Lac CEMKA

The lake

While Lac de ma Vallée is always packed on a Sunday afternoon, Lac CEMKA, which you pass along the way to Lac de ma Vallée, is almost always empty, and it’s a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

When you turn off the paved road, you’ll experience a bit of up and down bumpy road before it flattens out and you circle around the lake to the restaurant area. The lake is in the midst of a pretty open valley punctuated by a big hill rising to a plateau with a Catholic church on top in the distance.

Chez Tatem and the Island

While not a great photo, the limos are definitely Chez Tatem’s claim to fame.

While Chez Tintin is undoubtedly the most popular place in Kinsuka to grab a beer and watch the raging rapids, Chez Tatem a little farther down the river has its own claim to fame. In the grassy parking area lie two rusty limousines that were purportedly brought to Kinshasa for George Foreman and Muhammad Ali to use while they were here for the Rumble in the Jungle.

Lola ya Bonobo and Lac de Ma Vallée

Just hangin’ out.

An essential part of anyone’s Kinshasa experience, whether you are here for a week or 10 years, is a trip to Lola ya Bonobo, the world’s only bonobo sanctuary. Our first visit to the sanctuary was during our first week in Kinshasa, and it was a great way to get out of the city while experiencing the craziness that is bonobo culture.

Kisantu Botanical Gardens

Beautiful trees with species labels on them.

While there aren’t many flowers, the Kisantu Botanical Gardens are a lovely place to spend an afternoon as a day trip from Kinshasa or on the way to and from other destinations in Bas Congo.

The main thing to do is to walk around and see what there is to see. When you enter, you may want to stop at the small museum/gift shop where there is a little bit of information about the gardens. If you are feeling like you want to be uber prepared, you can print out the map below (which comes from some missionaries). The good thing is that wandering is pretty easy, and there are a few signs that will lead you in the direction of different attractions.