized boat for a breath-taking ride over the majestic Congo River where we spend the greatest part of our morning. Kinkole is located some 22km east of Kinshasa and is world-renowned for its fish market that boasts a wide range of

slow water fish species. Whether smoked, fresh, cooked, fried or salted, you will have abundant fish on display in this market that we visit before or after our Congo River day tour.

During the boat ride, we may visit few of the fishermen villages that lays on the banks of the river as well as in series of Islets dotted along the river including the Mbamou Island.

The Congo River is the longest river in the sub-Sahara Africa and the 2^nd longest in the continent after River Nile. As such, it is a vital asset for the people from both countries; not only is it their main mean of transportation to connect or convey goods from hinterland to the main cities, but also it provides them with important economical income from transports, fishing, sand digging and power just to name few. During this tour, you will encounter such highlights including fishermen going or coming from fishing, intercity transportation of people and goods, people harvesting sand etc… and you will have opportunity to interact with the local dwellers. In the early afternoon, we sail back to the pier and board our car for Kinshasa.

After breakfast, transfer to the Njili International Airport in readiness for the connecting flight back home.