Time zone: same time as in Italy, -1h when Italy has
daylight saving time.
Entry visa: To enter the Congo, an entry visa is required
for tourism, to be requested at the Embassy of the Congo in Rome, or by relying
on a travel agency that delivers the file for you. I entrusted myself to Mr.
Roberto of the Agenzia Vistonline, based in Via di San Romano n. 24-26 - 00159
Rome, Telephone: 06-40801108 06-43598913, Fax 06-43562756, e-mail:
roberto@vistonline.it, website: www.vistonline.it, to which I sent the
following documents:
• completed and signed Congo form;
• Original passport valid for over 6 months with more than 2
consecutive free pages;
• Photocopy of the passport;
• 2 passport photos;
• hotel reservations for total travel cover;
• Photocopy of round-trip air ticket;
• Photocopy of vaccination against yellow fever;
• Subscribed PRIVACY form;
• Application form filled in and signed;
The copy of the Bank Transfer of the amount of Euro 143.60
including VAT (105 Euro of Consular rates + 30 Euro plus VAT for the
competences of the Agency Vistonline + 2 Euro of Bollo), I executed and sent by
e-mail before receiving a passport with a tourist visa by mail.
I must say that the aforementioned agency did a great job
and in 10 days I received a valid entry visa for 30 days from the date on which
you declare to enter the country. For the courier I arranged myself, entrusting
myself to the online Courier "Spedire.com", at a price of 6.98 euros
each way, although it must be said that if we wanted the Agency also provided
the Courier but at a higher price than I paid for it. The tourist visa,
occupies a page of the Passport.
Languages: French, Lingala, Kikongo and therefore very few
speak English.
Religions: predominantly Catholic, with animist, Protestant
and Muslim minorities.
Currency: CFA franc.
Once you get to Brazzaville by ferry from Kinshasa, you need
to disinfect your hands. Then the yellow fever booklet is checked. Then it is
necessary to deliver the passport for registration of the same and to pay a
1,200 CFA tax, obtaining a receipt in return. Then you have to make a statement
about all the currency and all the phones you have and to do that you have to pay
1,000 CFA. Then, you have to register, then, you will be taken to a room where
they will check your baggage in detail and make you pull out all the phones and
money you have declared. The employee will count meticulously in your money one
by one and if they do not correspond to what you declared they will be pain. In
my case I declared the Euro and the Dollars perfectly but not the CFA, but
somehow I managed to get away with giving him a tip of 2,000 CFA. Then you have
to reach another room where you will have to fill in the entry form, hand over
the Hotel reservation (the one done through "Booking.com" is fine
too) and pay 2,000 CFA, thus obtaining the entry stamp of the Congo. Long last.
after 3 full hours since my arrival at the Port of Kinshasa, I can say that I
am in the Congo.
Also at the port of Brazzaville it is possible to change
money.
From the Brazzaville Ferry Terminal, I took a taxi which, at
the price of 1,500 CFA, took me to the Embassy of Chad, located not far from
that of Angola and Ghana, the Institut Francais and the Place de la Republique.
I went to the Chad Embassy in Brazzaville, Congo, because
here is one of the easiest places in the world to get a tourist visa. And in
fact I showed up at 11.15 in the morning and I presented 1 completed and signed
form, 1 passport photo, Hotel booking, Air booking and 100,000 CFA in cash
(this amount is for the urgency procedure, to obtain the Visa in day otherwise
for the normal 3-day procedure the amount to be paid is 50,000 CFA). I waited
until 15.30, when I withdrew my passport with my tourist visa valid for 30 days
from the date on which I declared I wanted to enter the country.
From the Chad Embassy in Brazzaville in the Congo, I took a
taxi for the price of 1,000 CFA, to reach the Maya-Mayan airport of
Brazzaville, located 3 km north-west of the center of the capital of the Congo.
