The Republic of Congo

One of the few places in the world that can truly claim to be largely untouched by human civilisation. Still relatively unknown on the safari circuit, but surely not for long.

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Experience

There are safari destinations and then there is the Republic of Congo. While the rest of the continent has, in many places, come to terms with the steady march of tourism, the Congo has not. Odzala-Kokoua National Park -13,500 square kilometres of equatorial rainforest in the northwest of the country - remains one of the genuinely last great wildernesses on the planet. Not the kind that puts itself in press releases. The actual kind.

Dense forest gives way to open bais - natural clearings where hundreds of forest elephants, buffalo and western lowland gorillas come to feed on mineral-rich vegetation. There are no crowds. There is no traffic. There is very little noise beyond the forest itself.

This is not an easy destination. It is not designed to be. But if what you are looking for is something you will struggle to put in to words when you get home, this is probably your answer.

Top Destinations

Will's Favourite

Odzala-Kokoua National Park

One of Africa's oldest national parks and one of its least visited. Odzala-Kokoua is 13,500 square kilometres of equatorial rainforest, river, savanna and bai in the northwest of the Republic of Congo — a UNESCO World Heritage Site with approximately 7,500 forest elephants, 7,200 western lowland gorillas, and under 3,000 tourists a year. That last number is the one that matters.

Will's Favourite Places To Stay

Will's Favourite

Mboko Lodge

Perched at the intersection of savanna, forest and river - three entirely different ecosystems within reach of a single camp - Mboko is where Odzala's full range of habitats comes together.

Will's Favourite

Lango Lodge

Lango sits on the edge of its own bai - a wide, shallow, mineral-rich clearing that draws forest elephants, buffalo, sitatunga and more from the surrounding forest at all hours of the day and night. Six treehouse-style rooms, a deck that hangs over the clearing, and a level of wildlife theatre that requires no effort on your part whatsoever. Just sit, and wait.

Will's Favourite

Ngaga Lodge

Ngaga is gorilla central. Six treehouse chalets raised 20 feet above the forest floor, surrounded by the overlapping home ranges of several habituated western lowland gorilla groups, in a forest that has barely registered the outside world. If you have come to Congo for the gorillas (and you should) this is where you stay.

Best Time to Visit

Congo sits just north of the equator and the climate behaves accordingly. Warm and humid year round, with two wet and two dry seasons dictating when the forest is at its most accessible. That said, this is not a destination where rain means failure. The forest is extraordinary in all conditions and some of Will's most atmospheric mornings have been in the mist of the light rains.

Jan

Good

Feb

Excellent

Mar

Mixed

Apr

Mixed

May

Mixed

Jun

Excellent

Jul

Excellent

Aug

Excellent

Sep

Excellent

Oct

Mixed

Nov

Mixed

Dec

Good

Experience The Republic of Congo today

Begin your safari today. Will replies to all enquiries within 24 hours and tailors each itinerary according to your specific interests.

To join the waitlist please use the form below and Will can email you before the launch goes live.

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