Explore Salonga national park Congo, the biggest national park within the Congo basin. It hosts some of Africa’s unique wildlife. When planning your visit to Salonga national park you should involve a reliable tour operator from the members of ATOAV-RDC and incorporated in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Salonga is a home for numerous threatened species. It includes the pygmy chimpanzees, the bonobo, the forest elephants, the Congo peacock and African slender- snouted or ‘false’ crocodile. Salonga National Park Congo is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre as its conserving the most wonderful creatures and animals plus plants.
The park was established in 1970. It is divided into two sectors: the southern and the northern sector. Salonga National Park corridor is 4 kms wide and it’s located in the Congo River basin covering about 3,600,000 hectares. In the same vein, it extends into the provinces of Mai Ndombe, Equateur, Kasaï and Sankuru.
The Road infrastructure development within the park is still very low. The visit of the park is done using boat on the river cross as the park is crossed by the Congo River. This is because there is no developed road in the park, this has left the region not to develop very fast in the tourism field.
Trusted tour operators from the Association of Congolese Tours Operators and Travel Agents ‘’ATOAV-RDC’’ offer wildlife safaris to Salonga national park. However, safaris to Salonga are always expensive compare to Congo tours to Kahuzi biega National park, Virunga National Park & Upemba national park where tourism has developed to a certain level through the sensitization and the great work of ICCN. The southern region inhabited by the Iyaelima people is accessible via the Lokoro River, which flows through the center and northern parts of the park, and the Lula River in the south.
Salonga National park is co-managed by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la nature (ICCN) and the World Wide Fund (WWF).
How to Get there
Among the hard to access national parks of Congo is Salonga national park that is only accessed by water transport means which is done in the boat cruise on Congo river. Once you arrive at the park, the experience is worth the hassle and the time invested in during the Congo safari tour.
Best time to visit
As its well known that Democratic republic of Congo receives the equatorial type of climate and it has two seasons of the year. Although Safaris to Salonga National Park can be done all year around through a reliable tour company members of ATOAV – RDC.
In truth, for the micro-climates and ecological zones of the Republic of Congo, there are actually 2 dry seasons and 2 wet seasons, and the weather is somewhat reversed between north and south, as if that isn’t confusing enough. June to December is the best time to travel to Congo’s Salonga national park – It is cool and there are lots of active animals out to spot.
Most of the tours include river boat cruises along Congo River where you get to experience an up close and personal feel for the national park. Being able to see an abundance of extremely rare and important wildlife and plant life in just one place is something that is sure to be unforgettable and nothing short of spectacular.
On the guided tours through the river, you will be able to witness the splendors of this magnificent natural wonder. Moreover, you will learn from your guide about different facts and information that make Salonga such an amazing piece of land.
Though there are certain areas of the park that are populated by small villages, only some are accessible and usually only with a tour guide that speaks the language.
It’s important that however and whenever you choose to visit this Salonga national park, you always carry enough warm clothes as the climate tends to be cold and no sunshine in the park as its covered by the tropical forests
