CONGO RAINFOREST EXPEDITION: Exploring the Great Rivers by Luxury Boat

CONGO RAINFOREST EXPEDITION: OVERVIEW

The Congo is at the heart of an adventurer’s dreams.  As the second largest rainforest on earth after the mighty Amazon, the vast expanses of the Congo constitute one of the last pristine and untouched environments in all of Africa. Join us on the Congo Rainforest Expedition exploring this incredible region from our base, the only luxury river cruise vessel operating on the vast Congo River and its tributaries.

Covering an area of over 500 million acres with limited roads, we will explore a rich mosaic of landscapes on a 16 day, thousand kilometre ascent of the Congo and Sangha Rivers visiting three countries – Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo – plunging deep into the Sangha Trinational, a UNESCO World Heritage site that aims to preserve some of Africa’s last truly intact rainforests.

The near-mythic Congo River has inspired many adventurers and artists alike. Nineteenth-century Western explorers David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley, writer Joseph Conrad, Hollywood classics such as The African Queen, and singers such as Congolese Joseph Kabasele — all have immortalized the river. It snakes in a horseshoe-shaped arc from rain forests in the east nearly 3,000 miles to the Atlantic Ocean on the continent’s western coast. Along the way, the river twice crosses the equator and divides the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, from the separate, smaller neighboring country, the Republic of the Congo, where most of our expedition will travel.

Exploring tributaries, islands and the wet forest clearings, or bais, we will walk with semi-habituated Bonobos, Western Lowland Gorillas and enjoy magical encounters with gorgeous forest dwelling elephants.  This, along with searches for a myriad of spectacular birds and other wildlife species, means this expedition truly is an all encompassing Congo experience that is being offered for the first time by Wild Images.

Deep in the Congo we will cruise through the realm of the Baka, or Pygmies, who will guide many of our excursions and also, through a series of thoughtful and considered excursions, teach us about their hunter gatherer lives as semi-nomadic forest people including their unique music, ceremonies, fishing, honey collecting and medicinal plants.  We will listen to the stories of Bongili elders, learn the various methods of fishing by the Congolese and also meet the marvellous Sapeurs in colourful Brazzaville.

With each day bringing unforgettable encounters with some of Africa’s rarest wildlife and untouched tribal people, this is truly a once in a lifetime chance to join experienced African expedition leader Inger Vandyke into the some of the wildest rainforests on earth.

WILDLIFE

Undoubtedly one of the key highlights of this expedition is the chance to see wild some of Africa’s most charismatic and treasured rainforest creatures like Western Lowland Gorillas, Bonobos and Forest Elephants.

Western Lowland Gorilla

The critically endangered Western Lowland Gorilla is actually the most widespread of all the world’s gorilla species yet their exact numbers in the wild are unknown due to their dense and remote forest habitats.  They can be distinguished from other gorillas by their smaller size, wider skulls, more pronounced brow ridges and smaller ears.  Their peleage is also more brown in colour and they have auburn chests. Encounters with Western Lowland Gorillas in their native forests are breathtaking.  During the day, family groups of gorillas, which usually consist of a dominant silverback and several females with their offspring, roam in search of food in the rainforest and on natural forest clearings (bais). They can cover a distance of about two kilometers while foraging, eating and resting. If two groups happen to meet, the encounter becomes exciting as the two silverbacks try to impress each other with characteristic chest beating that can sometimes last a couple of hours! As a rule, these encounters end peacefully and the families will continue with their daily lives. Deep in the pristine rainforests of the magnificent Dzangha Sangha National Park, a mosaic of ecosystems that has been World Heritage Listed by UNESCO, we will be making treks specifically for these charismatic great apes. We may also encounter other wildlife including Forest Elephant, Bongo and Sitatunga.

Bonobo

Deep inside the forests we will explore live Bonobos, the closest living relative to humans on earth, sharing as much as 98.7% similar genotypes with us. Bonobos are an endemic and rare species of chimpanzee living in the Congo rainforests. Physically they differ from Chimpanzees with their longer limbs, smaller size, pinker lips and darker faces.  Sometimes called Pygmy Chimpanzees, they are also very different from their larger brethren with much gentler personalities, female-led social structures and their ability to resolve conflicts through sex. We will spend two special days tracking a semi-habituated group of Bonobos on a unique community science project which seeks to find a harmonious balance between the existence of indigenous people and the Bonobos without fear of poaching or exploitation.

