The Heart of Light - The Congo and the Central African Republic
02/08/2026
The heart of light – A voyage on the Congo.
The Congo River is a giant muscular artery carving through the heart of Africa. It is the deepest river on Earth—plunging to depths of —and second only to the Amazon in its colossal discharge. Only 3000 travellers venture to the Republic of Congo every year, and way fewer than that to the Central African Republic, but it should (and probably will) be multiple times that. The wildlife, people and scenery are spectacular, the destination is safe and the areas we visit are wild. Very.
Suits and Gallic Gall in Brazzaville
Our expedition began in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, armed with Google Maps, we set off for the bustling Poto Poto market only to find it entirely misplaced on the digital map. But it would have been difficult to spend money anyway as it took a dozen stubborn ATMs before we finally coaxed one into spitting out some local currency.
To escape the midday heat, we stepped inside the city’s striking cathedral. The cathedral’s history comes with a heavy dose of colonial irony. During WWII Brazzaville was the capital of the “Free French”, and Charles de Gaulle "provided" the funds for its construction—conveniently ignoring the fact that France had been extracting that wealth from the country for decades. De Gaulle’s own face is immortalized in the stained glass in the cathedral. Quite the ego! We quickly sought more down-to-earth sanctuary. Down a dusty side street, we stumbled upon a classic roadside bar.
The Brazzaville Sapeurs:
A resident Sapeur—one of Congo’s legendary dapper gentlemen—was a seemingly permanent fixture in a flawless designer 3 piece suit and matching hat, and we were tempted by the flame-grilled chicken and fish straight off the BBQ. The bill? A cool £6, including eight ice-cold beers. Perfect.
To the river – unimaginably big.
We boarded our river vessel, the Princess Ngalessa, and headed upriver. We realized the Congo is way more than just a river; it is sea, an artery, a food source, a floating civilization and an eco-system. Miles wide, very deep in parts, but with vast swathes too shallow for anything larger than a pirogue (wooden canoe, it is difficult to understand the size of this river.
Later on in the trip, on our return to Brazzaville, and we were taken to “meet” some Brazzaville Sapeurs. In fact they were like the show reel, or something from Covent Garden just for the tourists. Very dapper, way more ridiculous and less impressive than someone who does it in every day life.
To the river – unimaginably big
We boarded our river vessel, the Princess Ngalessa, and headed upriver. We realized the Congo is way more than just a river; it is sea, an artery, a food source, a floating civilization and an eco-system. Miles wide, very deep in parts, but with vast swathes too shallow for anything larger than a pirogue (wooden canoe, it is difficult to understand the size of this river. Mbamu Island, just upstream from Brazzaville and Kinshasa is 180 square kms, and the river is 14 miles wide at this point. And this is by no means the largest island on the river!
Islands bigger than countries
The largest island on the Congo is Sumba Island, which is 500 square Kms (larger than 17 countries!) – and there are more than 4000 islands, of which 50 are over 16 km (10 miles) long. The Congo basin covers over 4 million square kilometres, 13% of Africa, drains 10 countries and would be the 7th largest country in the world. Île Mbiye, a massive river island located near Kisangani, is 14 km long and up to 4 km wide, and more than 2000 kilometres upstream from the mouth of the river!
Our first excursion was to explore the fast waters of the Lefini River in sturdy, high-speed tenders. We stopped to chat at a charcoal camp with 2-3 of the occupants. 2000 CFA for a bag of charcoal here (about £3) but it will sell for 8000 CFA in Brazzaville. Oh, and a large wooden pirogue will set you back 20000 CFA. A little way upriver rapids blocked our path so we enjoyed a quiet birding trip—spotting pied kingfishers, green-backed herons, and red-eyed doves— before our guides pointed to the river’s mouth. There, bobbing in the muddy currents, was a family of hippos, their massive eyes tracking our progress. Nearby, the locals of a Daka Daka floating village waved and sang, they seemed implausibly pleased to see us.
Floating, moving villages
The Congo is a hugely important transport artery that winds its way from Brazzaville and Kinshasa as far as Kisangani, over 1000 miles upstream. There are several ways to travel up and down this vast winding waterway, none of them quick.
