The DRC’s wilds, though, are good enough reason to visit. The jungles and the foothills of the volcanic peaks are famous for their primate population, including the endemic eastern lowland gorilla, as well as okapi, giraffe and elephant, and the forests also offer an abundance of birdlife. It is a country filled with surprises.

Areas of the DRC are more akin to a European Alpine landscape, particularly around the Virunga Mountains, which play host to two national parks, both UNESCO World Heritage sites – Virunga National Park and Kahuzi-Biega.

Whether travelling by foot, boat or driving excursions, each method of transportation affords real frontier encounters that will provide the traveller with an array of exhilarating experiences.

It’s no secret, of course, that the DRC has suffered tumultuous ups and downs over the course of its long history – a history that stretches back some 80,000 years. As was so often the case, with the coming of colonialism (in this case Belgian), the area’s wealth of resources led to conflict and systemic abuse, which, since independence in 1960, have continued to experience repercussions. Fortunately, the DRC is enjoying a period of considerable peace and stability, even in the historically volatile east, and the growth of tourism is only helping to consolidate; its economic and cultural benefits are clear.