Accommodation
There are international hotels in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire.

Popular hotels in Brazzaville include Laico Maya Maya, which is about ten minutes from the airport, and close to the main cathedral and the university. Hotel Olympic is popular in the business centre and Hotel Villa Lys is highly recommended as a trendy boutique-style hotel.

In Pointe Noire the highest rated is the 4 star Hotel Azur International, which is close to the ocean. Residence Saint-Jacques is a villa-style hotel complex on the ocean and within an easy walk to the beach. There are good restaurants and bistros nearby. The favourite hotel for the expatriate and diplomatic community is the Atlantic Palace, which has an excellent terrace restaurant and bar.

There is also an exciting new project up country where our partners, Wilderness Safaris, plan to open two new upscale camps in the Odzala- Kokoua National Park in early summer 2012.

The lowland gorilla is the main attraction; the Park has the highest density of this giant ape in Africa. Visitors will have the opportunity for both passive observation of the species from hides as well as interaction with habituated groups.


Food and Wine
There are good restaurants in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. The Congo is famous for its chefs, many of whom have worked in the top restaurants of France and other parts of Europe and have now returned home to open their own restaurants

The speciality local dish is maboke, a river fish cooked with chilli and wrapped in cassava leaves. Croissants, baguettes, cheeses and fine wines are all here, in the best of French tradition. There is also a good local beer, Ngok (Crocodile)

Shopping
The various and amazing markets of Brazzaville are the place to shop Visitors actually relish shopping in Brazzaville, although it is relatively expensive. If you barter well, then not so!

Some of the more unusual and popular tourist purchases include caterpillars, bats, palm wine and aphrodisiacs!

Marche du Plateau Craft Market and Tala Na Miso are near each other and are good for crafts, masks, brass work as well as local art. The Congo is becoming almost as well known for its art as it is for its chefs. Other markets are Moungali, Poto-Poto and Bacongo.

Safari
The main purpose for most tourists is to visit the Noubale Ndoki and the Odzala National Parks to see the lowland gorillas and chimps. This often occurs as a part of a tri-nation and tri-national park safari, including also Dsangha Sangha National Park in the Central African Republic and Lobeke and Nki National Park in Cameroon.

Our current arrangements normally work like this:-
Fly into Brazzaville and spend one night there before flying north to Ouesso. From there, either continue upstream by boat on the Sangha River to Boumassa for a safari in the Noubale Ndoki National Park; or drive by jeep to the Odzala National Park.

These parks can also be accessed from Cameroon and Central African Republic as part of the Congo basin tri-nation and tri-national park combination.

There is now an alternative on the horizon, with an exciting new project where our partners, Wilderness Safaris, plan to open two new upmarket camps in the Odzala- Kokoua National Park in early summer 2012.

The lowland gorilla is the main attraction and visitors will have the opportunity for both passively observing the species from hides as well as interaction with habituated groups.

The plan will be to operate with Thursday departures by air from Brazzaville and spend three nights in each camp with a programme of carefully planned daily activities.

As well as lowland gorillas the area will offer sightings of elephant, forest buffalo, bongo, sitatunga, red river hog, crocodile and various other primates, including putty nosed monkey, moustached monkey, black and white colobus and chimpanzee.


Entertainment
The music of the Congo is legendary. Jazz, samba and soul!

Getting Around
There are many options for local transport by road, rail or river. All of them can be slow, uncomfortable and unreliable. We recommend you talk to our representative locally and plan with him or her what you want to do and the best way to do it!

Visas
As visa regulations and local laws change frequently and often without notice, dmAFRICA can accept no responsibility regarding the need for or availability of visas, and suggests that the agent and the client check with the embassy of the countries to be visited in the issuing country of their own passports. The information below is therefore only a guide:

All tourist visitors require an entry visa. Application forms and procedural information is available from the appropriate Congolese Embassy or Consulate, or from the dmAFRICA offices in Brazzaville, or Douala, Cameroon.

There is a visa on arrival procedure for countries lacking diplomatic representation. However, we highly recommend obtaining a visa before travelling, as history shows that airline security procedures are such that flight boarding may be refused by the airline to any traveller without a visa. We can provide a letter of invitation to facilitate boarding, but this does not guarantee getting on a flight.

Where clients have a Congo Republic Embassy or Consulate available in their country, we recommend you obtain the visa in advance.

Language
French is the national language and is widely spoken along with the local tribal languages.

Some English is spoken in international hotels and some other tourist-related places.

Money
The local currency is the West African CFA franc (US$1= 450 CFA; €1= 650 CFA), but the US $ and €uro in large denominations ($100, €100, €200 and €500) are readily exchangeable in the main cities.

Travellers Cheques are also exchangeable but not as easily as cash and carry a high commission rate; it can be as high as 20%!
Also -travellers should be prepared for lengthy procedures to exchange travellers cheques, and you should ensure you have your original TC purchase receipt.

Our advice is to take cash and exchange as much as you need while in Brazzaville rather than wait until you are elsewhere.

dmAFRICA local representatives and tour guides will assist you with currency exchange.

Credit Cards are not widely accepted and you should not depend on them

There are a few ATMs in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. Those that do exist accept Visa but only give the equivalent of US$ 1,000 maximum.

There are also Western Union and/or Moneygram outlets in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire, where cash can be transferred and accessed the same day.

Local costs
In the provincial towns expect to pay €6-€10 for lunch and €15-€20 for dinner. In the main towns expect to pay approximately 20% more. In the international hotels lunch will cost about €25 and dinner €35 without drinks. Bottled mineral water costs about €1 in stores and €2-€4 in hotels and restaurants for a 1.5 litre bottle.

Health
Malaria is endemic. You must consult your doctor before you travel to ensure that you are prescribed the correct type of protection.

Immunization against hepatitis and meningitis is recommended. Please check the latest information with your medical practioner

There are privately owned pharmacies which can prescribe most medication should you become sick.

To enter the National parks you will need to provide proof of immunization against tuberculosis, hepatitis A and B and tetanus.

Water
We recommend drinking only bottled water throughout your stay.

Dress Code
Dress, respect and good manners are sacred to the Congolese and you will be judged by what you wear and how you behave. In the towns business attire is always suit (preferably three piece) and tie but away from business smart casual is the order of the day.

Time Difference
The Congo is on GMT +1

Electricity
220v with 2 or 3 pin sockets. A European adaptor is required

Here are just a few things we recommend you include on any visit to the Republic of the Congo

• Meet the locals by hunting for bargains in Brazzaville’s chaotic market stalls


• Dine on French cuisine prepared by an internationally renowned Congolese chef in a chic restaurant overlooking the River Congo and its hive of activity.


• Visit a local bar and listen to rousing Congolese jazz, souls and samba

Suggested Reading:-
“Congo Journey” by naturalist Redmond O’Hanlon, a thoughtful description of one man’s adventure up the Congo

There are regular flights from Europe with Air France, Swiss International and Brussels Airlines to Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. Clients from the USA generally arrive from Europe or from Casablanca, Morocco. Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc and Ethiopian Airlines are three of several pan African options

We have an office in Brazzaville permanent staff at the airport. Our main regional office is in Douala, Cameroon.

Contact us at sales@dmAFRICA.com