Congo

Home to half of the world’s endangered lowland gorillas, the world’s second-largest French-speaking city, and three lesser-known national parks, the Republic of Congo is an emerging destination in Africa for the intrepid and active traveler. An untrammeled landscape of misty jungles, the vast Congo Basin, miles of river, savannas, and one-quarter of the planet’s tropical rainforests provide limitless opportunity to commune with gorillas, forest elephants, chimpanzees, and bonobos. Insider experiences, luxury safari camps, and night walks with local, knowledgeable guides unveil the riches of Nouabale-Ndoki, Dzanga-Ndoki, and Lobeke national parks, home to 10,000 species of tropical plant, a thousand species of bird, and 400 varieties of mammal. Virunga, Africa’s oldest national park, is also here, and home to the active Nyiragongo volcano.