CONGO RIVER TOURS AND CRUISES ON LOCAL BOATS – OPTIONS, LEVELS, PRICES, PROJECTS.
We can basically run 4 kinds of tours or trips in Congo.
- On a slow barge or ferry space with staff and help, or with nobody and no help
- On the K boat in style and historic authenticity
- On a private charter small vessel with all fuel and crew
- In other parts of the contiguous 2 Congos and CAR, on land with guides and motor/air
GUIDES
We charge from about $500 per week for our guides depending on the task and area, and they’re good. We can find a specialist if you need as well. Note that most English speaking tour guides are not as familiar with the river as the captains, but most captains and staff sync so that actions can be coordinated to obtain good results
Most cargo captains strongly advise against currently carrying passengers on the entire section of the Kinshasa-Kisangani river or vice versa, for safety reasons, which means this very cheap way is not guaranteed and will almost always give you problems and headaches if you go on your own. We can also fly you to Kisangani and do local Congo River tours there, and fly out. The BBC series about Congo does this actually and reporters never actually take the real river journey they just dip their toes.
1. The safest way to go and the best value is the K boat here.
A Kinshasa-Kisangani ticket
– in 3rd class it is not advised
– In 2nd class it is not advised
– Luxury class is ok for tourists
– and the VIP is the one we recommend.
Note that by paying the ticket, the traveler is entitled to food.
– ETA Routing: 12 days between Kin and Kis
– Capacity: 290 passengers and 1,400 tonnes of goods and around 40 vehicles. A truly spectacular trip.
– The trip on the K also includes access to the dispensary with one permenent doctor and nurses, however these are Congolese doctors and if your insurance requires more, we can send one with you.
– Regarding security , it will be handled by the ship security people ; having the tourist the
whole way don’t required any other formality except buying ticket, however we can send additional security with you.
– The trip will take 2-4 weeks in total if you want to properly plan to take this boat and cushion the time and delays. We are not responsible for any days or delays you miss. All boats are like this and you will get zero refund for anything ever and whatsoever if the boat takes longer than you planned on your calendar. This is the Congo. Not Royal Caribbean.
Some pics of Rooms
—SMALL BOATS PRICING AND PROGRAMS
Private Boats are Extremely Expensive unless you share them with other people. (We will NOT put you with other people. You MUST bring your own group or party. You MUST rent the whole boat. Period.) These are sample pricing only as of 2020 and subject to change, and will change but give you an idea. They will not be cheaper.
FOR TRIPS OUT OF KIN
1. Kinshasa – Kisangani……..:$1,500/day + 7,000 Liters of Fuel +
2. Kinshasa – Mbandaka……: $1,000/day + 3,500 L of Fuel + 200 L of Engine Oil
3. Kinshasa – Inongo…………: $ 850/day + 1,800 L of Fuel + 75 L Engine Oil
4. Kinshasa – Yumbi………….: $ 850/day + 1,500 L of Fuel + 35 L of Engine Oil
5. Kinshasa – Mushie…………:$ 700/day + 1,300 L of Fuel + 30 L of Engine Oil
6. Kinshasa – Mayi-ndombe..:$700/day + 1,500 L of Fuel + 35 L of Engine Oil
7. Kinshasa – Kwamuth……..: $500/day + 1,000 L of Fuel + 25 L of Engine Oil
*Fuel price………:$1.28/Liter (CDF 2,240) in Q1 2020.
*Engine Oil……..: $10/Liter
As for fees and formalities*:
From Kinshasa to:
1. Kisangani…….: $500
2. Mbandaka……: $450
3. Inongo…………: $450
4. Yumbi………….: $450
5. Mushie…………: $350
6. Mayi-ndombe..: $350
7. Kwamuth………: $250
*per person (all services included: Police and government registration, DGM officiation, etc. Besides this, for particular parts of Congo you must get the permissions needed to travel. This is especially true for non-residents and media and corporate. If you get kicked off the boat or arrested for a paper you were supposed to have for your project or tour and didn’t obtain, there are no refunds. We can assist in a limited capacity for pure tourism, or special projects.)
Hotels and guest houses are available on the way. The captains know the places, or you can bring tents and mattresses. There are no photos or prices available of interior hotels, as they change regularly and are very primitive and basic, but they range $50-200 a night
On private boats there is no possibility to cook on board. We need to make this provision before leaving.
A small private boat can cover Kinshasa to Kisangani in 4 days.
Kinshasa to Mbandaka, Inongo and Yumbi within 2 days.
As for Mushie, Mai Ndombe and Kwamouth, one day is enough.
So
KIN KISANGANI (4days): $24,900 (+$500 per person)
KIN MBANDAKA (2days): $12,800 (+$450 per person)
KIN INONGO (2days): $8,154 (+$450 per person )
KIN YUMBI (2days) : $5,670 (+$450 per person )
KIN MUSHIE (1 day): $3,364 (+350 per person )
KIN MAYI-NDOMBE (1day): $3,600 (+$350 per person)
KIN KWAMOUTH (1day): $2,530 (+$250 per person)
They will take care of their own crew.
Here in Kinshasa if you simply want a short outing on the river, we can organize everything from water skiing, jet-skiing, river rides, with picnic or barbecue stopovers on a sandbank for a few hundred dollars. We also recommend a visit to the restaurant managed by ”Le Roi du Cossa’.’
If you’d like to visit elsewhere in the interior Congo, aside or away from the Rivers, we can organize simple packages with transport, flights, driving, guides, accommodation, and usually you buy food on your own to enable dietary control and satisfaction. We can access and run trips to every state of Congo and all parks, however you will have to pay steep park fees if you are not a Congolese resident.
(You are 100% required and recommended to have your own travel insurance and are responsible for your own safety if you travel in DRC. We can put you on the boat, but we do not own these boats. They are third party local transport companies. You are not allowed nor will it be acceptable to hold anybody except yourself liable for your passage on the river, and you are to obey the law at all times and the captain, guards, and staff. We can assist with visas in some events but they require lots of notarization and are NOT free. We can arrange a la carte services on top of the boat passage, but nothing is included unless expressly stated, ever. There are no refunds for changes or cancellations by you, under any circumstances. It is not the captain or our job to make sure you can enter the country. If a world disaster occurs to disrupt air travel, Congo will still be resuming transport and shipping as usual, and you will NOT be refunded. Period. You are advised to have cancellation insurance. This is the toughest and most expensive country and worst value for tourism on earth. We are a shipping and barge brokerage service, and you are not going on safari or on a cruise. We will not tolerate bargaining or complaints before during or after, or advise you to go to Kenya or Cape Town or Thailand as this is not the place for you. Thanks.)
Veer off the main river and head into the forest, track bonobos, visit villages, view culture and life as it has been in the Congo for centuries, along the superhighways and mini backroads of water