Salonga National Park
Democratic Republic of the Congo · Tshuapa · 400 m
Description
Salonga is the largest protected rainforest in Africa, thirty-six thousand square kilometres in the middle of the Congo basin with no roads at all, so everything moves by river. UNESCO listed it in 1984. Bonobos live here in one of their few strongholds, along with the Congo peacock that exists nowhere else, forest elephants and the slender-snouted crocodile. The park is split into two blocks with a corridor of villages between them. Reaching it means flying to Monkoto or Boende and then several days by pirogue, which is why almost nobody goes. The park is named after the river that runs through its northern block.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 5 to 10 days (optimal 7 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Bonobos in the forest interior
- UNESCO-listed Congo basin rainforest
- Pirogue journeys on the Salonga and Luilaka rivers
- Congo peacock, found nowhere else
- Forest elephants and bongo
- Slender-snouted crocodiles on the sandbanks
- Village stays in the park corridor
- Camping on the riverbanks
- Flight in to Monkoto or Boende
Getting there
- Airports:
- BNB