A vast part of the Republic of Congo is covered in thick jungle. The country received independence from France in 1960 and since then the country has been at peace until the 90s when two civil wars ravaged the country. Since then however unlike its eastern neighbor, Republic of the Congo has experienced peace and relative progress.

Traveling info

All visitors traveling to the Republic of Congo are required to have a valid passport. Entry requirements vary depending on visitors nationality. Nationals of some African nations may enter the ROC. Several other African nations including the nations of Iran and Bolivia may enter ROC by acquiring a visa on arrival on one of the border crossings, ports or airports. Visitors who wish to drive in the ROC must have their domestic driving permit and an international driving permit. Drivers must beware that an IDP is only a translation of the original document and does not substitute for it. Both documents must be with the driver at all times. An IDP may only be issued by the driving department in the visitors country of origin.

Traveling hazards

Traffic safety, in general, is hazardous due to high speeds, aggressive driving, poorly maintained vehicles, and general indifference toward the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Road conditions are generally poor and deteriorate significantly during the rainy season from November to May. The National Highway 2, which links Brazzaville to Pointe Noire, is largely unpaved and often impassable in the rainy season. Unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel are frequently unavailable in the major cities and especially in the more isolated regions of the country. Maintenance of the few paved roads is limited. Overland travel off the main roads requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. Poorly marked checkpoints, sometimes manned by undisciplined soldiers, exist in many areas of the countryside. Bus travel is strongly discouraged. While there are no officially registered taxi companies in Brazzaville or Pointe-Noire, taxis are required to have an operator permit. Many taxi drivers are owner-operators. In the past several years, there have not been any reported criminal incidents involving U.S. citizens using taxis in Brazzaville or Pointe Noire. Hire only taxis painted in the government authorized a green and white color scheme in Brazzaville and blue and white color scheme in Pointe Noire. Taxis are not metered, so fares should be negotiated before passengers embark. Most taxi drivers will always roundup fares or not return change. Emergency services are limited within Brazzaville and Pointe Noire and virtually non-existent elsewhere in the Republic of the Congo.

Environmental hazards

A vast portion of the ROC is covered by thick forest making the local fauna flourish. The African forest elephant inhabits parts of the ROC. It is the smallest species of elephant in Africa however it is still one of the largest animals in the world. These animals are generally docile however angered or startled they can easily trample people and flip over cars. The rivers of ROC are inhabited by hippos which may look like harmless and docile creatures but in reality, they are fierce and territorial. Hippopotamuses will attack any intruders and are responsible for more deaths across Africa than lions, crocodiles, and elephants taken together. Crocodiles also make for one of the most dangerous animals in the Congo. Kayakers often report attacks carried out by these animals. Crocs are the apex predators in the Congolese rivers, therefore, they are generally not afraid to attack anything or anyone. The Republic of Congo has access to the coast meaning that shark attacks are possible. Although such reports are rare, bull sharks are capable of swimming up into freshwater rivers. Attacks can happen both along the coast and in the rivers connecting to the coast.
Floods and earthquakes are the two most dangerous occurring natural hazards in the ROC. Earthquakes may cause severe damage however no earthquake exceeding the magnitude of 5 has occurred in the past 50 years. Floods remain the single most dangerous disaster in the country being responsible for economic damage and claiming a human life.

Health hazards

All visitors are required to have a yellow fever vaccination and proof to present upon entering the country. Apart from the yellow fever vaccination, there are no other vaccination requirements. There are however several vaccinations which are recommended to ensure a disease-free trip. These are the routine vaccines, hepatitis A and B, typhoid and rabies vaccines. There is a risk of contracting Zika and malaria through mosquito bites in ROC. Pregnant women are strongly advised to reconsider travel. Despite the fact that there is no vaccination against either of these there are alternative ways to protect against these. Mosquito repellants and mosquito nets will protect against the mosquito bites. Although there is no vaccine against malaria, there is medicine on prescription which should be available after consulting your local GP. Beware that the medicine must be taken prior, during and after the trip to ensure safety from malaria. 70% of people in Congo inhabit urban areas meaning that healthcare can be easily delivered to them. This, however, is mainly impeded by the desperate economic situation of the country making the public healthcare capable of delivering only very basic services. Public facilities are largely underfunded, poorly equipped and short of medical supplies. Private facilities in major cities provide superior quality and are in a much better state. These facilities, however, are mainly assessed by expats and wealthy citizens of Congo only.
There is no official emergency number for ambulance services in the Republic of Congo.

Crime

Crime is one of the major concerns in the country. Both violent and petty crime takes place and is mainly motivated by an economic gain as robberies tend to turn violent once the victim opposes the robber. This concerns both locals and foreigners. Violent crime also takes place, instances of murder, home invasion, assault are regularly reported. More serious crimes involve striking at the government, in 2016 train between Kinshasa and Pointe Noire was stopped at the local insurgents blew up a bridge. Despite the fact that terrorism is rather uncommon, violence for political and ethnic reasons happens and affects both visitors and locals. Drugs are strictly illegal and severely punishable however due to the inefficiency of the local police are widely available.

Summary

Despite not belonging to the safest destinations in the world the Republic of Congo has many attractions which can be enjoyed by tourists. RoC is one of the only 3 places in the world where tourists may witness gorillas in the wild. Organized trips into the jungle for the brave and kayaking on the Congolese rivers. These are just a few of many attractions offered by the RoC. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/republic-of-congo/passport-visa/
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/congo