Lake Tumba

Lake Tumba lies in the swamp forest south of Mbandaka, a shallow lake of dark tannin-stained water within one of the largest Ramsar-designated wetlands in the world, which extends across the river into the Republic of the Congo. The lake is fringed by flooded forest rather than by open shore, fishing villages work it from pirogues, and bonobo, forest elephant and a long bird list occur in the surrounding forest. It is very rarely visited from outside the region.

What you actually see

• The blackwater - dark tannin-stained water reflecting the flooded forest around it.
• The flooded forest - trees standing in water around most of the lake margin.
• The fishing villages - pirogue fishing communities along the accessible shores.
• The wetland - part of one of the largest protected wetland complexes anywhere.

When to go

The drier windows, December to February and June to August, are the practical seasons, though water levels change more than rainfall does. Fishing continues year-round. Mornings are best on the water.

Honest expectations

There is no visitor infrastructure and everything is arranged village by village. Boats are pirogues, not launches. Malaria and waterborne disease are real considerations, and the heat and humidity are constant.

Nearby

Mbandaka is north on the Congo, and Lake Mai-Ndombe is southeast.