Things to see and do Greater Katanga

The Upemba National Park was created in 1939 on an area of nearly 1,200,000 ha. It presents a variety of landscapes and ecosystems: valleys, shrub savannah, a grassy savannah plateau, high plateaus dotted with forest galleries as well as the large swampy valley of the Kamalondo depression, where the Lualaba River flows, which was to become the Congo River. It is in this depression that lakes Upemba, Mulenda, Kabwe and Kayumba are located. The park offers a beautiful diversity of environments conducive to a typical and varied fauna. The zebra, the roan antelope, the Cape eland, the hartebeest, the great kudu... are found in the highlands sector, while the savannahs are still home to one or another herd of elephants, buffaloes and antelopes. The swamps are home to several species of waterfowl, including many palearctic migrants, as well as hippos and crocodiles. At its inception, it was one of the most biodiverse reserves in the country and one of the few places to house zebras and cats, such as the large Upemba lion. But the park did not escape the consequences of the civil unrest that the country experienced in 2004 and to which it paid a heavy price (deforestation, poaching by Mai-Mai armed groups) to the point of threatening its survival.

Great efforts have been made, but access to certain areas of the site remains difficult, even for teams specializing in animal census. But the rest more than makes up for it. ICCN is also studying the possibility of a repopulation program in the two Katanga parks, in agreement with the Frankfurt Zoological Society. The park also includes various lakes, waterfalls (Kayo, Ipera, Kwanza, Munte, Dikolongo, Kalule) and some caves. Although it has existing infrastructure (renovated guest house, roads, bridges, hydroelectric system), the site has the potential to become a tourist attraction with some additional development. As elsewhere, a good vehicle is required to get there (about ten hours from Lubumbashi). Enter through Lubudi in the south, or Lusinga in the north (to enter the lakes area). Permits can be purchased and booked at the ICCN liaison office in Lubumbashi or through a travel agency.

A 500-hectare mini-safari where you can observe servals, giraffes, baboons, boas, pangolins, ostriches, zebras, kudus, camels, hyenas, gazelles, wildebeest, dik-dik, warthogs and more, on foot, by bike, by buggy or by jeep. The site also boasts an artificial lake (pedal boat and boat) and a children's playground. That said, the park has been running a little slowly of late. Rumors are circulating that the park's animal population has suffered some serious losses... New since 2023, bungalows for accommodation.

The superb site, nestled at the confluence of the Kiswishi and Kafubu rivers, covers 10,000 hectares of wooded bush into which the reintroduction of animals is underway. The restaurant is located on a wooden platform overlooking the Kafubu River. Activities include quad biking, pedal-boating, cycling, fishing, games room, billiards, table tennis, soccer, swimming pool, tennis, basketball, canoeing and more. A dozen lodges and fully-equipped facilities are available for accommodation.

The Congo River rises in Katanga, at an altitude of 1,740 meters, on a marshy plateau near the village of Mufosi, close to the Zambian border. Access is via the Kilela Balanda track. The sources of the Congo River are made up of several small rivers, one of which, the Lualaba, is considered the official source discovered on September 14, 1892 by the Bia, Francqui and Cornet expedition. It is from this modest river that the Congo River is formed by the accumulation of water in a basin covering 3,691,167 km². Beyond the thrill of being at the source of such an extraordinary river, the reality of the place is a simple sheet of clear water in a calm, shady spot. The interest of this place is above all symbolic. Before visiting the spring, the village chief performs a ceremony in the name of the ancestors. The visitor must first beg the ancestors for mercy before being allowed to approach the spring. The visitor is then invited to throw some money into the water and make a wish. Each visit is accompanied by a cheerful village escort. Clearly a place to be exploited from an ecotourism perspective, involving the local population. But access by road is difficult, and it would be interesting to organize accommodation to enable visitors to take part in other activities in the village and stay overnight. It is possible to stop off at the Catholic mission in Kilela Balanda.

Kundelungu National Park is linked by an ecological corridor with Upemba Park. Initially a private hunting area, it was declared a national protected area in 1970. It is made up of two zones, the western part of which (called the annex zone) was added more recently. The area of the park covers 250 thousand hectares in the reserve part located on the plateau, to which are added about 550 thousand hectares of annex zone. The ecosystem is of the grassy savannah type on immense steppes dotted with forest galleries, characteristic of Katanga. And the fauna that it is supposed to shelter is composed of antelopes, jackals, servals, porcupines, warthogs, a great variety of birds (cranes, egrets, marabouts, pelicans...), snakes, monkeys, buffaloes, hippopotamuses, crocodiles... There is also mention of some lions, cheetahs (of which the park would be the last refuge in DRC), leopards, zebras... But no one knows, particularly in the case of the big cats, if there are really any left. However, it is extremely rare and complicated to see them, so don't count on it, and be satisfied with the splendid landscape which is worth the detour. Starting with the Lofoi waterfalls, the highest in Africa (384m in a single stream), even more impressive in the rainy season. The site includes other majestic falls, of which the two most emblematic with the Lofoi are the Masansa ("shower") and Lutshipuka ("pool") falls where it is possible to swim. And that we can reach in one day.

