Congo will Give You Back Your Laughter!

Congo, officially known as the Republic of Congo, is situated on one of the sides of the Congo River that offers friendlier environs than its neighbor, the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). The nation is also known as Congo-Brazzaville, wherein Brazzaville is the French-aromatic capital city.

The landscape of the Republic of Congo encompasses waterfalls, swamps, virgin forest, varied wildlife, coastal plain with lagoons; which all are backed by the Mayombe Mountains. On the other hand, the land of the Democratic Republic consists of tropical rainforest and mountains to the west, highest mountains in the east, plateaus in the south, and grasslands in the north.

Prominent for its flatland gorillas and wild chimpanzees, the nation is occupied by dense rainforest and impassable forest located alongside a narrow 169 km coast. Among all the present attractions that I saw, the heart filling captivators were its people who upon being frank and respectful, make us laugh too!

Congo Tourist  Attractions

Most of the following attractions are in and around the capital.

• Stunning Buildings:
  We visited the Basilique St. Anne, the Temple Mosque, the National Museum, Brazzaville Basilica, and the mansion built for Charles de Gaulle.
• Parc National de Odzala:
  This is the ideal place to watch the wildlife in their innate habitats. The park holds huge territory of virgin forests preserving bountiful wildlife, several pygmy villages, and tribes. One can spot for African elephants, Bongo (forest antelope), mountain gorillas, and chimpanzees.
• Captivating Panoramas:
  We explored the outer suburbs of the capital namely, Poto-Poto, an appealing halt; the white-water Congo River Rapids at a distance of 10 km from the capital, Loufoulakari Falls, and the Trou de Dieu.
• Pointe-Noire:
  This is the holiday hub of Congo due to its beautiful and under populated beaches with unspoiled waters next to the coast of the Cote Sauvage. The best time to be here is in the evenings when it becomes vibrant when people flock to the market. Do not miss the excursion for the Gorges of Diosso to explore the splendid cliffs formed by the attrition of the sea and the wind and an old site of African and European trade wherein millions of Africans were seized and sold for slavery in the coastal village of Loango.
• Okapi Wildlife Reserve:
  Being a World Heritage Site, this reserve spreads over 20 percent of the Ituri forest and offers 1,500 species of plants and animals. There are also some scenic explorations including the waterfalls on the Ituri and Epulu rivers.

• Kahuzi-Biega National Park:
  Even this park is in the World Heritage list. The park offers rift valley volcanic mountains and Congo basin low moorland along with dense flora and fauna and eastern lowland gorillas.
• Cruise Journey:
  This is only enjoyable if you have a lot of time. Take a cruise boat down the Congo River and be on it for 21 days covering a journey of 1750 km from the capital of Kisangani to the Kinshasa city in east in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Virunga National Park:
  This is the oldest park in Africa set in 1925. The park houses over 700 bird species and 200 mammals’ species including the gravely extinct mountain gorilla. Once can also spot chimpanzees, pangolin, herons, ibisis, egrets, bitterns, duck, geese, darters, cormorants, skimmers, shoebills, openbills, ospreys, gulls, francolins, warblers and weavers.

• Le Meridien Brazzaville:
  Located close to the center of Brazzaville, this is a five-star hotel that ensures a luxurious stay for $80 per person per night. A restaurant here offers French and African dishes and on Sundays, a Jazz Lunch at the swimming pool is presented.

Tips

Do carry the following things with you.

• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Cotton robes
• Walking shoes
• Sunglasses
• Camera

Best Time to Visit

The preferred months are from May to September in Brazzaville and from December to February for north.

Accommodations

• Cosmos Hotel (Hotel)
• Hôtel le Guest House (Guest House)
• Malonda Lodge (Resort)
• Pullman Hotel Cosmos (Hotel)
• Bougainvilleas Hotel (Hotel)
• Camp de Lokoue (Lodge)
• Camp d’Ekania (Lodge)
• Camp Principal de M’boko (Lodge)
• Cotiere Hotel (Hotel)