The Congo

Republic of Congo is a former French colony on the northern bank of the Congo River. Its modern history began with the late 19th century explorations of Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, after whom the capital is still named. Despite significant oil wealth, Congo initially had a troubled time as an independent nation but is now a calm, stable and rapidly developing country of some 4.5 million people, which plays a leading role in African affairs and is investing more of its oil wealth in development and infrastructure.

Many traces of French colonial rule remain, but Congo is forging a new identity for itself. The people are invariably friendly and welcoming, and look forward to their tourism sector growing. With past troubles now firmly behind them, the future looks bright for the people of Congo.

The vast green wilderness that is Odzala-Kokoua National Park has a multitude of habitats. In general, the north of the Park has dense forest covering many steep-sloped hills, while in the west a major escarpment runs roughly north-south from which the altitude drops 350 metres into low swampy forest. The southern part of the Park is characterised by pockets of savannah dotted with forest islands, bisected by the rivers and their associated gallery forests.

A primary feature is the occurrence of “bais” or salines. These are swampy, grassy clearings in the otherwise dense thickets that forest wildlife visit on a regular basis to drink, feed on sedges and grasses, and obtain minerals and salts. These bais range in size from less than a hectare to more than 10 hectares and represent the best chance of seeing forest wildlife. In Odzala-Kokoua it is best to visit the selection of relatively small bias as they offer the best opportunity for close up viewing of various species.