Lomami National Park is one of the protected area in the Democratic Republic of 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 2016making it the newest national park in the country. Lomami National Park covers an area of roughly 8,879 square kilometers making it among the largest national parks in country is holding. The park derived its name from River Lomami a river which flows through the park’s territories. Lomami National Park encompasses with a diverse ecosystems including swamps forests, savannah, tropical rainforest, rivers. The park is home to 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, drays monkeys as well as different kinds of bird species.
Lomami National Park is one of the undiscovered protected area in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to its strategically located in the challenging and remote terrains. however, the park offers a lot of exciting tourism activities to travelers on a Congo safari in the park such fascinating activities includes game drives, primate tracking nature walks, community visitors , birding, hiking’s and boat cruise among others .
What to do and see while on a Congo safari in Lomami National Park
The park offers a lot of remarkable Congo Safari tour activities to its visitors the chance to explore and uncovers the parks untouched wilderness and its diverse wildlife.
Guided game drive/ 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 with an opportunity to explore the hidden gems of the park including its diverse ecosystems like the savannas, rivers rainforest in hunt for the wildlife species. Game viewing in the park can be conducted either by walking through the jungle of the forest, boat cruise or even by boarding a safari vehicles. During the game viewing, visitor can be fascinated with a variety of wildlife’s roaming on the magnificent lush vegetation such as forest elephants, leopards, forest buffaloes, red-river hogs, several antelopes species like bongo, bushbuck, duiker, monkey species like colobus monkeys, Slater’s Angolan colobus, mangabey, guenons, primate species like chimpanzees and the largest Bonobos was well as different bird species flying all over the savanna and the forests and the river shores.
Bird watching
Lomami National Park boasts over 275 bird species both migratory and the residents. Birding is one of the most thrilling activities to take while in 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 is a night nature walks which allows visitors to track the night species of birds, animals and insects. some of the birds species that can be spotted while in a safari in the park includes 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, pale crowned cisticola among other remarkable species.
Fishing safaris
Fishing in Lomami National Park is one of the famous activities that you should not miss while in a Congo safari in the park. Fishing is an interesting activity that offers you with the chance to sight various fish species that are caught. Fishing in Lomami national park is normally done in Lomami River and it’s mainly conducted on a traditional foxholes canoes. Tilapia is the common fish caught in the river.
Primates sighting
Lomami National Park is famous for its large bonobos one of the humanity’s closet relatives. A visit to Lomami national park offers you amazing views of the African fascinating primates from extraordinary ones 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
Cultural encounters
Lomami National Park is one of the protected area in the Democratic Republic of Congo enriched with the various ethnic groups. The park is surrounded by several indigenous communities search as Mbole, Mituku, Tetela, Ngengele, Arabise, Lengola and Langa. A visit to local communities on a Congo cultural tours in Lomami national park offer 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 the fishing spots among others.
Boat rides
Boat rides in Lomami National Park is another exciting adventure activities to take park in. boat rides are relaxing safaris offered to many visitors while on a Congo Safari Tour in the park. Lomami National Park offers visitors with opportunities to explore the Lomami River by boat offers a unique amazing lookouts of the park’s magnificent landscapes and wildlife. Visitors can enjoy leisurely boat trips along the river, observing wildlife along the banks and taking in the astonishing views.
Guided Hiking /nature walks
Nature treks are one of the mores active ways to explore the landscape and wildlife of the Park. Nature walks through the forests, along the rivers as well as the savanna grassland offers you with the scenic views of the landscapes where you may spot a variety of forests and savanna species as well as having a unique opportunity to get extremely close to large Bonobos on foot
Best time to visit Lomami National Park
Lomami National Park can be visited throughout the year depending on the visitor’s needs, preferences and expectations. Nut the best time to visit the park is during the dry seasons which runs from June, July and September and then December to February. during this season , there is little or no rainfall and the weather conditions are generally pleasant and loveable making the better deal to spot a variety of wildlife and outdoor activities easier and passable roads
Accessibility
Accessing the Park is a bit challenging due to its strategic location and poor infrastructures in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park however can be accessed by both air and road transport means. Accessing the park by air is the most common used way to reach the park the democratic republic of Congo has a number of charter flights for visitors to Lomami National Park, travelers can fly in to the nearest towns of Kindu or Kisangani then hires 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 parks tour operators stay.
Accommodation safaris 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 Congo safaris will be arranged based on the camping accommodation option.