Forest Elephants

Forest Elephants are a diminutive sub-species of African Elephant that inhabit the densely wooded rainforests of west and central Africa.  Smaller and with more oval-shaped ears, they can also be recognised by their smaller, downward-pointing tusks.  We will search for these wonderful elephants in a few places on our expedition, particularly in the open forest areas, or Bais, where we may see family groups coming to drink and graze.  In the past century heavy poaching of these magnificent animals has seen their numbers decline to the point they are now listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered. In Dzanga Sangha, visitors can experience a unique natural spectacleduring visits to the Dzanga Bai, a huge natural clearing in the middle of the rainforest. At times more than 100 forest elephants come together to visit this bai at regular intervals because the water there is particularly rich in vital minerals. We will stop to visit a large platform, where elephants can be observed searching for minerals at the water holes and in the ground, bathing in the mud, interacting and playing. A truly memorable experience.

Chimpanzee

During our three days inside the Sangha Trinational we will search for endangered Chimpanzees.  Protected by extreme isolation and pristine forests, these special primates have found a sanctuary from threats including habitat destruction, poaching for bush meat and communicable diseases that can be transmitted to them by humans.

Birds

Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in this region and it is home to the largest flocks of African Grey Parrot on the continent.  Exploring the magnificent Lioual Aux Herbes estuary we will search for prominent avifauna species such as Osprey, Palm-Nut Vulture, African Fish Eagle, Hamerkop, cormorants, kingfishers, weavers, ibis, herons, storks, egrets, hornbills and turacos.

Other Wildlife

Exploring the realms of rainforest, savannahs, swamps and flooded forests we will experience breathtaking encounters with Red River Hogs, Dwarf Forest Buffalo, Colobus Monkeys, Agile Mangabey monkeys, Sitatunga, Bongo and Duiker.

PEOPLE

The Baka Hunter Gatherers

The Congo is the realm of the famous Baka Hunter Gatherer people (formerly known as Pygmies).  Traditionally they were semi-nomadic people who roamed these vast forests searching for food.  Now, with the impacts of outsiders and deforestation at the edge of their regions, they are becoming more sedentary.  Their culture dates back to 2276BCE and they are considered to be some of Africa’s ‘first people’, pre-dating the Bantu Expansion.

No one knows these forests more intimately than the Baka.  During our river expedition, our guides will be the people of the forest whose lives are closely intertwined with the rhythm and flow of nature in this vast wilderness.

Visiting communities who have rarely seen outsiders we will join Baka people on walks to find medicinal plants, collect honey or (depending on the season) go net hunting or basket fishing.

Fishing is an integral part of survival for the Baka.  Alongside traditional methods using rods or baskets, Baka men also use a sophisticated biochemical derived from crushed plants which they disperse downstream in fast flowing water.  This chemical deprives the water of oxygen forcing fish to the surface where they are caught.

Music also plays an important role in their everday lives and casual performances may break out at anytime during the day.  As a form of transmitting stories the Baka play instruments that include Iata (harp), percussion and flute style whistles.  Famous for their complex polyphonic singing, Baka learn music from childhood rather than following a theoretical framework.  It is so unique to the African music sphere, being practiced only by the Baka, that their singing has been recognised on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

Alongside this rhythmic chanting, the Baka also perform Liquindi, a unique style of drumming where people hit the surface of the water with their hands, trapping air that makes a sound due to the sudden change in air pressure, creating a percussion style sound.

In modern music perhaps the best known song that incorporates Baka singing is the song “Sweet Lullaby” by the French music project Deep Forest, which features Baka water drumming in the background.

During our Congo Expedition we will visit communities of Ba’aka in both the Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, to learn about their special ways of life.

Bongili

Congo’s Bongili people are a sub-culture of pygmies living close to Pikounda a traditional trading post in western Congo, that flourished with activities of the Truchot brothers, who began the cocoa industry in this region.  During our time at Pikounda, we will explore former colonial buildings, Bongili communities and sample their local wine made from maize, while we listen to tribal stories told by the Bongili Chief of the lands that we travel through on this section of the expedition.

Congolese Fishermen

While we explore the vast Congo river and its tributaries, we will witness and learn about the different ways that the Congolese use the river to fish and trade.  From brave men who wade into the river’s fast flowing waters to catch fish in cages, to line fishermen operating from small boats, we will learn about other various fishing techniques and the processes people use to both salt and smoke fish.

