DR Congo maybe in the news from time to time, mostly for all the wrong reasons, but look beyond the media-yarn and discover a whole new world of adventure possibilities – gorilla tracking (in Virunga National Park) and a trek up Nryiragongo, to begin with. It is also a country that loves mayonnaise and fries, thanks to its Belgian -connection, has great coffee and has the best gorilla tracking options.

Virunga National Park is a unique ecosystem in itself and houses over a 800 gorillas. Poaching was once a cause of concern, but that is now curbed to a large extent. Safety is still a concern, but with a little planning and caution, you should be fine.

Whilst here, hike up the Nyiragongo volcano – it is quite a hike, especially if you aren’t in the best of health, but the experience is amazing.While Congo may not be well known for its coffee, there is a sizeable amount of coffee production here and is definitely worth checking out.