zongo falls

This is a great place for a weekend getaway with your partner, family or friends. The drive takes about three hours from outside of Kinshasa (depending on road and weather conditions). You can stay at the Seli Safari Resort which is located at the site and they offer a variety of accomodation from camping to luxury suites. The falls are great in rainy season because the immense amount of water rushing down the rocks will still get you wet even if you stand 100 meters away. However, dry season is also quite amazing because you can get very close to the water and walk on the rocks - Please be careful, it might still be slippery). Heads Up: The guys at the entrance of the path to the hike will tell you that you need a guide. Negotiate the price beforehand to avoid frustration at a later stage. If you book your tour at a travel agency in Kinshasa and the price includes the guide, make sure not to pay twice when you get there. So Zongo Falls are definitely a Must See if you're in the area or live in Kinshasa. Enjoy!

Loved the atmosphere out there. Very scenic location. Njoyed the bathe alot. Stayed there for almost 2 days. Worth watching if you really visit Kinshasa.

The Zongo falls are amazing. You actually get a shower from the falls. Not directly though. Getting wet is a must. The zongo hotel is beautiful. A bit over priced but it is a lovely hotel, very good food and the service was great. Unbelievable DRC.

The falls are nice to see.However, I would recommend staying at Mbuela lodge in Kisantu (2 hours drive) since the prices at Zongo lodge/hotel are outrageous for what you get..We have a very bad experience...all but the $500/night suite was full, so we had no choice...For the price we got a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1 huge interactive TV set, with the cable working on and off..the AC was not cooling, the slow service came twice to confirm is was deficient, but never repaired!!we got locked out twice because the person sharing the stairs locked the bottom door and they did not have another key!We were by the pool where they were having a party with pound sound system .Then in the morning we got waken up by the maid sweeping the terraces at 6:00 am!! and had a little brown water running from the tap....so no water at the tap and you are by the river!!!!the room came with breakfast: basic and not worth the money...So I tried to negotiate a rebate at check out and was simply answered by the owner that there was no commercial rebate...Of course, there is no competition at 2 hrs drive around!!!So I will not drive 4 to 5 hours from Kinshasa to go back to Zongo...

The falls are nice as well Seli Safari Hotel where you can take lunch. the have a new better road from Kisantu. Entry is 10 US$

We had a Villa, very luxurious and very clean, 2 ensuite huge bedrooms, flat screen tv with good film selection, lounge and kitchen area with small fridge, kettle, plates etc and a wonderful terrace right on the river bank with lots of seating. As good as a lodge in Kenya. The noise from the river is amazing, with lots of bird life and beautiful plants. There is a 'butler' person who sorts stuff out and brings breakfast to the villa.We barbecued both evenings, they have several private barbecue areas you can book for groups or use the one with the villa. We didn't eat in the restaurant at all so can't comment on that.The fall are spectacular but Seli beach has sort of disappeared under grass but they have cleared a separate sandy area up on the river bank so it's still a great spot.The flush on our toilet stopped working on the second night and the seat on the other toilet was loose but apart from that everything was perfect.

We left Kin at 8AM, arrived around 1PM. The last 65kms is all gravel and stones - very rough ride. Best to rent a car with a driver who knows well the road. On the first day, we went to the Seli beach and the massages cascades and on the second day, we visited the main falls. It's two different sceneries, both awesome, and I would def go back. Next time, Id like to stay for 2nights and 3 days instead of 1night and 2 days. We took a residence that had a kitchen, it was really clean and classy!Loved the whole experience except the roads...!

Seli Safari have come a long way since inception to make this little paradise of a resort very welcoming with all the 5 star amenities (tents, cottages, chalets, villa's) in the middle of the bush. The main water falls, Seli Beach and the new beach side water falls are the main attractions. Fantastic place.

I visited the falls and resort last month with family and friends for one night. The drive from Kinshasa was long (about 4 hours, with pretty rough roads at times), but it was completely worth it.It is much cooler than Kinshasa so I would definitely suggest carrying a light sweater (I didn't). The food was amazing, the rooms were comfortable, the service was lovely and i would definitely go back.I especially appreciated the guides. We visited near the edge of the waterfall, 'hiked' to the bottom of the waterfall and there is also a kind of beach about 10 km from the resort, one of the guides came with us and we did a small walk around there as well. If you wish to visit it, the guides at the hotel are willing to accompany you in your car, it is way to far to walk there.On our first evening we went swimming, the pool is rather nice, however, once we got out, we noticed some frogs taking a night time dip as well...a bit icky.Overall, I definitely plan to visit again. I would think it would make a great place for conferences, family or couple getaways.

Great natural place with good touristic accomodation.The falls are astonishing. Possibility to sleep in tent/bungalow/appartments (high cost for DRC perspective).

We were a group of friends spending a weekend in the Zongo Falls. The site is a few hours drive from the capital Kinshasa. It's highly recommended to with people who know the place and during the dry season (during rainy season the roads are impossible to cross). Also, 4x4 are highly recommended as you do not want to get stuck there at sunset.The site itself has changed since I had been in the 80s. You sleep close by the falls (don't expect silence), and under huts and concrete floor (although you can sleep a bit further from the site, the huts, etc., but the further you stay from the site, expect mosquitos attacks). You also need to call in advance to get there.It was pretty safe. Perhaps being a group of 20 helps.It's a camping site so you bring your own sleeping bags, tents, food, etc.We walked around the site to face the waterfalls. The water flow is so strong (second strongest after the Amazon) that you get soaked when arriving in front. The view is impressive, and we took a shower from the drizzle.On the way back to the site, there is a corner where you can swim safely.In the Zongo falls, you are in the nature. All virgin!

Not sure how this ranks #3 out of attractions to do in and around Kinshasa. This place by far is the best weekend excursion. We stayed at the Seli Safari Lodge in one of the villas, and I must say I was impressed with the room. You can sleep six adults in a villa comfortably.

You have 50 km of dirt road...avoid absolutely, even with a 4WD, if it has been raining 72 hours before.Also, there is only one access road, and just before arrival, you have a control post manned by security guards with AK47. On day time, it is OK. But if you are unfortunate as i was to arrive at night... got hijacked for 20 minutes by these armed A-----. I got away with a 50 $ bribe, but this sure is the last time i go to the Zongo Falls.To be honest, the falls are beautiful, and the hotel is great.

We just took a 3 day trip to Zongo Falls from Kinshasa. We traveled as a 30 person (with small children) group of American Diplomats. Though it is during rainy season, we lucked out with the weather and just got drenched one night., The roads are tricky after turning off the Matadi highway, so it is highly recommended to have 4 wheel drive. The falls are breath taking. The big falls are just a 15 minute hike from the Zongo hotel and the smaller falls and beach are just a short, but STEEP drive....a jewel in the ruff!!!

Just came back from a trip to the falls this past December, and it is absolutely breathtaking. The site to Seli Safari is beautiful with different accommodation types ranging from tents, to bangalow, 2 bedroom lodging, etc. The site is at 4hrs drives from Kinshasa, you need a 4x4 vehicle to get there especially in the rainy season. The cost to access the facility is at about $6.50 (after tax), our guides was very friendly taking us closer to the falls. Definitely recommends visiting this site, amazing gateway for family and friends.