Do you have clients looking for a destination that offers something unique, no matter what the time of year? Republic of Congo is the ideal pick, according to the Congo Conservation Company (CCC).
Elza Gillman, CEO of the Congo Conservation Company was speaking during an Africa Hub destination training webinar in the build-up to the OurAfrica.Travel trade show.
Congo has a vast range of wildlife, including thousands of Western lowland gorillas for tracking experiences, forest elephants, birds, bongo, buffalo, and more.
She said the country was wonderful to visit all year round, and explained that the ideal season often depended on guests’ particular interests. “There is no season that is the best, because each one will offer something different. In the dry seasons (Dec-Jan and Jun-Aug) there is obviously less rain so you will have more sunshine, but in the green seasons (Feb to May and Sep to Nov) the rivers are higher so guests get to experience it slightly differently, and there are more butterflies around. Also, for parrot viewings, the African grey parrots generally come in the wet seasons.”
To enter the country, travellers need a visa, but the CCC can arrange for visas on arrival, especially for visitors who don’t have Republic of Congo embassy representation in their home country.
Gillman said CCC’s camps in Odzala-Kokoua National Park were relatively small, with most having only six rooms, allowing a maximum of 12 people. “If you are looking to travel somewhere not overly commercialised, with not many other people around, Congo is the perfect destination.”
What about travelling to Congo with young children? Gillman explained that tourism to Congo generally didn’t include families with younger children as you have to be 15 years or older to do a gorilla trek, and the camps are not fenced. “Most of our guests are older, and high-nett-worth individuals. There are also lots of solo and single female travellers. It is safe for women to travel by themselves. With CCC we would look after your client from the minute they arrive in Brazzaville.”
Gillman said air access was easy from Europe, with daily direct flights from Paris to Brazzaville. Travellers can also fly in via Morocco – from Paris to Casablanca then to Brazzaville. For African access, travellers can fly in via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines. RwandAir also offered regular flights via Kigali, she said.
In addition to the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Gillman listed Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, Conkouati Douli National Park, and Nouabale-Ndoki National Park as key regions.
“Nouabale-Ndoki National Park is currently not open to tourism, but we are busy working on putting up two new lodges that we are aiming to have open early in 2024,” she concluded.