PRE-EXPEDITION EXTENSION TO VISIT THE FAMOUS SAPEURS OF BRAZZAVILLE

Bringing to life the colourful and walkable streets of Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, are the Sapeurs.  Affectionately known as the “Congo Dandies” these men and women are a sub-culture that worship “La Sape”, a name that is an abbreviation of Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes”, a society that places great importance on elegance and grandeur in their appearance.

Their culture is thought to have begun in Brazzaville during the 1920s when French colonialists inspired local people to develop an appreciation for Parisian fashion.  These days the numbers of Sapeurs and Sapeuses (female Sapeurs) is growing in Brazzaville and their adherents, like slaves to high fashion brands, can own up to 100 designer suits, some from France or Italy which they might couple with imported shoes from elsewhere in Europe or even with a kilt from Scotland.

Anyone can become a sapeur.  You only need to join an existing group and learn how to dress, how to mix colours and how to walk because, you know, you need to know how to model it all!

We offer a three night extension to the Congo Expedition with three full days of Sapeur photography in the streets of Brazzaville.  Limited to only 5 guests, spending time with these colourful characters of the Congo is a wonderful introduction to Congolese culture.

Accommodation

The hotel and lodges used on the nights we are not on the cruise are a good standard.

Expedition Vessel

We shall be sailing on a multi-storied, shallow-drafted cruise vessel operated by a well-respected French company based Brazzaville. Our ship is the only expedition cruise liner of its type operating on the Congo River. While comfortable and modern, she is not a ‘cruise ship’ in the traditional manner. She is specifically designed for exploring wild places and enjoying wild nature, rather than carrying huge numbers of people.

Luxury on the river, our expedition vessel has a shallow draft for navigating the Congo River and its tributaries

Our vessel can accommodate a maximum of of only 28 passengers in 14 passenger cabins, all with private toilet and shower. Cabins consist of Deluxe Suites of 18 square metres in size up to the Owner’s Suite which is 35 square metres. Cabins have ample storage space and except for the Owner’s Suite that has its own private balcony, all other cabins have shared outside balconies.

Cabin interiors combine European and African interior design elements (image by Expeditions Ducret)

Public facilities include a restaurant/lecture theatre and an observation lounge/bar with panoramic views. Food is plentiful and combines African and European cuisines.

The ship carries a complement of expedition staff who, as well as guiding excursions ashore and small boat cruises, double up as guest lecturers and give informal talks on the environment, wildlife, people and history of the areas visited.

Late afternoon on the Observation Deck

Landings are carried out using three small launches taking 12 passengers each.

Walking

The walking effort during our Congo Expedition is mostly easy.  The gorilla treks may take up to five hours and will be on low, undulating land.  An ability to walk through water wearing wet shoes will allow you to participate in excursions where we explore the rainforest Bais.

Climate

The temperatures of the Congo are equatorial, hot, humid and sunny. Average daily temperatures are around 26C (around 78F) and evenings can be cool.

Photographic Equipment

For wildlife photography of birds we recommend a telephoto (with or without converter) with a focal length of 500–600mm on a full-frame DSLR . (If you cannot run to large primes, a 400mm f.5.6 or a 100-400mm zoom lens on a crop-sensor body makes for a perfectly reasonable substitute.)

You can also get great results with many subjects with a high quality digital bridge camera with an optical zoom of 18-20x or more and a wide-angle equivalent to around 24mm.

For people photography during the tour we suggest a portrait lens such as a 24-105mm or 70-200m equivalent will be suitable for most situations. At ceremonies and inside small buildings a wide angle may be helpful.

River systems like the Congo can be particularly beautiful by drone.  If you would like to bring a drone along on the tour, please discuss this with us.

If you have questions about what equipment you ought to bring, please contact us.

Important regarding the Tour Dates and International Flights

Because the expedition takes place on a boat we strongly suggest you plan to stay overnight in Brazzaville at the start and end of this extraordinary trip. This will avoid problems with transit and meeting your international flights, should your international flight into Brazzaville be delayed or if the boat experiences a delay in returning to Brazzaville to meet your international flight.

Our outline itinerary of this expedition is flexible in order to accommodate changes in river conditions, wildlife and cultural experiences.  We will do our best to deliver the itinerary published on our website but if the water levels are too low for the passage of the ship it may need to be altered to suit these conditions.

The expedition can be linked with our Congo Odzala Koukoua Tour (details to be announced soon).

This expedition is being planned as a one-off tour for Wild Images.