lola ya bonobo

71geraldm

T his is a beautiful park to walk around. We had a guided tour of the Sanctuary. Although the Bonobos are fenced in they have lots of space as there are several hectares of forest. The fence is needed for their protection (and visitors as the bonobos were throwing sand at us). They are very playful and fun to watch. Baby Bonobos are nursed like human babies until they are strong enough to join the older ones in the forest. Definitely worth visiting.

951felixm

Lola ya Bonobo, the Bonobo sanctuary just outside of Kinshasa, is one of those places you will definitely visit during your stay. It's a great place to go to on the weekend and if you have kids you can bring them along easily, they will enjoy it for sure. The sanctuary consists of an open area for the older Bonobos to roam around freely, a "kindergarten" for the young ones, a smaller space for the sick ones and an information point where you will get a short presentation and some information about the work. The staff used to allow visitors to walk around freely along the 2 kilometer walk around the area but this disturbed the Bonobos - so now you will have to walk in groups. It's less fun but better for the animals so I guess that's fine. But still, you will see the apes running around and it's quite an experience because they are just so similar to human beings.- Entrance fee is $10 per person. - If you don't want your car washed, let the guys at the entrance know, otherwise you will be asked to pay

vineet_bhuwania

I was told that it was the only thing worth visiting in Kinshasa. At one level, seeing apes indulging in random copulation (of all sorts), did seem underwhelming. Thousands of miles from home to see that??? But, the sanctuary is well maintained, certainly educational. Bonobos are endangered and the chance of observing them in an artificially natural environ was great. Some moments of bonobos playing around were funny. Some, like the sight of mothers nursing their young or trying to teach them to walk was touching. Do visit when you are in Kinshasa.

Martijnt_12

The sanctuary is a significant distance from Gombe/centre-expect 45 mins if no traffic jams.Final stretch is on a poor road especially after rain and may require asking for directions. The place has guided tours during two periods each day. We went in around 1pm. The grounds are very large and the whole tour (and usual heat) can be challenging for small children/elderly. The entry fee is reasonable. The tour guide we got was a bit blase and focused on a repetitive strain of bonobo "facts" a point for improvement. The bonobo a several dozen separated by age groups and observing them is interesting in itself.

Metravellingagain

but don't visit with the guide, he will make you run through the park. the information is available at the entrance, where you pay. it is a lovely walk, very lush and green, the bonobos are fun and there is nice places for pique nique or buy at the restaurant... expensive though

INDI4140

It's a wonderful oportunity to observe this very rare primat. Also a breath out of the crazy cityAs photographer I only deplore the very bad gestion of fences. Some places, could be rearrange in order to avoid wires and electric, and by making objectif hole in fences ...

Merckens

Not far from the busy chaotic Mega City Kinshasa you can enjoy in a beautiful surrounding the visit to the Bonobo sanctuary. Already the trip out of Kinshasa, through the suburbs gives you an insight in Congolese reality away from the busy downtown city centre. The Bonobo centre is like a small park, where the animals are kept in fenced areas which are huge enough to give them a feeling of freedom. Nevertheless it’s a fenced location, so not real wild life. Bute the aim of the centre is to sustain and support the Bonobo population in the country which is endangered to extinct. They do great work and by visiting the centre one can not only experience a glimpse of insight in the female dominated Bonobo community, but also supporting the work of the local foundation.Its worth to walk through the nearby jungle mainly of gigantic bamboo trees. The nearby 3-5 Km Lake Ma Valle offers a nice place to eat and relax before returning into the crowded noisy asphalt jungle of Kinshasa

nowvoyager10

There are guided visits only, they have set times but if you can get past the unhelpful lady on the ticket desk you stand a good chance of a tour between these times. Our guide spoke French but had quite good English too and the inpfo signs around are in both languages.We saw about twenty bonobos, 2 family groups in different enclosures and the lively young orphans being fed salt and sugar solution to keep them hydrated. They have human 'mothers' who spend alot of time with them. The enclosures are huge wild areas with some fencing and some water barriers as bonobos don't swim. Our guide called to them and they answered with their shrieks and some would appear. They are very well taken care of and the walk around the enclosures was very interesting for plants and trees. Our visit took about 2 hours but we did linger alot! We took a picnic and ate it in peace by the river at the entrance to the reserve.

ConstantinvL

Had a day off while in Kinshasa with a couple of colleagues and we decided to go out to see the Bonobos. It is a bit of a drive but a nice and relaxing way to spend a morning while walking around the sanctuary and hearing about the Bonobos. Not a must do but definitely recommended.

I7006NTjamess

A visit well worth taking if you are in, or around, Kinshasa. Be prepared to do some walking at the park, as it is spread out across a few acres. Some places on the walking path can be a little treacherous if it has rained recently. So, wear decent walking shoes and take some water to drink. The bonobos are amusing and somewhat oversexed. Be aware of this if you have children accompanying you. This behavior is a natural instinct.At one of the enclosures the staff will interact with the adult bonobos and babies for a few US Dollars. Make sure you take a camera as this will leave you with endearing memories. Taking some fruit is also a good idea, but don't try and interact directly with the bononbos as they are curious, extremely strong and dangerous.A highly recommended attraction to visit.

abottelberge

It isn't too far from Kinshasa. We enjoyed the tour, it was mostly conducted in French but once the guide knew there were non french speakers in the group, he would try and accommodate us all.I would definitely recommend a visit.

rduraikannan

You must visit Bonobos if you are visiting Kinshasa. These Bonobos have 98% intelligence as the human beings. It is about 15 kms from the city center. You might need 2 hours to visit this site.

Viajeromundial007

it was nice to visit this place...but it is not a must!. I saw some bonobos and learnt something about them. You need at least one hour from Kinshasa city to get there. I was kind of dissapointed as I expected to see many of them in their real habitat. It is not much different than a typical zoo...only that this one is exclusively for Bonobos.

poteat_3177

If it wasn't so hot, I may have enjoyed it more! If you can go early in the morning, I would recommend that. They have scheduled tours that take you on a walk, I think they said it was about 3KM but it didn't seem that long. There are some very steep steps & a hill to walk up but other than that it is a very simple, flat walk. They took us to a seating area to rest about half way but there weren't any Bonobo's to watch at this seating area for some reason. I don't think our guide ever tried to call them over. I recommend buying some banana's from the villages on the way to the sanctuary, they of course could use your money, plus it's fun to feed them! Also, don't get too close to the fence, I got a huge amount of dirt thrown on me by one of the male Bonobo's who got jealous of a male human who was too close to one of the female's. That was interesting & messy!

Annie20202014

There aren't many interesting day trips out of Kinshasa so this is well worth it, it's a nice walk around the sanctuary, fascinating to sit and watch the bonobos interact with each other, and if you've got time, have lunch or take a picnic to eat at the entrance of the sanctuary, there's a small restaurant and seating area there. If ordering food, do so before you go in as they are rather slow.