1. The Mayombe Forest
The Mayombe Forest in Congo-Brazzaville consists of low mountains starting from the mouth of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic (Congo-Kinshasa) to the Kouilou-Niari River in the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville). The Mayombe Forest spans over four countries: Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Gabon and Angola. The Mayombe has several lower mountains with deep forests and many rivers penetrating the forest next to small patches of savannah. The forest is home to many animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, antelopes and in the mangrove forests of the DRC we can even find manatees. We run an excellent programme in which we visit the wild coast of Congo-Brazzaville north of Pointe-Noire, followed by a stay in a tree hut in the Mayombe Forest with magnificent views over its green surroundings.
2. Loufoulakari Waterfalls
The Loufoulakari Falls are waterfalls in the south-west of the Republic of Congo, in the Pool, about 75 km south of Brazzaville.
The cataractes plateau is a sandy-sandstone plateau that extends south of Brazzaville and into the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congo River runs deep there, forcing its tributaries, the Loufoulakari and the Louvoubi, to create falls such as the Bela Falls.
Rolling down large sandstone slabs, these cataracts cut through the Loufoulakari estuary, which flows into the Congo River. The falls of Loufoulakari are at an altitude of 291 meters above sea level. The relief around the falls is flat in the north, and hilly in the south, within a valley. The highest point in the neighborhood is 411 meters above sea level, 1.3 km southwest of the falls. There is also a mosaic of agricultural land (orchards) and natural vegetation. It is the domain of savannahs with a humid tropical climate. Let us know if you want to book a tour to Loufoulakari Waterfalls of Bela Waterfalls from Brazzaville.
3. The Congo River
The Congo River is without a doubt one of the most mythical rivers and offers one of the last great adventures in the world. The whole Congo Basin is a network if side-arms of the Congo River, smaller rivers and streams, marshlands and lakes, all connected to this huge beast of a river finding its way to the Atlantic Ocean. You can take a day trip from Brazzaville on the Congo River and visit one of the sand banks or islands and have lunch or you can go further up north and even all the way to Kisangani or the other way around. For those who wish to learn more about the daily life among the river banks, we have an excellent programme in the Congo Basin where we go for one week on the river, living among the villagers and fishermen in the area.
4. Odzala National Park
Odzala National Park is a national park in the Republic of the Congo and has a long history of being a protected area since 1935. After being a biosphere in 1977 it finally was given the status of national park in 2001 and is now home to over 100 mammal species and a large variety of primate species. The park is around 13.500 sq km big and consists mainly of rainforest spread over hills and glades, but also has some savanna. The park tries to work with poachers as much as they can and offer them a job within the park instead of hunting. The park is extremely beautiful with deep rainforest rich in plant diversity, mammals and colorful insects, butterflies and exotic birds. There is a luxury camp in the middle of the camp for the happy few who can afford it and you can go gorilla tracking in Odzala. It is also possible to enter the camp from the south and stay at our midrange accommodation as a way cheaper alternative to the existing luxury camp. Please, let us know if you are interested and we’ll set it up for you. The highlights are the African forest elephants, gorillas and the large variety of primates (8 types of monkeys as well as chimpanzees and gorillas). We can also find several types of antelopes such as duikers and bongos, buffaloes, pangolins, leopards and more.
5. The wild coast of Congo-Brazzaville
Congo-Brazzaville has a beautiful coastline with long sandy beaches which are met with green forest. This beautiful coast ranges from Cabinda to Gabon and the last part towards the border with Gabon is quite inaccessible. Just outside of Pointe-Noire there are several beaches which are excellent to spend the day or to go camping. If you go further north you’ll reach Conkouati Reserve, famous for its chimpanzees. In Conkouati you can spend a few days looking for animals and visiting some of the projects with chimpanzees going on. There is also Lake Tchimba which you can explore.