Pirogues
You will see hundreds of pirogues everywhere on the river and its tributaries. From small wooden canoes holding 2 small children playing or fishing, to much larger trading canoes, still usually dug from one vast tree, that can carry hundreds of sacks of charcoal or other goods - These are even occasionally sail powered.
Log rafts
There is legal and illegal looging in this vast forest as there is in any other. Transport the huge logs out of the forest is often done by dragging them into the river, tieing some together and floating downstream. There is no motor, though usually a few men on board and often 2-3 small shelters and a camp fire! They can be steered a bit with oars, but quite how they make sure they land at the right place in Kinshasa rather than being washed down the rapids and over the falls is a mystery to me.
Daka Daka
Named after the chugging noise of the engines these are basically ferries, always overcrowded and with the life of a small lively town these are very much local institutions, and the trips can often last 2 weeks.
Barges and tugs
These are the mainstay of the river transport. One or two tugs push (never pull it seems) a string of barges that can be attached or detched as and when. Their upstream journeys can last nearly a month, and they usually contain temporary shelters, bars, cafes and anything else anyone cares to add on. They form extraordinary human ecosystems for the duration of their journey.
Bonobos
One of the highlights of the trip – we headed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (No visa required, we got a ‘Laissez Passez’ a kind of day pass.). We landed at Tshumbiri where an aggressive border official sporting metal-studded sunglasses checked our paperwork, lazily rummaged through a couple of bags, grew bored, and waved us through. We crammed into the back of a couple of dilapidated for a 3 hour “African Massage”. The signpost read ; we were told it would take two hours. It took three, often driving along what appeared to be little more than a single track footpath. M’bou Mon Tour is an inspiring, locally run conservation project that protects bonobos while channelling tourism revenue back into the local community. After a quick open-air meal and a night on camp beds, we woke up at the ungodly hour of 3:45 AM.
The Bonobo Chase: 
The bonobos are tracked every day to the spot they nest at each evening, a moveable feast. So the next morning it is important to get to the spot where they bedded down before they get up and move away. After a short drive we walked thirty-five minutes into the pitch-black forest, our guide urged us to hurry. The trackers follow these habituated bonobos from dawn to dusk daily, but on this morning, the primates had risen early. However after an off-piste bushwhacking, where we hacked through thick undergrowth, we did find the family relaxing and eating - a raw, thrilling reminder of how wild this place remains.
A Queen and Whirling Dancers
We travelled further upriver to Ngabe, an important centre for the Teke people; a beautiful, peaceful village alive with children kicking footballs, clouds of butterflies, and the aroma of freshly fried fish.
Meeting Queen Ngalifourou 
The Teke people maintain a fascinating dual monarchy. The King (Makondo) handles politics and administration, while the Queen (Ngalifourou) oversees the spiritual health of the kingdom and selects the royal successors. At 92 years old, the current Queen is a revered priestess. We were granted an audience, on the condition that we adhered to a strict protocol:
- Step forward with one foot.
- Clap three times.
- Take a seat (ensuring you are not wearing black).
The Queen sat surrounded by leopard skins and red fabrics. When my turn to ask a question came, I asked if she, like the Queen of Eswatini (known as the "Great She-Elephant"), had a similar royal title, she dissolved into a fit of giggles. "I like leopards," she smiled. Interesting note: The Teke people live on a traditional 4-day week, keeping time to a rhythm entirely their own (Did Edward Heath ever visit?).
The Whirling Kebe Kebe 
Later that day, the village erupted into the Kebe Kebe dance. This is no tourist gimmick; it is a sacred ceremonial dance of the Teke. The traditional Kebe Kebe dance is a ceremonial dance of the Teke people and an important part of their culture. The Kebe Kebe features masks (to depict some moments in their history, Portugese and French explorers EG, and honours some their ancestors as well. The dancers costumes hide the dancers themselves, who sometimes appear like whirling dervishes. The costumes are a work of art, and the dance must be exhausting. The whole village gathers, the men mostly drum, the women (and children) mostly dance, clap and sing.