On a practical level, the dirt track has been recently groomed and is therefore much more comfortable than before. But a good 4x4 remains essential to circulate on the tracks of the park. The drop-off point of the reserve is the Katwé station which has a lodge ($30 per night). For the same price, you can camp in the park - on top of the falls for example to observe the sunset or sunrise - with equipment and armed guards. In both cases, it is necessary to reserve and pay for lodging at the ICCN in Lubumbashi and to buy the permit ($40) for expatriates plus $15 per vehicle. The lodging is clean but rudimentary and without electricity of course, so remember to take everything with you before leaving Lubumbashi: food and water supplies, including for the driver, sleeping bag (it can get cold at night), torches,...

Another hill with a view of the city and the installations of Gécamines, owner of the site. It serves as a memorial to the copper eaters who worked the red metal long before the arrival of the Belgians. In 1975, a statue was erected on this hill made up of embankments, in homage to these ancestral craftsmen. There is also the tomb of a director and some remains of installations dating from the time when Saint Eloi was celebrated.

The Marian domain of Likasi is a hill at the entrance of the city topped by a large cross with a Marian grotto. Local pilgrims come here to pray the rosary on the steps leading to the statue of the Virgin. For the others, it is the occasion of a short and pretty walk with a magnificent panorama on the city and the mining installations of the surroundings. All tinted with the ochre color characteristic of the region. At the departure as well as at the arrival, you will be escorted by a bunch of smiling local children..

The originality of this stone lies in the natural and completely improbable superposition of a second (large) stone tilted and placed in unstable balance, but which does not fall. The stone of Mwa Kandala obviously nourishes many myths and is revered locally.

The Dipera Falls (about ten metres high), on the North Kalule River, are a priori accessible, to be combined with the nearby Kayo Falls (within the Upemba Park), and the Falls on the South Kalule (Dikolongo and Kawa).

Among the other falls for the moment inaccessible:

the 20-metre-high Kamwanga Falls, which was accessible until the 1980s up the North Kalule River. It is the third part of a fall apparently described as "much more important and spectacular". This fall is represented on a national currency note.

kabundji Falls from a height of 120 meters, located on the South Kalule, about fifteen kilometers from Lubudi.

The old records also mention the fall of the North Kalule, 42 kilometres from Lubudi on the Bukama road, and the fall of the Lubudi.

Without doubt one of the most impressive on the North Kalule River, Kayo Falls (80 meters high) is a small jewel set between lush vegetation and this rocky cliff so particular with its structure similar to a giant mille-feuilles. The access to the foot of the waterfall starts from the park office, which serves as a small lodge. The descent is delicate because made slippery by the permanent drizzle. But the result is clearly worth the effort to admire all the force that emerges from these quantities of water thrown with fracas on the rocks.

15 kilometres from Lubudi, upstream of Dikolongo (at the junction, on the left), still on the South Kalule, are the powerful Kawa Falls (+/- 90 m high) which flow in three levels. A moving show that you can't get enough of. Access is via a small path along the river, dotted with electric pylons and charming streetlights from the colony. The former staff house and especially the buildings of the power station itself are worth a look. It is possible to visit the installation and the tools permanently at a standstill but which remain impressive. Everything has remained in place since the closure in 2005....

The surroundings of Lubudi are also full of caves, which would delight speleologists and informed visitors, in a register of niche tourism-adventure. The province is considering making them accessible and conducting preliminary explorations. Because there are still many things to discover!

The Kyantapo cave (within the Upemba Park) was classified at the time as a tourist site because of the sculptures of unknown age it apparently contained. Although currently difficult to access, it is identified by local officials, and a prior ceremony is obviously necessary to enter it.

The cave of Kando has a Dantean entrance"and would end in a lake containing blind fish....

The Mpalaba cave, on the other hand, would extend for kilometres and would also end in an important lake, but with access already considered difficult at the time...

Of less interest is also the Kiama Kende cave.

Salt springs are also mentioned near the Mokabe-Kasari road

The Dikolongo Falls, about 45 metres high, are located 11 km from Lubudi on the South Kalule River. It is wide and discharges the river in a single fall. The access is not easy but the show is worth the detour! This river has been developed for the two hydroelectric power plants necessary for the operation of the Cimenkat. Two possibilities to admire the falls: from below, for an impressive show, with guaranteed freshness and humidity because given the flow in the rainy season we get copious rinses.... Or from above, by climbing the 200 steps to reach the dam that operated the plant. The Dikolongo reservoir (150 ha) is a bird paradise and serves as a resting place for many migrants. For fishing enthusiasts, note that it is full of tilapia. On the road, admire the old, undeveloped houses of the Cimenkat's executives.