REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO SAFARIS

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Republic of Congo is a sparsely populated former French colony and is situated in western central Africa not to be confused with Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”) with which it shares its major border. Spared the problems of the DRC, its 3 million inhabitants live mainly in the south-west of the country leaving the endless pristine tropical forest of the north and the fingers of savannah that cover its interior largely uninhabited and therefore untouched. The heart of the Congo Basin, a vast area of tropical rainforest, about the size of the United Kingdom, is drained by the mighty Congo river, as well as the Sangha and Mambili.

WHERE TO GO

A safari in Republic of the Congo is a unique adventure – the country is wild, remote and untouched. There are two main camps in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park and they both represent a different experience.

The main activity at the Ngaga Camp is tracking western lowland gorillas – this area has the highest density of the species anywhere in the world. You can also see unusual trees, plants, insects and occasionally other primates, and visit the nearby village of Ombo.

The Lango Camp is conveniently located next to a bai where you can see other elusive animals, such as forest elephant and buffalo, bush pigs, leopards and bongo. You can walk in the bai, take a boat along the water where you will see dazzling butterflies and tropical birds, or go for a game drive to seek out other animals.

Safaris begin and end with a trip to Brazzaville, the country’s capital, a laid-back charming town on the Congo River.

The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo Brazzaville, is Africa’s equivalent of the Amazon. Since opening up central Africa’s equatorial rainforests to tourism, it’s changed the face of African travel.

While it shares its largest border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, it’s quieter, calmer, safer and much better behaved than its troubled neighbour. However, it offers a unique, wild safari experience with few other tourists.

The most famous national park is Odzala-Kokoua in the northwest. It forms part of the Congo Basin and supports a variety of habitats, including large areas of pristine rainforest, low-lying swamps, and lush, open bais – marshy forest clearings that attract hard-to-see mammals.

This unique environment is home to the world’s largest population of western lowland gorillas, which are the ultimate draw for most safari-goers in this region. You can also see a host of other primates, forest elephants, leopard, hyena, forest buffalo, sitatunga, and the rare, elusive bongo, the rainforest’s largest antelope. There are hundreds of bird species, along with thousands of tropical plants.

The Republic of the Congo offers an undeveloped safari adventure that’s a little off the beaten track, but visitors are rewarded with heart-warming interactions with locals, including the Ba’Aka pygmy tribe.

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FEATURED CAMPS

We have the best selection of resorts & camps in Republic of the Congo to suit all of your needs and requirements. If you would like any additional information on any of these resorts & camps, please contact us directly

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MORE ABOUT REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

The region supports a host of forest biodiversity in which endemic wildlife thrives including the majority of the world population of western lowland gorillas. The forest also supports traditional tribal culture.

Tourism in the Congo is in its infancy giving every trip into the forest the feeling of an adventure, not quite knowing what one might discover. The rivers allow access, to what otherwise would be almost impenetrable forest, to parks such as Odzala-Kokoua National Park.

The primary rainy season is from November through to April.

We would advise all travellers, prior to booking, to consult the Foreign & Commonwealth Office travel advice for the country(s) they are thinking of visiting, both in respect of the safety of travel and also passport and visa requirements. Please click here.

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WHEN TO GO

Congo lies on the equator so the temperature and humidity remain broadly the same all year. There are two rainy seasons, October to December and March to April, and two dry seasons, January to February and May to September.

Temperatures

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Low (°C)	20	20	20	20	20	18
High (°C)	30	30	31	30	31	31

	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Low (°C)	18	19	19	19	19	20
High (°C)	30	30	30	30	30	30

Rainfall

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Avg (mm)	167	147	195	180	112	23

	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg (mm)	17	76	147	185	222	214

Currency	CFA
Capital City	Brazzaville
Population	4.45 million
Language	French
Time Zone	GMT +1:00

NEED TO KNOW

When travelling anywhere new it’s good to understand a little bit more about your destination. Below are a few additional details about Republic of the Congo.

Currency	CFA
Capital City	Brazzaville
Population	4.45 million
Language	French
Time Zone	GMT +1:00

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Republic of Congo (Congo) is not to be confused with The Democratic Republic of Congo, and is situated on the west coast of the African continent and is borderd by Gabon, Angola and the DRC. It has a small Atlantic coast line with Pointe-Noire with the major port. The Congo is a former French colony and is a sparsely populated country with just four million people, of which almost 70% live in its major cities, in a total area of some 342,000 sq kilometres.

Over half of the Congo is covered in rainforest and is where Odzala-Kokoua, with its population of western lowland gorillas, in the north of the country can be found.

The capital is Brazzaville, which is also the hub for international flights. Air France has direct flights from Paris into Brazzaville several times a week.