The performance is full of story telling, symbolism and history, as well as hopes for the future, The energy was infectious, and we were bystanders, incidental to the action and passion of the village. That evening we took a sunset cruise in the tenders to Makotipoko Village. There were many pirogues, some for sale, and a second hand pirogue salesman eager to display his wares. Fishermen net fishing – Throwing their large circular nets onto the surface of the river where they land in a perfect flat circle, before sinking to the river bed and trapping any passing fish, and, as ever, boys happy to leap into the river for a camera.
And 2 kids in Chelsea shirts – A few years ago, in the days of Drogba, Chelsea would have been all conquering, but now Bayern and PSG are the champions.
Kingfishers
An early morning bird cruise found hundreds of weaver birds, squawking around their intricate hanging nests, and kingfishers of a variety of different flavours – Pygmy, Forest, Pied and Malachite, as well as the ubiquitous black kites, egrets and herons.
Mossaka – Colourful vegetables, weird fish and flashing eyes
A couple of hours in Mossaka, one of the few towns along this part of the river, and the dried fish capital of Congo. We bought some small dry cakes off street lady, which were surprisingly tasty and would be excellent trek food. There were many many football shirts for sale – Almost all men and children wear football shirts now, but at least most of the ladies still dress in their wonderfully colourful traditional dresses. Bizarrely we even spotted a Gloucester rugby shirt being worn in the market complete with Stowfords Press Cider logo, Our local tipple in Hereford.
For some reason, market ladies the world over are often very flirty, and Mossaka proved no exception. Flashing eyes and selfie hugs – all part of the fun. Local markets always prove an interesting snapshot of local produce and species – colourful vegetables and weird fish.
We watched Fufu (powder) and manioc being made, and also saka saka , made from manioc leaves. Manioc is the staple food across much of central Africa – It doesn’t particularly suit western tastes (it needs flavouring of some ilk) but is a hugely important source of nutrition.
In 2023 Mossaka spent 5 months with 2-3 feet of water through the town, and pirogues rather than motor bikes were the main form of transport. Given the size of the river, that is an awful lot of water.
Likendze Village
Likendze Village was meant to be a highlight. Set on an island in the river, visitors usually get to spend time in the village, trying to learn how to throw the fishing nets, while the crew play a football match against the village. As we approached the village the sounds of drums and singing carried across the river. We tied up, but it soon became apparent that something was happening – The village chief’s sister had sadly passed away, and the funeral was underway, so we could not visit the village. So we spent a relaxing afternoon spotting a range of kingfishers, weavers and hornbills.
Flooded forest kayak
Bounda – a lovely, typical rivers edge village. Amazingly the ship could pull right up to the bank at the edge of the village, where we were welcomed by some elders and a posse of children. The kids always want to engage – There are are super fit and very tough/strong here, even the small ones.
We took to canoes and pirogues to paddle through the forest on a very small flooded channel, with many trees and other obstacles. Which proved difficult for some. Two young fit Americans were hopeless, and couldn't control their canoe at all. Even when out in the open river and they tried to speed up, it resulted in going in circles. Is it that difficult?
Arriving back at the Princess Ngalaesa, the posse of smaller children were conducted in a singing and clapping chant by the vessels chef – I think they would have carried on for hours but Pierre (the wonderful chef) had to go and cook dinner!
Passion, Energy and Commitment
The entire community joined in a sunset dance. The Passion, the energy, the commitment, the buy in. This is not a " cultural dance" put on by a lodge where 6 dancers do the same dance 3 times a day. This was the whole village, from the chief down, heart and soul. The dancing was frenetic, the music loud (Drums) and the singing and calling fully committed, albeit through a dodgy sound system.
The sun was setting, the light perfect, the dancers dripping with sweat, and the children, oh the children, they were loving it and all around the main dance they were strutting their stuff. The youngest was under 2, and some in rags, some in fine outfits, (ladybird), many football shirts (Qatar airways was a star), and one small lad dressed like and participating with the main show, completely non-plussed.
They were the real stars.
