
Filming in Lomami National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Filming in Lomami National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo- The Park is strategically located at the central base of the Lomami River spanning the provinces of Maniema and Tshopo and stretching narrowly into the Tshuapa and Lualaba river basins.Lomami National Park was established in 1992 and later declared recently in 2016. It covers 8879 square kilometers of lowland rain forest with a mixture of Savannah grassland, especially in its southern park, and spectacular hills located in its western direction.
Lomami National Park boasts wildlife species including the endemic and rare Bonobo, Okapi, Lesula and the rare Dryas that are locally known as Inoko. Therefore, we can say that the Lomami national park is the youngest national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but with a lot of the species it offers, you can film and produce high quality documentaries.
Lomami National Park is situated south of Kisangani, the capital city of Tshopo province, and northwest of Kind, the major commercial center of Maniema province. The Lomami National Park is surrounded by the different ground types of Mitutku, Ngengele, and Mbole, among others.
What will appear in your Lomami National Park filming mix?
Lomami National Park is one of the wonderful national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo with a lot of rare and endemic species that are of interest to the film crew members. As a result, the park provides a rewarding experience for the daring filmmaker. Therefore, as you’re filming in Lomami National Park, species such as forest elephants, Congo peacock, Okapi, and Dryas monkeys are among the things that you should not miss in your Lomami National Park filming mix.
What to film in Lomami National Park?
Filming elephants in Lomami National Park: Elephants are an important member of the big five animals in this Park. There are more than 500 elephants that do occupy the northern parts of the park, which are covered by forests.
Filming Okapi and the rain forest giraffe in Lomami National Park: These two species, which are endemic only to Congo, can be filmed in Lomami National Park, mainly on the western bank of the Lomami National Park.
Filming primates in Lomami National Park: Lomami National Park is an outstanding destination park for filming the great apes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Among the primates that you can film in Lomami National Park include the Congo basin Wolfs monkey, Lesula, Katanga red-tailed monkey, Lomami red colobus monkey, Tsuapa red colobus, Bonobos, Dryas monkey, De Brazzas monkey, yellow-nosed red-tailed monkey, Northern black mangabey, Sclaters Angolan colobus, Bonobos, among other species which are so interesting.
What is the cost of filming in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
All the visitors going on the filming adventure in the Democratic Republic of Congo must obtain valid filming permits. If you’re filming for personal use, you will just need to pay the park entrance fees and then the fees and do the activity, while if you’re filming for commercial purposes or documentary, it will be the Institut Congolais Pour la Conservation de la Nature that will issue the filming permit, depending on which destination you’re going to do the filming from. But generally, you will need to pay the park entrance fees and then a percentage levied for filming, as it will be well explained by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature. We engage with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature to ensure that we get for you the right and affordable Congo filming permit.
What do you need to film in Lomami National Park?
The first requirement is to obtain filming permits and clearance.
For any related filming activity to be done in the Democratic Republic of Congo, all the filming crew members have and possess the filming permits, which are provided with permission by the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo in order for you to continue with your Lomami National Park filming safari. Other than the filming permits, you will also need to have your filming equipment cleared at any point of entry in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whether through the international airport or by using the land borders. The filming equipment is supposed to be cleared by the customs department, which is always stationed at the point of entry.
Therefore, as Africa Adventure Vacations, this is where we can help you a lot. By merely informing us of your intentions to do filming in Lomami National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we are very experienced in organizing for you the whole adventure activity, including processing for you the filming permits required, organizing for you the accommodation facilities, transportation, help in obtaining for you the local authorities’ permits, as well as aiding you in clearance of your filming equipment with the customs department of the Democratic Republic of Congo at your point of entry.
There is no formal process for the allocation of filming permits in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so this is handled by negotiations between the parties, which Africa Adventure Vacations is experienced in.Also, the DR.Congo government doesn’t authorize filming in the areas of interest, especially filming the military installation projects, filming of government buildings, as well as filming along the border areas, and this is illegal and you may be penalized in the courts of law or even have your equipment confiscated. If you want to do filming that will require you to shoot by the use of drones, market filming, or filming alongside the road whereby you will inconvenience traffic, such as filming in the cities or those in the national parks, then you will also need to get permission from the local authorities. To avoid inconveniences, you will need to contact Africa Adventure Vacations so that we can advise you accordingly when to do filming in Lomami National Park.
Visas and work permits are required as part of the second requirement.
As you are aware, it is illegal to enter another country without a visa. It is important that all the film crew members obtain the visa to be allowed into DR. Congo. For the neighboring Congo countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, you can get the visa immediately on arrival. For the DR Congo Visa, it’s a different story. Rather, you must apply for the visa in advance through your nearby DR Congo Embassy. The single entry visa in Congo costs $100 and is valid for one month. The one valid for two months costs $135, while for the one valid for six months, you will need to pay $400. The important thing to note is that the DR. Congo Visa will need to be applied for in advance, about 3 weeks or a month before your planned dates of travel to Congo for the filming, since this Visa cannot be issued on arrival as it is in her neighboring countries. The film crew members will not be allowed to enter the Democratic Republic of Congo to do filming activities without a visa. Another document here is the yellow fever vaccination card, and thus, please contact us at Africa Adventure Vacations for the best filming opportunities in DR. Congo.
