Republic of the Congo travel guide

The road north of Pointe-Noire runs partly along the coast, where there are several nice natural beaches. Some have places to park among the bushes and a bit of shade under the trees, others are totally unspoiled and left to nature (unfortunately ocean trash get here too).

At the village of Diosso the earth breaks off into steep red mud cliffs. The gorge is actually caused by erosion and has left the landscape kind of Mars-ish. At some viewpoints in the village the locals charge a fee, while there are free of charge viewpoints further up the road.

Dolisie is a nondescript, but lively market town. It's the end (or start) of the very bumpy dirt road which eventually leads into Ndende in Gabon 215 km away.

The village of Diosso has two sights, the Diosso Gorge and the Ma Loango Museum, where the first might be the most impressive. The museum is a very low key affair with a small exhibition on Congo's culture and history. As dull and traditional the displays might be, as nice and informative is the guided tour (in French only).

Pointe-Noire is Congo's second largest city and the main seaport. It's a low-rise city which is very spread out. There are some bleak industrial areas, but else the city has a very chilled vibe with friendly, easy going locals. However, the city's crown jewel is the low key waterfront with its long sandy beach. Here you find makeshift beach bars along with proper restaurants. As Pointe-Noire is fueled by oil money and has a fair amount of expats, the restaurant scene is surprisingly diverse.