Forest medicine
We stopped at Mandongo village - Around 100 people live here, and they earn some cash by making roofing panels for houses from reeds, bamboo and other plants. Each panel will sell for 100 CFA (15p) and 50-100 are needed for a typical house, they will last about 5 years. We had a quick demonstration about how they make houses, and a school. A teacher comes from Mossaka but government pay is very unreliable so the village provides a house and food. School was out for summer, and the school looked a wreck, but when school restarts the village will spend a couple of hours creating a new roof and walls, sweep the floor and revamp the teacher’s house.
The village is inhabited by the Moye people who moved into the area more than a hundred years ago, initially sheltering in the forest from their enemies (Slavers and Belgians) but now living along the rivers. A Bantu tribe, they have learned forest medicine which is passed through the generations but are not as deeply embedded as the Ba Aka. A brief trip to the forest to collect some bark, leaves and roots was followed, back on board, with a tasting of 4-5 potions that had been brewed for our delectation. One bark for chewing. tasted like very strong pepper - good for the back and erectile disfunction! The potions, a mix of colours, consistencies and remedies, and tasting from muddy to euch and rank, were good for various stomach issues, and again back and ‘Love’ issues!
The main pharmacist had the unusual name of “Douze” and accompanied by a chap called Prince who was sporting a grey cable knit suit – I just can't imagine what that is like on a hot day.
This was our last night on the boat so it was BBQ party time. An excellent spread by the lovely Pierre followed by frenetic drumming and crew dancing with DJ and caller called God!
The Deep Jungle: Elephants and Ba Aka Hunters
Leaving the riverboats behind, we drove north from Oyo to Ouesso along a surprisingly pristine highway, crossing the Equator where a friendly police officer insisted on taking selfies with us. After a night camping on a sandbank on the Sangha River, we boarded the boats for the 7 hour journey upstream.
Our destination was Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve in the Central African Republic, and Sangha Bai a legendary clearing in the dense rainforest known as the “Elephant Village”. We spent 22 hours on a viewing platform. Below us, forest elephants—smaller and more compact than their savannah cousins—socialized in the mud, dug for minerals and generally made plenty of noise. Forest buffalo wallowed nearby, a rare, elegant bongo antelope crept out of the tree line, and at night, a sounder of wild hogs emerged. Overhead, hundreds of brilliant grey parrots and palm-nut vultures wheeled through the canopy.
Forest elephants are a little smaller than their savannah cousins, and live in family groups of 2-4 (mother and offspring) rather than large herds. The elephant listening project has identified some 5000 different elephants over the last 15 or so years (elephants ears are as distinct as our finger prints) and by the look of the large number of young elephants we saw, the population is currently thriving, despite the threats of habitat loss and poaching. The Sangha Trinational Park covers an area about 1/3 the size of Wales (10% of Texas) across Cameroon, The Central African Republic (CAR) and The Republic of Congo. Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve, the CAR part, gets a paltry 7-800 visitors per year. With the world’s best forest elephant viewing, gorilla tracking and a host of other wildlife viewing opportunities, if wildlife is your thing, Dzangha-Sangha should be on your list.
Into the forest with the Ba Aka
The true masters of this jungle are the Ba Aka (formerly known as Pygmies). Armed with nothing but machetes, these nomadic people can live comfortably in the deep forest for months. Our excursion began with a chaotic "team selection," as dozens of eager Ba Aka vied to be chosen by our head guide, Layonce, who ensures the earning opportunities are shared equally. Once selected, a dozen hunters piled into the back of a pickup, clapping and singing in pure, unadulterated joy.
We joined them on a traditional net hunt, once the nets had been blessed (clapping and singing obviously). Counterintuitively, the Ba Aka hunt by making as much noise as possible to freeze their prey, small duikers and porcupines are targetted. With astonishing speed and silent coordination, they strung long nets through the undergrowth in a massive circle, then ran through the brush, shaking bushes and singing. On our third attempt, they successfully caught two blue duikers (small forest antelopes), which were quickly butchered and divided among the net owners and the village.
The Ba Aka then displayed some other skills for living in the forest. They built a shelter in 8 minutes – I timed it. Again everyone was involved, no one needed telling what to do and there was no discussion. There couldn’t be, there was too much singing and clapping.
