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Real Congo

Real Congo offers exclusive tours of the Congo with the main port of call being Pointe Noire on the coast. Pointe Noire is the economic capital of the Congo and it is from this vantage point that travellers will be introduced to this little known, other than for oil and forestry, destination.

Travellers will be introduced to the country and its culture via mini-lectures and soirees with the local Congoleses. This will be a great opportunity to learn about the whole of the Kongo Basin, its history, not only with the French, but also the slave trade and its many famous visitors, including President Charles de Gaulle.

The French Congo has played a great part in the history of central Africa. Real Congo travellers will also visit the unspoilt beaches at Djeno, Loango, Diosso and Bas Kouilou. At Loango, travellers will visit the remains of where the first Roman Catholic Mission settled in the Congo as well as the beaches and cemetary.

At Diosso, not only are there magnificent gorges, ressembling a mini Grand Canyon, but there is a museum and an eco friendly 18 hole golf course with terrific views over the Atlantic Ocean, which at one time, sadly, would have shown only the large sailing ships waiting for their human cargo. Fortunately that sad history has gone and the Congo has much to offer those who seek to know a culture and a way of life, very much influenced by the French.

As Real Congo offers bespoke tours, the traveller can discuss what his/her interests are and Real Congo will endeavour to cater to that within the realms of the culture.

There will also be visits to Congoleses homes, perhaps dinner with them and of course visits to the local schools, churches, wood carvers, artisans workshops.

Soirees can include Congolese cuisine, and of course travellers will be eating at local restaurants. Congolese music. Congolese art, sculptures. Congoleses traditional dances. Time can be taken out for the artist and the photographer, although a licence would have to be arranged for the latter.

Other excusions can be available to Conkouati Island, where H.E.L.P. have a chimp sanctuary, championed by Madame Aliette Jamart who has devoted many years of her life to fighting for the chimps in the Congo. Other possibilities are to the Jane Goodall Institute at Mpili.

Trips can be made up the Kouilou River in pirogues and stops made at various villages en route.

A trip to the Congo would not be complete without a day trip to Brazzaville, the political capital of the Congo. A driving tour around the city and a stop off at the great Congo River where travellers can observe the beautiful cascading little waterfalls and observe the close proximity of Kinshasa to Brazzaville. This is an optional trip and may or not ba available, depending on flights and officials.

It must be pointed out that because Congo has no tourist infrastructure per se, the traveller would be experiencing a raw guide of the Congo and an exclusive insight to a country whose only foreign travellers are those who work within the industries there. Hence Real Congo’s aim to show the beauty of the people and the country at a very low impact level.

EcoTourism Policies

Real Congo is simply Gloria, an independent, with many years of experience of the Congo, who works at the pace of the Congoleses and would ask that clients understand that everything will work to the pace of the country and not to the pace of Real Congo. Flexibility is required.

Real Congo’s raison d’etre is to avoid any negative impact on the Congo and the Congoleses, rather to encourage a relaxing, informative experience where both traveller and Congolese can learn from each other. More to the benefit of the local commnunity.

Real Congo will only work with small groups of travellers thus ensuring a unique experience for them and a non-invasive attiude to the Congoleses.

Real Congo’s aim is to provide both the traveller an insight into the culture through learning and participation in the culture.

Real Congo only works with the Congoleses thus providing them with work and pay. Monies are paid directly to the Congoleses.

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