Places to Visit in Bandundu, Congo, Central Africa

Places to Visit in Bandundu, Congo, Central Africa

Bandundu is the capital city of one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bandundu Province. Bandundu is situated around 390 km northwest of the province’s largest city, Kikwit and around 400 km northwest of the national capital, Kinshasa. Bandundu is spread over an area of 222 sq. km, lying on the eastern bank of the Kwango River at an elevation of 321 meters, between 3°19′ S latitude and 17°22′ E longitude.

For visitors, Bandundu is a great scenic destination with river bank, where visitors can involve themselves in boat riding, sightseeing and fishing. Bandundu is also known for its traditional market with colorful traditional clothes and handicraft products.

How to reach Bandundu?

Bandundu houses a domestic airport with scheduled flights to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The airport is situated around 4 km away from the midpoint of the city. The nearest international airport to Bandundu is the N’Djili International Airport in Kinshasa, around 370 km from Bandundu.

There are buses generally plying between Bandundu and Kinshasa, Mushie and Kikwit. Minibuses, rental cars and bikes are the prevalent options to get around Bandundu.

Food and shopping in Bandundu:

As the provincial capital, Bandundu houses many upgraded shops and restaurants with both local and branded items. Visitors can also visit Bandundu’s traditional market, where clothes, food pockets and handicraft products are available at affordable prices.

What to do in Bandundu?

Boat riding
City tour
Traditional shopping

What to see in Bandundu?

Kwango River:

The Kwango River flows through the town of Bandundu, offering different enjoyable water-sport activities for visitors like boat riding, sightseeing and fishing. It is a popular hangout place in Bandundu among both locals and visitors.

Traditional market of Bandundu:

The Traditional market of Bandundu is a place, where visitors can experience the real feel of DR Congo’s shopping. Products like clothes, handicraft products and food pockets are very cheaper here but don’t forget keep some local currency in the pocket as shops generally don’t accept cards.

Bandundu Airport:

The Bandundu Airport is one of the landmark sites of Bandundu, situated around 4 km away from the heart of the city. It is a modern airport with all basic facilities and is also famous among non-travelers for its pleasant location.

University of Bandundu:

The University of Bandundu is one of the recommended places to visit in Bandundu, where visitors can take the overview of local culture, tradition and history. It was established on 1 October 2004.

List of other places of interest near Bandundu includes:

Serpents du Congo
Zongo Falls
Ma Vallee
Cercle de Kinshasa
Kinshasa University
Congoloisirs
Virunga National Park
Mercato delle Stoffe Africane
Musee National de Kinshasa
Eglise CBFC-Gombe
Fiesta Club
Lake Kivu
Mount Nyiragongo
Lola ya Bonobo
Symphonie des Arts

Best time to visit Bandundu:

Probably from June to August is the best time to visit Bandundu in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Where to stay in Bandundu?

As like most cities of the country, Bandundu holds not much upgraded hotels, so visitors are suggested to drive towards the national capital Kinshasa to find better hotels to enjoy memorable hospitality services. The below list includes hotels in Kinshasa (around 400 km from Bandundu):