Luki Biosphere Reserve

Luki protects around thirty-three thousand hectares of the Mayombe forest, the westernmost extension of the Congo basin rainforest, which once ran continuously to the coast and has been largely cleared elsewhere. It was set aside in the 1930s and became a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1976, and it has one of the longest continuous research records of any forest site in central Africa. The forest is dense and hilly, with a long tree list and good birding, and the reserve works with surrounding communities on the buffer zone.

What you actually see

• The Mayombe forest - the western extension of the Congo rainforest, largely cleared elsewhere.
• The research plots - long-term monitoring stands with decades of continuous records.
• The trails - guided walks through primary and regenerating forest sections.
• The birds - a strong forest list including species at the western edge of their range.

When to go

May to September is the dry season and the practical time for the trails, though the Mayombe is wet even then. Rain falls in most months. Mornings are best for birds and cooler for walking.

Honest expectations

Facilities are minimal and visits are arranged with the reserve administration rather than dropped in on. Trails are forest paths, wet and steep in places. Large mammals are largely gone and this is forest and birds rather than game.

Nearby

Boma is east towards the river, and Muanda and the coast are southwest.