Best Tourist Places to Visit in Congo-Brazzaville, Central Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Congo-Brazzaville, Central Africa, Africa

The Republic of the Congo, also called Congo-Brazzaville or Congo Republic, simply Congo, is a Central African country, sharing its borders with the country nearly having same name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the east and south, the Central African Republic to the north, Gabon to the west and Cameroon to the northwest and the Angolan exclave of Cabinda to the southwest. Brazzaville is the capital and largest city of Congo, situated in the southern part of the country.

With an area of 342,000 sq. km, Congo is the 64^th largest country in the world and in terms of population, it is double of its area ranking (128^th). The geographical coordinates of Congo are 1.44° S 15.556° E.

History of the Republic of the Congo:

Bantu-speaking tribes were the original settlers of Congo. The recorded history of Congo begins with the arrival of the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão in 1484, though, the European colonization initiated in Congo in the late 19th century, around 1880, by the French, which made Congo a part of the French colony of Equatorial Africa. Ultimately, Congo became independent from France on August 15, 1960.

How to reach the Republic of the Congo?

The Maya-Maya Airport is situated in the national capital, Brazzaville, is the gateway to Congo and handles flights from Bamako, Paris, Douala, Dubai, Nairobi, Johannesburg and many other global destinations.

Expect some northern cities, all the major cities of Congo are connected well each other by road transportation.

Buses are generally used for local travel in Congolese cities and taxis and rental cars are also accessible to get around.

Culture, Food and Shopping in the Republic of the Congo:

Kongo people are the predominant ethnic groups of Congo who forms around 50% of the country’s population. Though Kongo and Lingala are the widely spoken languages in Congo, French is used as the official language.

The Republic of the Congo adapted Central African CFA franc as its currency. Jewelry, masks and paintings are famous among foreign shoppers. Congo is renowned for beer and drinks.

Must see in the Republic of the Congo:

Odzala National Park:

Spread up in the Ouest Region of the Republic of the Congo, the Odzala National Park was established in 1935 and is well known for a large number of lowland gorillas, monkeys and elephants populations. The park sprawls over an area of 13600 km².

Congo River:

The Congo River distinguishes the Republic of the Congo from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and it holds different ranks like the deepest river in the world, the world’s 2^nd largest river and the 9^th longest river in the world.

The Congo Tank Graveyard:

The Congo Tank Graveyard is situated at the outskirts of the capital Brazzaville. It houses the remains from the great war of Africa including a large number of rusting old tanks.

Basilique St. Anne:

Situated in Brazzaville, the Basilique St. Anne was constructed during the French rule in the year 1949. It is the most famous religious site as well as one of the top tourist attractions of Congo. Worth a visit.

National Museum of Congo:

The National Museum of Congo or Musee National du Congo describes the complete history of Congo covering from its origin to French rule in the country. It houses a great collection of art and historical artifacts.

List of other places of interest in the Republic of the Congo includes:

Louana National Park
Temple Mosque
Mami Wata
Congo Gorilla Safaris
Charles de Gaulle House

Best time to visit the Republic of the Congo:

Congo experiences a tropical climate with heavy precipitation and the best time to visit Congo is from June to August while dry season runs.

Accommodation options in the Republic of the Congo:

Most of the star rated hotels of Congo are shared between the largest city, Brazzaville and the second largest city, Pointe Noire. Generally, standard hotels of Cong costs from $200. The prominent hotels in Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo are as follows: