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== Safe Areas ==
There are currently only three relatively small areas safe for tourists, backpackers and hitchhikers. Those are the capital Kinshasa in western Congo, the town of Goma on the border to Rwanda in eastern Congo and the bush land of the easternmost part of the Orientale province in north-eastern Congo. There are few roads and plenty of militias between these areas, and trying to get from one to another overland will cost you months of traveling and most likely your life. It's not worth trying!
== Hitchhiking in Kinshasa ==
Kinshasa is a huge city a population of more than 10 million. It is considered on the same level as high risk African capitals as Lagos or Nairobi.
"Hitchhiking" is the main way anyone without a car gets around in Kinshasa, as there is no public transit system. When waving at the cars you will get a ride in a matter of seconds, although at busy time there will be 15 other people on every corner, also waiving at cars. If you are travelling within Kinshasa, it helps if you ask for the hand signal for your destination neighbourhood. Drivers will look for people signalling for the same destination as them and may not waste their time stopping otherwise. You will be expected to pay for your ride.
== Hitchhiking in the West ==
Many Congolese will tell you that the road shown on maps connecting Kinshasa in the west to Lumbumbashi in the south does not exist or is a huge city a population of more than 10 millionimpassable. In 2011 Hitchwiki member [http://hitchwiki.org/community/members/Notapalooka/ Alyssa] hitched the route. It is considered quite safe took about 25 days of being on the same level as high risk African capitals as Lagos road every day (or Nairobisometimes being stuck in the mud, but still on the road). When waving at the cars you will get There were very few vehicles passing - maybe 5 a day, all bug trucks in terrible condition that were extremely overloaded. At one point a hitched ride in a matter of secondstruck took 6 days to go 200 km due to mechanical problems and mud. You will be expected There were few security issues and contrary to pay for your ridepopular belief about African police, they did not insist on bribes, instead generally offering food and help hitching onwards.
== Hitchhiking in the East ==