Once the shelter had been built, we were shown some Ba Aka forest medicine. "Every plant in this forest has a purpose" seemed to be their motto. A small plant root for perfect garlic flavouring. Special bark, chewed, very very peppery, for back pain (and male performance!). Now I pride myself at trying any food and medicine offered, but the final medicine would have tested my will power - Crushed leaves mixed with breast milk! But as it turned out it wasn’t for eating, but it is used to cure ear infections and is poured into the ear!
Jungle drums – but not what you expect.
Afterward, some the women treated us to a display of water drumming, standing waist-deep in the river, cupping their hands, and striking the surface to create deep, hypnotic polyrhythms that sounded exactly like acoustic drums. Try as I might, I couldn’t work out how they could make that noise with just their hands and a small river!
Mang(ab)ey monkeys
As someone who was brought up on Disney’s Jungle Book (and Winnie the Pooh) the local Mangabey troop reminded me so much of the Bandar-log, or those “mangey monkeys” as Baloo described them. After shortish trek through the forest we found ourselves surrounded by a troop of around 40 mangabeys – left, right, in front, behind and above, as they move through the forest in search of food. Leaping from one tree to another (at least one fell out of a tree but seemed to bounce) they seemed unconcerned by our presence. We made our way back to the park HQ via a few small Bai, where we spotted a few Sitatunga (a cousin of the Bongo), some elephants and plenty of birdlife, including the noisy Hadada Ibis.
Gorillas in the Sweat Mist
Our final foray into the jungle took us into the territory of the Western Lowland Gorilla. After passing rapid COVID-19 tests at the park headquarters, we hiked for an hour through thick, sweaty jungle. The sweat bees were out in non-biting clouds; our head nets were absolute lifesavers.
We tracked a habituated family of 11 gorillas led by a massive silverback named Liboo.
We first spotted him lying on his side like Rodin’s Thinker in furry black prose. For an hour, we crept through the dense undergrowth just yards behind them. At one point, Liboo and several females scrambled up a tree to feed on fruit. Caught in the moment, I pulled out my camera ready to snap the great silverback as he climbed down the tree. Only to be grabbed by one of the rangers grabbed and yanked backwards—I was standing just a few feet from the trunk Liboo was climbing down! Fair point.
Lifetime memory
Just standing in the jungle 10 feet from a 180 kilogram silverback, as he rests on the floor with his eyes fixed on you is something you will remember for a very long time.
Vast vs small
I was very sad to leave Dzangha Sanga. The jungle, the people and the wildlife (Including so many butterflies and a spider the size of a small cat in our lodge – A huntsman that we managed to shepherd out the door, which my wife promptly locked to make sure it couldn’t get back in!) had left me enchanted. While the scale of the river and the forest is vastly vast, the elephants and the people are the smallest in the world yet they left a huge impression on me.
Rapids and three piece suits
Before flying home, we found ourselves back in Brazzaville with a few hours to spare. We also visited a monument known as the "Centre of the World." It is a circle surrounded by stone steps. If you stand dead in the centre and speak, a strange, booming echo reverberates in your own ears—yet to anyone standing just a foot away, your voice sounds completely normal. No one could work out the physics of how that happens.
We made a quick trip to the roaring Congo Rapids, can you imagine the turbulence as a river the size of the Congo tumbles down a huge set of rapids - moving at speeds up to 50 km/h and features waves reaching 12 meters (40 feet) high in a river! It has been calculated that a hydro plant here (It will happen one day) would generate enough electricity for 1/3 of Africa’s needs!
Republic of Congo tourism – A great puzzle
I have worked in tourism for 35 years and spent several years before that backpacking in South America, Asia and Africa. Why does the Republic of Congo get so few tourists? The opportunities are fantastic, it is safe, friendly and has culture, wildlife and scenery that would be the envy of many countries.
What’s in a name? And a book?
It can only be the name and Joseph Konrad. If the country was name Brazzavillia, and Joseph Konrad’s book had been about Vietnam or Guyana, tens of thousands of tourists would come. But it isn’t and it wasn’t.