Mbandaka sits almost exactly on the equator, on the banks of the Congo River in the northwestern DRC. It is one of the few Congolese cities accessible by river, and the journey upriver from Kinshasa, while slow and uncomfortable, is one of the great African travel experiences for those with the time and temperament for it.
The city itself is quiet by Congolese standards, with wide colonial-era boulevards slowly being reclaimed by tropical vegetation. The Equator Monument marks the actual crossing of the earth's midline through the city, and the Congo River waterfront at dawn — pirogues arriving, traders unloading fish and plantains, the vast river stretching into the forest — is unforgettable. Six kilometres east of town, the Eala Botanical Garden is a colonial-era tropical garden now half-reclaimed by the jungle it was built to contain, and one of the stranger places to walk in central Africa.
The surrounding Équateur province is densely forested, and Mbandaka serves as a jumping-off point for visits to the bonobo habitat in the Salonga National Park, though organizing such trips requires serious advance planning and local contacts. The central market is lively and worth exploring, and the views across the vast Congo River at sunset are unforgettable.