Congo Brazzaville: First a New Master Cylinder and the Nigerian Visa
We didn't know much about the Republic of Congo before we crossed the border and it took a while to start liking it. But it turned out to be a great country with awesome wildlife, and beautiful views.
When we crossed the border from Cabinda (Angola) to the Republic of Congo through the Nzassi border, we were met with a horribly potholed road towards Pointé Noire. We were amazed—where were the “immaculate tar roads” we had heard from the other travelers going south?
The border crossing was straightforward and took no more than about two hours, and we had all the necessary documents. However, we had to pay 10000 CFA (around 15€) for the Passavant (Temporary Import Permit) for our Defender 110, and we’re not sure whether that was 100% legit. But this time, we let it slide anyway.
We hoped that the good roads were somewhere ahead. We were also met with tens of makeshift “roadblocks” erected by the locals, who then tried half-heartedly to beg for money, even though they always removed the blocks when we approached and politely shook our heads at their begging hands. But the first impression was not so great…
Luckily, it was going to improve.
First Few Days in the Republic of Congo
We drove towards Pointé Noire but stopped first at a place where you can camp directly at the beach. The place was tough to find, but we eventually found the right track after wandering around for a while. It was literally at the beach, but luckily, there was also some little grass. Two overlanders were already parked there, but we could easily fit in.
It was nice to meet this German family of three with a Sprinter and an older, Danish gentleman with an old Defender. They had already heard of us, though (or read from Marvin’s updates, a German man with a blue Defender we met in Luanda, who had been at the bear hides in Finland two years ago as our customer! Sometimes the world is a very tiny place. :)
As this travel party was heading south, we exchanged some experiences and tips. We also exchanged some cash for many of the currencies we had ahead, and they got some Angolan kwanzas we still had; a win-win.
The only downside to this place was all the trash on the beach. It wouldn’t have taken long to clean it up, but we knew to expect beaches like this on the West Coast route. It was just a bit sad after the pretty clean ocean shores of the Skeleton Coast and Swakopmund…
From the Coast to Brazzaville
Since we still had the leaking master cylinder, we tried to visit a workshop in Pointe Noire, but they didn’t have a good solution. They only had to offer a Chinese master and couldn’t source anything else, so we drove to Brazzaville. If nothing else worked, we’d order a new, proper master cylinder from Europe.
We stayed one night in Pointe Noire at another restaurant where the parking lot was crowded with other overlanders. I still wonder how one big truck, three campers, a Sprinter, and us could fit in such a small space… We met some nice people, though, and again exchanged some information. And again, we were the only ones heading north.
We were also a bit suspenseful, as we had another mission waiting in Brazzaville: to get the Nigerian visa. And if that wasn’t possible at the Nigerian embassy there, we didn’t know what to do. But we hoped for the best!
The road from Pointe Noire to Brazzaville was already a much better tar road, and it was a smooth drive. Maybe they did exist after all. ;)
The Tennis Club of Brazzaville was where many overlanders had spent their time in this town, and we headed there, too. It was just a big parking lot, but with shady trees, a water tap, and a toilet and shower, and it was free. It was also probably one of the quietest places at night. The only downside was that there were a lot of sandflies – and we mean a lot! We were practically eaten alive… But as we didn’t have other choices now, we stayed at the Tennis Club while sorting out our master cylinder and the Nigerian visa.
We found a pretty good workshop from Brazzaville (thank you, iOverlander, once again!) and drove there, which was one of the first things we did when we got into town. There, it was confirmed that our master cylinder really was broken; the piston was shot inside, which is why it leaked.
These guys didn’t find viable solutions locally, either—again, only a Chinese-made master. So, we had no choice but to put the leaking one back, drive back to the Tennis Club, and order a new one from Europe.
So, we immediately ordered a new proper master cylinder from the UK via DHL Express, which was sent on the same day! We just had to wait and hope it’d arrive quickly and effortlessly. While we waited for the package, we didn’t drive much with HB; as luck would have it, in Brazzaville, the taxis were cheap and reliable; 1000 CFA (approx. 1,52€) for any trip in town.
