Tourism activities in Lomami National Park: Lomami National Park is one of the protected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The park is located in the heart of the country, between Maniema and Tshopo. The park was gazetted in 1992 and was officially opened for tourism activities in 2016, making it the newest national park in the country. Lomami National Park covers an area of roughly 8,879 square kilometers, making it one of the largest national parks in the country. The park derives its name from the river Lomami, a river that flows through the park’s territories. Lomami National Park encompasses diverse ecosystems, including swamps, forests, savannahs, tropical rainforests, and rivers. The park is home to a large array of wildlife, such as bonobos, forest elephants, forest buffaloes, leopards, Okapi, Congo peacocks, grey parrots, bush big, several antelopes, various primate species like chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, mangabey, Salonga monkeys, and drays monkeys, as well as different kinds of bird species.
Lomami National Park is one of the most undiscovered protected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to its strategic location in challenging and remote terrain. However, the park offers a lot of exciting tourism activities to travelers on a Congo safari. Such fascinating activities include game drives, prime tracking nature walks, community visitors, birding, hiking, and boat cruises, among others.
This article provides a guide to the tourism activities in Lomami National Park.
Bird watching
Lomami National Park boasts over 275 bird species, both migratory and resident. Birding is one of the most thrilling activities to do while on a Congo safari in the park. Bird watchers can spot various species of these birds and enjoy the various activities in the park. Also, there are night nature walks that allow visitors to track the night species of birds, animals, and insects. Some of the bird species that can be spotted while on a safari in the park include Congo peafowl, African grey parrot, Cassin’s spinetail, shining blue kingfisher, Johanna’s sunbird, black goshawk, blue-breasted bee-eater, croaking cisticola, crested guinea fowl, and pale-crowned cisticola, among other remarkable species.
Guided game viewing
Guided game viewing is the main activity offered to every visitor on a Congo safari in Lomami National Park. Game viewing in the park offers you a chance to explore the hidden treasures of the park, including its diverse ecosystems like the savannas, rivers, and rainforests, in search of wildlife species. Game viewing in the park can be conducted either by walking through the jungle of the forest, taking a boat cruise, or even by boarding a safari vehicle. During the game viewing, visitors can be fascinated by a variety of wildlife roaming on the magnificent lush vegetation, such as forest elephants, leopards, forest buffaloes, red-river hogs, several antelope species like bongo, bushbuck, and duiker, monkey species like colobus monkeys, Slater’s Angolan colobus, mangabey, guenons, primate species like chimpanzees, and the largest Bonobos, as well as different bird species flying all over the savanna, the forests, and the river shores.
Primates tracking
Lomami National Park is famous for its large bonobos, one of humanity’s closest relatives. A visit to Lomami National Park offers you amazing tracks of these fascinating African primates, from the remarkable ones to the large bonobos. Stupa red colobus, Lomami red colobus, Scatters Angolan colobus, Northern black mangabey, Katanga red-tailed monkey, Yellow-nosed red-tailed monkey, DE Brazza’s monkey, Lomami River blue monkey, Congo basin Wolf’s monkey, Lomami River wolf’s monkey, Lesula, Dryas monkey, among others that can be encountered feeding or playing in the Tshuapa forests
Guided hiking and nature walks
Nature treks are one of the more active ways to explore the landscape and wildlife in Lomami National Park. Nature walks through the forests, along the rivers, as well as the savanna grassland, offer you scenic views of the landscapes where you may spot a variety of forests and savanna species, as well as a unique opportunity to get extremely close to large Bonobos on foot.
Cultural encounters
Lomami National Park is one of the protected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, enriched with various ethnic groups. The park is surrounded by several indigenous communities, such as Mbole, Mituku, Tetela, Ngengele, Arabise, Lengola, and Langa. A visit to local communities on a Congo cultural tour in Lomami National Park offers opportunities for visitors to interact with local communities living near the park. This may include visits to villages, cultural performances, and learning about traditional lifestyles and customs, as well as visiting the hunting grounds and fishing spots, among others.
Tourism activities in Lomami National Park: When to Visit Lomami National Park?
Lomami National Park can be visited throughout the year, depending on the visitor’s needs, preferences, and expectations. The best time to visit the park is during the dry season, which runs from June, July, and September, and then from December to February. During this season, there is little or no rainfall, and the weather conditions are generally pleasant and loveable, making it easier to spot a variety of wildlife and outdoor activities on easier and more passable roads.
How can I access Lomami National Park?
Accessing Lomami National Park is a bit challenging due to its strategic location and poor infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The park, however, can be accessed by both air and road transport. Accessing the park by air is the most common way to reach the park. The Democratic Republic of Congo has several charter flights for visitors to Lomami National Park. Travelers can fly to the nearest towns of Kindu or Kisangani, and then hire a private car to the park. You can also choose to drive by rods to the park entrance to nearby towns where most of the park tour operators stay.
Accommodation options in Lomami National Park
Since it’s a new national park, the park has no improved accommodation facilities, and we highly recommend wilderness camping in the park, which means safaris will be arranged based on the camping accommodation option.
