From above, the Congo is a blanket of thick green, impenetrable to sunlight and swaddled in the vines and canopies of some of Africa’s densest rainforest. There’s no question that this nation in the very heart of the continent is one of its wildest and most undiscovered, offering unique opportunities for visitors to sample the unchanged Africa; the wild side, the raw nature and earthy human experience that abound in this largely landlocked section of the world.
Unusually, the capital at Brazzaville still oozes with colonial charm, where French architecture and wide Parisian boulevards still dominate the downtown. Elsewhere, the Congo is peppered with rustic hamlets and sprawling industrial port destinations – the remnants of the country’s booming oil trade.
In the east, the small stretch of coastline that runs from the Conkouati Reserve in the north to the fabled surf mecca of Pointe Noire in the south is the country’s only access to the sea, and remains one of the most oft-recommended spots by Congo tourist guides.