Requirement 3: You need to hire a vehicle for filming in Lomami National Park.
Yes, at Africa Adventure Vacations, we make sure that we make transport arrangements for you such that when you are in the Democratic Republic of Congo for filming, you don’t get stranded. We have got our own fleet of cars and we book and arrange the vehicle services for the film crew members depending on their interests, budgets, and the terrain of the area that is going to be filmed. For the film crew members going to film in the rough terrain, we advise them to use a 44 wheel drive vehicle that will be able to navigate the hilly terrain, especially in the Lomami National Park. We shall be able to tell you how much it cost in terms of the furl and the mileage covered in order to determine how much you will spend on the vehicle per day. Africa Adventure Vacations also organizes both chartered and scheduled flights within the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially for visitors who are interested in flying and do not have the time to drive long distances on the road.
Our hired vehicles will be manned by a well-experienced driver guide who has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo River before and knows all the corners of the country from the point of arrival up to the Lomami National Park for filming in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The driver fixer will be able to share with you the basic information about the Democratic Republic of Congo and will give you all the solutions required when it comes to film fixing, so you are lucky to book your Lomami National Park filming safaris with Africa Adventure Vacations.
Is filming in Lomami National Park safe?
It is very safe. Well, we all know that over recent years, DR. Congo has been affected by instabilities which have threatened investors as well as the tourism industry in the country. Such instabilities and disasters have come because of Ebola and other rebellion conflicts which have halted the filming process in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, as of recently, the Congo has returned to peace, with only a few cases of insecurity, and the filming industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is safe and thriving, so we can assure you that filming in Lomami National Park is safe. As Africa Adventure Vacations, we keep tracking and monitoring any security threats from time to time, and we are very cautious in that anytime we feel a threat, we can let you know. This advisory service is always given before the filming in Lomami National Park starts. Always contact us at African Adventure Vacations for more information about the safety of filming in Lomami National Park.
How to get to Lomami National Park?
Lomami National Park is located amidst the basin of the Lomami River and is an isolated park which can be accessed by water transport. This means that the film crew members will need to use the boat to access the Lomami National Park. For security reasons, all the film crew members are urged to declare and clear all the equipment in order to get clearance so that they are not suspected for filming. Therefore, by doing this, you will travel to Lomami National Park to film so comfortably, so comfortably.
What to wear during filming in Lomami National Park, Congo?
In order to have a successful filming safari in Lomami National Park in Congo, there are some of the items that you should not miss from your packing list, especially the right dressing code depending on the conditions available. Therefore, our visitors or the film crew members should put on or come with the following during filming:
- You need to wear long-sleeved shirts or long trousers while filming. It is good when they are waterproof, as these will protect you from being harmed by sharp tree branches and stones as well as thorns while in the Congo wildness filming.
- You need to wear water-proof shoes during filming. This will help you to navigate through the slippery trails that you will be following while filming in Congo as these will give you stability on the ground.
- Don’t miss out on putting on the gardening gloves when filming, which will be so influential in protecting your hands, and you can put them off when you feel you no longer need them.
- You also need to come with a rain jacket because, in most cases, filming is done in the tropical rain forests that are always wet, and this is why putting on a rain jacket is of great help to you.
- Since filming is always done in the wild, it is good that you have insect repellent with you to safe guard against various insects such as mosquitoes and any other biting insects.
Other clothes that you should not leave out are the water-proof safari back and jacket, as this will help protect your filming equipment from getting in touch with water. You can also put on the African safari hat, safari socks, and shorts that you can sometimes put on, among others.
Accommodation during filming in Lomami National Park
The film crew members can at least get where to put-up around the Lomami National Park, but the park has not yet fully developed accommodation facilities around it. However, you can find where to sleep in the nearby guest houses, and if you’re interested in camping, then you can come with items such as water, the night guards, and also the food that you will use throughout camping. You need to contact us for more information about lodging options in Lomami National Park.
When is the best time to film in Lomami National Park?
Filming in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lomami National Park is done throughout the year. However, it has been established that the best time to film in Lomami National Park is during the dry season, which runs from June to October and then from December to February. The Democratic Republic of Congo is covered with tropical rain forest and this has influenced the country to experience the tropical rain climate, meaning that at times you can also experience certain rains unexpectedly. Therefore, you need to prepare accordingly for the changing weather conditions.
Why should you choose Africa Adventure Vacations for your filming safaris?
Africa Adventure Vacations is a local company based in Uganda but operates in East African countries that include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Africa, and we have over 10 years’ experience in aiding filming and production companies, especially those interested in filming nature-related wildlife including Kundelungu national park and the culture of Africa. We provide services such as booking for the filming permits, clearing of the filming equipment, booking for the accommodation facilities, organizing transportation to the filming companies, all in the shortest period of time. We organize other wildlife packages to all of the above-mentioned countries, including gorilla packages to Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therefore, you should not hesitate to choose us to be your film fixers in East Africa.