Potential to be tourist paradise
Unfortunately, the country's eastern region is now most known for its warlords, rebel groups, and mining wars. However, prior to the 1990s, when the region was mostly stable, it was a popular tourist destination. Both Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu, are located on Lake Kivu's shores. Surrounded by the Virunga Mountains, the landscape surrounding Goma is reminiscent of alpine lakes in Europe. The Virunga National Park to the north and the Kahuzi-Biega National Park outside Bukavu are also nearby. Both have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Virunga National Park covers a wide range of ecosystems, from lowland plains to the 5,000-meter-high Rwenzori Mountains (more than 16,000 feet). This definitely is one of the things about DR Congo you should know before visiting this country.
It is home to the world's biggest concentration of hippos, as well as the continent's most active volcanoes, Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira. One of the remaining armies of eastern lowland gorillas, a subspecies endemic to the nation, may be found in the Kahuzi Biega National Park. Over the previous two decades, chronic instability, poaching, and a lack of finance have made park maintenance challenging, but a determined crew of Congolese rangers in both parks has done their best.
