Largely known for its dark history and civil unrest, the Congo is also a place of great beauty. Its vast forests, rivers and savannahs give rise to landscapes of stunning natural beauty.

Here are 10 of my favourites.

Mount Nyiragongo

Located within Virguna National Park surrounded by forests and savannah, Mount Nyiragongo is an active volcano standing 3740 meters above sea level.

Garamba National Park

Garamba National Park and its seemingly endless grassland savannah covers 4,920 km² of north eastern DRC.

Kahuzi-biéga National Park

This vast area of tropical forests and its two extinct volcanoes provide a home for a diverse range of fauna, including one of the last surviving groups of eastern lowland Gorillas.

Boyoma Falls

The Boyoma Falls consist of 7 waterfalls distributed along 100 km of the Lualaba River, descending a total of 61 m finally reaching the Congo river.

Pool Malebo

Known as Lake Nkunda by local indigenous people in pre-colonial times, Pool Malebo is the name given to the lake-like wide region of the lower Congo river.

Maiko National Park

Situated on the equator, the swamps and rivers which meander through Maiko National Park form amazing patterns on the landscape.

Idjwi and Lake Kivu

On the eastern boarder of DRC lies Idjwi, an island located in Lake Kivu.

Okapi Wildlife Reserve

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the countries north-east is home to numerous threatened species including primates, birds and about 5,000 of the estimated 30,000 okapi surviving in the wild.

Salonga National Park

The meandering rivers and oxbow lakes create amazing landscapes through Africa’s largest national park.

The Congo River

Separating the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Congo runs the Congo River. The river stretches for thousands of kilometres and is littered with rapids and waterfalls.