In the departure hall of the Maya-Mayan airport of
Brazzaville, I went to the Flag of the Canadian Airways Congo Desk at 4.00 pm
to buy a ticket for the same day flight at 16.30 for Pointe - Noire at cost of
36,000 CFA, which is the same price you get by buying the ticket 3 months
before. Also the Tac Company carries out the same route several times a day at
similar prices.
I arrive at Pointe - Noire at 5.15 pm.
To the Aéroport international A.A. Neto de Pointe-Noire I
changed currency at the following exchange rate: 1 Euro = 655 CFA
From the Aéroport international A.A. Neto de Pointe-Noire,
located 4 km south-east of the city center, to reach the Sueco Hotel, I took a
taxi for 1,000 CFA.
In Pointe-Noire, I stayed at the Hotel Sueco, located on
Avenue Me Telli, 100 meters away. from the intersection with Blvd Charles de
Gaulle, which is the main artery of the city center, at the price of 10,000 CFA,
for a room, with fan, mosquito net, shared bathroom, television, without wifi.
The staff speaks only French.
In Pointe-Noire, I went to the Boulevard du Général Charles
de Gaulle, in the stretch between Avenue Moé Telli and Avenue Agostino Néto,
where I took a minibus for 150 CFA direct to the Grand Marché.
From here I took a Minibus for the price of 150 CFA, for
Loango, which is the last stop (about 30 minutes).
From here to reach Pointe Indienne there is no public
transport. The 5 km road is unpaved with stretches of sandy bottom. So I asked
for a ride to a scooter that, at the price of 1,500 CFA, took me to Pointe
Indienne, waited for me to take some pictures and then took me to the fuel
station located in Loubou, on the main road linking Loango and Pointe-Noire.
From Loubou, to reach Gorges de Diosso there is no public
transport. The 3 km road is paved. So I asked for a transfer to a motorcycle
that at the price of 1,000 CFA, took me to the Gorges de Diosso.
At the Gorges de Diosso, I had to pay the Fee for 1,000 CFA,
just to take pictures (I had been asked for 2,000 CFA, initially and 7,000 CFA
to go on a 2-hour hike).
Then on foot, walking for 2 km scarce, following the
indications, I went up to the Musee de l'Histoire du Congo, open on Saturday
and Sunday from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, while for the remaining days it is
necessary to call the following numbers to open the museum: 055336816 /
069882151. Entrance fee: 2,000 CFA.
From the Musee de l'Histoire du Congo Museum, I walked 2 km
to reach the Eglise Catholique.
From Diosso, since there is no public transport, I asked for
a free transfer to the bar that sells the drinks, up to the fuel station
located in Loubou.
From there I took a minibus, for the price of 50 CFA that
took me to the fork for Loango.
From there I took one of the very rare minibuses that goes
to the center of Loango for the price of 100 CFA, along a dirt road.
In Loango I visited the Main Square, the Cathedral and the
Monastère de la Visitation on foot 1 km from the center.
Once back on foot in the Main Square of Loango, I waited for
over 2 hours for a crossing to the junction on the main road, but in vain and
so I had to walk the 3 km on foot.
From the junction for Loango, on the main road I took one of
the numerous Minibuses headed for Marchè Central in Pointe-Noire. Price: 150
CFA. Journey time: 30 minutes.
From Marchè Central of Pointe-Noire, I walked for about 300
meters. until you reach the beautiful Piazza della Repubblica.
From there I took a taxi for 7.00 CFA, to reach the beach
called "La Cote Sauvage".
From there I walked for 300 meters. about to reach the
beautiful Gare du Train.
Then I continued on foot in a northeastern direction on
Boulevard du Général Charles de Gaulle to the beautiful Hotel Atlantic Palace.
Then a little further on I stopped at the Currency Exchange
Agency called "Investir S.A." to exchange money at the following
exchange rate: 1 Euro = 680 CFA
Later I photographed the Maison Sans Frontiere.
A little further on I noticed the Town Hall on the left.
Then I turned left to visit the Cathedrale de Notre Dame de
L'Assomption.
Later I continued on the elegant Boulevard du Général
Charles de Gaulle, among Palaces, Clubs and Supermarkets, until I reached my
Hotel Sueco.
In Pointe-Noire, I went to the Boulevard du Général Charles
de Gaulle, in the stretch between Avenue Moé Telli and Avenue Agostino Néto,
where I took a minibus for the price of 150 CFA headed towards the
north-eastern outskirts of Pointe-Noire, which also stops at the Ocean du Nord
Bus Station, located in the Nkovikou district.
From here I bought a ticket, for the price of 12,000 CFA
(including a snack and a drink), of the bus to Brazzaville at 7.00 in the
morning. Keep in mind that there are several runs to Brazzaville from 6.00 am
to 9.00 am.
The road from Pointe - Noire to Brazzaville is in good
condition and offers excellent views. There are no police checks because the
bus goes north to the red zone called "Pool".
In Brazzaville the Bus, from Pointe - Noire, of the Ocean du
Nord Company ends the race after 9 hours (about 500 km) in the Bus Station,
located in the Bacongo district on the southwestern outskirts of the capital.
On Avenue de l'O.U.A, in front of the Bus Station of the
Ocean du Nord Company, there are numerous minibuses going south-west, which
also stop near Pont Djoué. Cost of the race: 150 CFA.
From there you need to walk 100 meters. to get to the
lookout point where you can watch Les Rapides, on the Congo River for free.
Once back in the minibus to the Bacongo district, I took a
taxi for 1,000 CFA, to reach the SIL Congo Hotel, but it closed and then I
continued with the same taxi paying 600 CFA, to reach the Auberge du Poste .
In Brazzaville, I stayed at the Auberge du Poste, located on
Avenue des Trois Martyrs, in the Moungali district, 1 km as the crow flies
south of the airport, at the price of 12,000 CFA, for a single with fan,
bathroom in room, without wifi. The staff speaks only French. In truth there
are rooms also for the price of 7,000 CFA, but at the time of my visit they
were all sold out.
From the Auberge du Poste, I took a taxi which, for the
price of 1,000 CFA, took me to the Place du Poste.
From there I walked a few hundred meters to the north-east
until I reached the beautiful Basilique de Sainte Anne.
From there I walked a few hundred meters north-west until I
reached the Muslim district of Poto-Poto, where I photographed the Beautiful
Grand Mosque.
Then I visited on foot in order:
• Stade Felix Ebouè;
• The train
station;
• Statues des fameux Congolais;
• Tour Nambemba;
• Boulevard Denis Sassou Nguesso, which is the Central
Street of the capital;
• Russian Cultural Center;
• Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza Memorial (photographs only
outside and obligation to leave the passport in reception);
• The Town Hall building;
• La Corniche, with beautiful views of the Congo River and
Kinshasa;
• The Pont du 15 aout 1960, made by the Chinese;
• Esplanade Marien Ngouabi;
• Statues des fameux personalité;
Then from there I took a taxi for 500 CFA to reach the
Sacred Heart Cathedral, where I attended the Ceremony of Communion and Baptism;
Then from there I took a taxi for 500 CFA to reach the
Jardin Zoologique.
Later I took another one, at the cost of 1,400 CFA, to reach
first the Auberge du Poste to pick up my luggage and then the Maya-Maya airport
of Brazzaville.
After completing the form to leave the country, I easily get
the exit stamp from the Congo.
Air France Company flight from Brazzaville (Congo) to
Malpensa, with a stopover at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (France).
(price of the multi-ticket ticket included from Malpensa to Luanda (Angola) and
from Brazzaville (Congo) to Malpensa: Euro 860.84).
My complete
travel report with map, photographs and videos is available at this link: http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2019/10/travel-in-angola-luanda-miradouro-da.html
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