Lomako Reserve

The Lomako-Yokokala reserve protects around three and a half thousand square kilometres of lowland rainforest between two rivers in Equateur, and it has been a centre of bonobo fieldwork since the 1970s. Bonobos occur only south of the Congo river and nowhere else on earth, and Lomako holds one of the better-studied populations. Forest elephant, several monkey species and a substantial bird list share the forest. Access is difficult and visits are arranged through the reserve rather than independently.

What you actually see

• The bonobos - a well-studied population of the great ape found only south of the Congo river.
• The rainforest - closed-canopy lowland forest between the Lomako and Yokokala.
• The rivers - blackwater channels that are the main routes through the reserve.
• The research camps - long-running field stations that underpin the conservation work.

When to go

The drier windows, December to February and June to August, make the forest trails passable. Rain falls in every month. Bonobo tracking starts before dawn from the camps.

Honest expectations

This is a research and conservation site with almost no tourism infrastructure, and visits are arranged well in advance. Getting there takes days by river and on foot. Bonobo groups here are habituated to researchers rather than to visitors, so sightings are not routine.

Nearby

Basankusu is the river town used for access, and Mbandaka is far downstream.