At the Tennis Club, we also met many other southbound overlanders while we stood there, including a few Defender Puma 2.2 models! Unfortunately, they had had more significant problems than we did, including leaking snorkels and a blown turbo. Hopefully, everybody got sorted out OK!
The cars are going through a lot of beating while driving through Africa, and sometimes fixes are inevitable – even for Toyotas! ;)
Having a Look at the Rapids of the Congo River
There is a small viewing point in Brazzaville where you can see the rapids of the Congo River, and we visited it one day. It was fun to see. It also felt “unreal” to drive on the highway when coming to Brazzaville and realizing that Kinshasa (DRC) is on the other side of the river. These two places are so near to each other, but so different.
Finally Scoring the Nigerian Visa in Brazzaville
One of our other missions in Brazzaville was the Nigerian visa, and we went to the embassy with our fingers crossed. It had been stressful not knowing whether we’d get it or not. Fortunately, all went well, as the secretary was a friendly woman who just asked for the usual copies of papers (passport, yellow fever, travel itinerary, passport photos, etc.). We weren’t even asked for the infamous invitation letter!
We were at the embassy for about three hours and also went through two short interviews (by the consul himself and his assistant), but in the end, we were sent to make the visa payment to the bank, and all was sorted.
We felt so relieved, as now we’d have the Nigerian visa and could drive towards Europe through the West African coast! Without the visa, the only option would have been shipping HB the Defender around Nigeria from somewhere, which would have been expensive and frustrating.
The Nigerian visa is famously the trickiest to get, as you’d basically need to apply from your home country. And as for people traveling for several months, it’s a problem, as you won’t be in your home country for a long time. Also, it's even trickier for overlanders driving from south to north when the Nigerian Embassy in Windhoek no longer issues them. Brazzaville is the only place you can get a Nigerian visa for now!
Here’s our relieved impressions after we had gotten our passports back with the sought-after visa sticker:
It Was a S*itshow to Get the Master Cylinder Package From the Congolese Customs
This didn’t surprise us; we’ve had s*itshows like this before. For example, in Tanzania years ago, we received new shock absorbers and had to get a local taxpayer ID number (as a foreign tourist!) to get the package…but that is a different story. 🤣
Five days later, when the package had left the UK and the DHL tracking finally showed that it had arrived at the customs in Brazzaville, we didn’t waste a minute and took a taxi to the customs office. There, we spent about six hours getting it into our hands… Days like these are like rough, full-time working days, except that nobody is paying for them… 🤣
The six hours involved running from one office to another to get a stamp after a stamp in a thick bunch of papers, dealing with “gift asking” officials, and also a payment after a payment… 😡 And running to a bank which closed at 4 pm at 3.30 pm and begging for the teller to process our payment.
Without getting into further details, we paid the same price as customs duties, etc., as the master cylinder and shipping themselves cost! We were not happy, but we had no choice. Next time, we’ll definitely have a master cylinder as a spare.
But now we had it and returned to the workshop, where it was installed quickly. However, the next day, we noticed that the clutch bleeding hadn’t been done correctly, and there was air in the system, as the pedal was spongy and the “bite point” was way too high!
So we went back to the workshop, and they bled it again, and it’s been good since. But sometimes we can’t help thinking why people don’t just do things properly in the first place… It’d be a lot less work and less time wasted.
But now all was well again, and we could continue our trip!
The following day, after a week, we finally packed up at the Tennis Club and started heading north of the Republic of Congo to search for the western lowland gorillas!
Our next stop was the famous Camp Abio.
Stay Wild & Go on Adventures,
PS. A little book recommendation at the end here.
I read this book years ago in Mozambique, and it was captivating, to say the least! As you guessed, it’s about traveling along the Congo River. It's highly recommended.
“When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to Africa in 2000, he quickly became obsessed with the Congo River and the idea of recreating H. M. