Traveler’s safety in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo is safe for the travelers visiting Congo and booking with a reputable tour company. In this country, there is a high level of crime rate throughout the country and these risks increase after it gets dark so it’s not advisable to travel out of the hotel at night and that why we recommend that our guests have dinner by 6:00 pm and it’s among the reasons why our company doesn’t offer private guided tours to Congo as it’s the case in Uganda and Rwanda.
Many security authorities might target foreigners to solicit funds from them especially from the road blocks. There is also the arbitrary arrests of the foreign nationals by the security authorities and that’s why the travelers are advisable to be respectful and courteous in all the interactions with the security authorities and also avoid sensitive areas including the military facilities. There have also been reports of criminals who use road blocks and pose ad police or military men to rob the people who travel at night. Never all soldiers or police men to enter your vehicle and also avoid entering the vehicle of anyone posing as a security officer. Always remember to carry color photocopies of the passport and other identity documents, so that when requested, just hand them to the security officers rather than the originals.
What must be done to ensure the safety of travelers to Congo?
All the travelers are advised to stay in five star hotels that have enough security and also during transit to enjoy the tourist activities, they are accompanied by security guards and also those who go for the nyiragongo Hike at night are always accompanied by the guards and this is mainly done through partnering with the Virunga National Park.
The good news is that most of the travelers who come to Congo stay for a short while and enjoy the best safari activities while those interested in Eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National park alsways use Rwanda roads to be able to connect to the southern Lake Kivu and not the inside roads of Congo unless the boat is available and a security guards with accompany the boat to be able to provide the required security.
The Yellow Fever Vaccination
The government of Congo require all the travelers who are older than 1 year of age to be able to show proof of yellow fever vaccination upon arrival at any of the borders or at the airport and this can also be requested during the Visa application process. It’s for this reason that all the travelers to be ready to present the yellow fever vaccination card and always carry it.
About the natural disasters and the Volcanic Eruptions
Democratic Republic of Congo is vulnerable to earth quakes and it has so far hit the towns of Bukavu and Goma in 2008. These volcanic eruptions have occurred at the Nyiragongo Volcano in 2002 as well as the Nyamulagira volcano in 2006 and 2010.
Advice to the Travelers in Democratic Republic of Congo
Depending on the type of your safari to Congo, we request that you always leave some information concerning the emergency contact number as well as the person while on any safari in Congo and this person can be contacted in case of any problem. Always move with a Reputable tour company and never take self-drive tours in Congo. Our company will definitely help you avoid problems and also keep you safe.