Our new route – out of the CAR, into the Congo!

Those of you who have been following our expedition for a while might have noticed that the planned route has been taking us from South Sudan, through the Central African Republic (CAR) to Cameroon.  But in recent months there has been a coup d’etat in the CAR, and a detachment of South African soldiers was involved in a fierce gun battle with rebels as the former president fled the country.  As South Africans, the team members have now found it very difficult to get visas for the CAR, which when added to the lawlessness and instability the country is now experiencing would make it almost impossible to pass through.

So where does that leave us?  In the old days of African overland expeditions there were not many options for getting across central Africa.  One route went northwards and through Chad, northern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria, but that route is also not advisable for us for security reasons.  So the only real option remaining to us is to go through the Democratic Republic of Congo.

From Juba we’ll head southwest to Yei (Yay!) before crossing over into the DRC, where the first stop is Garamba National Park, now running again after many years of war.  Then we head south to the Ituri forest and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, which is back up to full strength after a rebel attack last year.  The chance to see one of these incredible animals in their natural habitat is a fantastic fringe benefit of what is going to be a very tough route.

(Photo courtesy Chicago Zoological Society)

From Ituri we make haste for Kisangani, the great inland port on the mighty Congo river.  Our plan is to put the vehicle on a barge heading downriver, before spending at least two weeks on what is essentially a floating town drifting slowly down a river that is a mile deep in places.  The trip has been described as life changing, rather than pleasant, but we can’t wait!  Our destination is Brazzaville, where we rest briefly before heading towards the Congo Republic’s second city, Dolisie.  Running parallel to the coast we head up through Gabon and into Cameroon, where we rejoin our original route.

This route is about 7,000km longer than the other one, and it will take us a bit longer, but most of that extra distance will be spent on the river.  It adds two extra countries to our total, as you might have noticed on our social media profiles and website.  The chance to see the Congo river in so much of its raw glory is something that makes us feel privileged, if slightly nervous!  There is so much to see and experience in the Congos and Gabon, look out for Tracy’s Travelers’ Tuesday infographic tomorrow!

By Matthew Angus-Hammond (@T2T_Matt)