Pyrodes is proud to take you, with help from our friends at Luggage.com, to Africa for the first time on this site. And, as is appropriate, we aren’t starting with any run of the mill African nation. No, Pyrodes thinks it fitting to go right to one of the most abused, yet most rewarding and richest nations on the continent: the DRC. From Coltan mines and guerrillas to vast parks and gorillas, this land is full of some of Africa’s best and worst. But, first, let’s get the basics…
The Democratic Republic of Congo is Africa’s third largest country at 2.3 million square kilometers and much of that land is carpeted with lush tropical rainforests, imposing volcanoes, majestic rivers, and stately plains. It is also considered one of the most resource rich countries in the world, with the world’s largest supplies of cobalt ore along with vast reserves of copper and diamonds among other materials.
Congo’s forests and teeming wildlife would seem to suggest that is ripe for eco-tourism the way that Costa Rica is today while its resources would trigger economic growth and development, but sadly this has not been the case due to its long, tragic history. From its brutal colonization by King Leopold and the Belgians came a violent and disjointed independence process that led eventually to a repressive dictatorship under Mobutu Sese Seko, and eventually led us to today’s civil wars and famine, the history of Congo is the tragedy of the country to reach its full potential.
However, there is some optimism for the future; the country has stable leadership under democratically elected President Joseph Kabila, and the capture of rebel leader Laurent Nkunda gives some hope that an end to the bloody conflict is in slight. And despite its many problems, Congo still remains safe for travel if you take the right measures. It’s not a country in which a group of people can just fly in with their luggage and briefcases to take a leisurely tour. It requires some serious planning and logistics. But while Congo can be a difficult trek, it is one that ultimately rewards with some of the most spectacular rainforest scenery in the world.
So, let’s go there, after the jump….
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