Inga Falls

At Inga the Congo drops around ninety-six metres over a stretch of about fifteen kilometres, and because the river carries the second-largest flow of any on earth, the volume passing through is on a scale that is hard to take in from the bank. The rapids are the basis of the Inga hydroelectric scheme, whose first two dams were built in the 1970s and 80s and run well below capacity. Proposals for a far larger scheme have been discussed for decades without being built.

What you actually see

• The rapids - a long stretch of white water carrying an immense volume of river.
• The gorge - the lower Congo narrowing between rock walls below the falls.
• The dam structures - the Inga I and Inga II installations on the river.
• The scale - a flow second only to the Amazon among the world's rivers.

When to go

May to September is the dry season and the most practical for the roads. River flow peaks around December and May. Access to the dam area requires permission arranged in advance.

Honest expectations

The hydroelectric site is a controlled industrial area and cannot be visited casually; permission is arranged in advance and photography is restricted. Viewing the rapids from outside the site is possible but the access tracks are poor. There is no visitor infrastructure.

Nearby

Matadi is downstream, and Boma is further towards the coast.