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Wildlife Safaris in Lola ya Bonobo
A forested sanctuary about 30 kilometers south of Kinshasa, home to the world's only refuge for orphaned bonobos, the great ape found nowhere on earth but the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Why here
Lola ya Bonobo is the one place a traveler can reliably meet bonobos, the great ape that lives only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, south of the Congo River. The name means paradise for bonobos in Lingala, and the sanctuary was created in 1994 by Claudine Andre to take in orphans of the bushmeat and pet trades. More than 70 bonobos now live across forest enclosures set around a lake, in family groups that mirror how the species lives in the wild, where females lead and conflict is settled with closeness rather than aggression. A guided visit walks you through the story of each group and the wider fight to protect a species most people never get to see. It sits about 30 kilometers from central Kinshasa, close enough for a half-day trip, which makes it the most accessible real wildlife experience in a country whose famous eastern parks are largely shut by conflict. The sanctuary also runs Ekolo ya Bonobo, a rewilding preserve far upriver where sanctuary-raised bonobos have been released back into the forest, the first returns of their kind.
Best months
The sanctuary is open for guided day tours Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays, with set tour times through the day and a close at four in the afternoon. Visitors keep well back from the animals under strict health rules, so there is no contact with the bonobos. The drier months from June to September make the unpaved approach road easier. Rain is heavy and frequent the rest of the year.
Getting there & around
Travel advisory · Reconsider Travel
the US State Department rates the Democratic Republic of the Congo Level 3, Reconsider Travel, in an advisory dated August 12 2025. Level 4, Do Not Travel, applies to named provinces rather than the whole country: North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika, Haut Lomami, the three Kasai provinces and Mai-Ndombe. Kinshasa and the sanctuary are not among them. Separately, there is an active Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus, ongoing as of late July 2026 and centered in the northeast far from Kinshasa. Screening, entry and return-travel rules have changed repeatedly during this outbreak, so check the WHO outbreak page, the CDC travel health notices and your own government's guidance close to departure. The UK FCDO separately advises against all but essential travel to the N'djili and Kimbanseke districts of Kinshasa, which is the airport corridor, so arrange a vetted transfer in advance rather than finding one on arrival. The sanctuary is about 30 kilometers south of Kinshasa by road and is best reached with a driver or local operator. A DRC visa, a yellow fever certificate and malaria precautions are required. Carry cash in US dollars or local francs for the entrance fee. Confirm current conditions and your own government's advisory before traveling.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (1)
Friends of Bonobos
OrganizerFriends of Bonobos, known in the DRC as Les Amis des Bonobos du Congo, runs Lola ya Bonobo, the world's only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos. It was founded in 1994 by Claudine Andre on a forested site about 30 kilometers south of Kinshasa. More than 70 bonobos rescued from the wildlife trade live there in forest enclosures set around a lake. The group also runs Ekolo ya Bonobo, a rewilding preserve where sanctuary-raised bonobos have been returned to the wild.
Also good for wildlife safaris in September:
Torn between Lola ya Bonobo and Alutaguse for September?
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