AfrinkongThe Congo Basin
Two thirds of the country is rainforest, and much of it has never had a road in it.
CONGO · Tourism
Odzala-Kokoua
Odzala-Kokoua is one of the best places on earth to track western lowland gorillas, Nouabale-Ndoki has forest that has never been logged, and the Congo river runs the whole eastern border.
Central & West AfricaRegion
27Tourism experiences
Odzala, and the western lowland gorillaKnown for
01
Featured destinations
Where the country actually takes you.
MountainsMount Berongou
903 metres in the Mayombe, and the highest ground in a country of forest and plateau.
Photo Serg Alesenko / Pexels
WaterfallsThe Loufoulakari
Falls on the Congo above Brazzaville, where the river drops through rock.
Photo Movoyagee / Pexels
Lakes & RiversThe Congo River
The second largest river on earth by volume, and the whole eastern border of the country.
A Hundred and Seventy Kilometres of Atlantic
Pointe-Noire's beaches, and the empty sand of the Conkouati coast north of it.
Forests & RainforestNouabale-Ndoki
Forest that has never been logged, and the Goualougo Triangle where the chimps had not seen people.
Photo Jay Brand / Pexels
02
Wildlife & safari
What lives here, and how you see it without disturbing it.
Wildlife
Western Lowland Gorillas
Smaller, redder and harder to see than mountain gorillas, and tracked through swamp forest.
Photo Jonathan Cooper / Pexels
Bai Watching
Forest buffalo, bongo, sitatunga and elephant come to the clearings, and you sit and wait.
Photo Nizar F / Pexels
Eco TourismOdzala's Model
Ex-poachers employed as trackers, and revenue shared with the villages on the park edge.
Photo Baihaki Hine / Pexels
03
Culture & heritage
The part of a country you cannot photograph from a vehicle.
Culture
Congolese Rumba
Rumba was made on both banks of this river, and it is on the UNESCO list because of it.
Photo Rimiscky Tayuna / Pexels
Traditional PeopleKongo, Teke, Mbochi and the Aka
Bantu peoples along the river, and Aka forest hunter-gatherers in the north.
Photo Kalz📸🇺🇬 Michael / Pexels
Food & CuisineSaka-Saka and Poulet Moambe
Cassava leaf, and chicken in palm nut sauce — the dish of both Congos.
Photo Nascimento Jr. / Pexels
The Feux de Brazza
A music festival in Brazzaville, and rumba the rest of the year in every bar.
Photo anicet tumine / Pexels
Traditional Arts & CraftsRaffia, Masks and Nkisi
Raffia weaving, Teke masks, and Kongo nkisi power figures.
Photo Engin Akyurt / Pexels
Historic SitesBrazzaville's Colonial Core
The Case de Gaulle and the Basilique Sainte-Anne, and a river frontage facing Kinshasa.
Photo Reinis Brūzītis / Pexels
HeritageSangha Trinational
Nouabale-Ndoki is part of the World Heritage forest shared with Cameroon and CAR.
04
Cities & everyday life
Where people actually live between the landmarks.
Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire
A river capital looking across at Kinshasa, and an Atlantic oil port with the beaches.
Colonial and Forest
French colonial along the river, and the Poto-Poto quarter that gave its name to a painting school.
Photo Job Bunana / Unsplash
The Bars of Poto-Poto
Rumba, grilled fish and beer, from the afternoon until it is not the afternoon.
Photo Robert So / Pexels
Family & CommunityNot Really
Odzala is a long way in and expensive. This is a trip for adults who want gorillas.
Photo Alexandra May / Pexels
05
Adventure & outdoors
For travellers who would rather walk it than watch it.
Adventure
Forest and River
Pirogue on the Lekoli, tracking on foot, and nights on a bai platform.
Outdoor ExperiencesTracking and Pirogue
Long days on foot through swamp forest, and quiet mornings on the Lekoli.
Photo ommy / Pexels
Luxury TravelSmall and Excellent
Odzala's camps are among the best-run in Central Africa, and there are three of them.
06
Travel inspiration
The frames people come home with.
Photography / Scenic ViewsGreen and Steam
A bai at first light, when the mist is still on it and the elephants are already there.
Photo Abdullah K / Pexels
Hidden GemsLesio-Louna
A gorilla sanctuary on the Bateke plateau, two hours from Brazzaville.
Photo Jay Brand / Pexels
Why Visit This Country
Why Congo
The best western lowland gorilla tracking anywhere, in forest that has never been cut.
Why Congo
The best western lowland gorilla tracking anywhere, in forest that has never been cut.
Build a journey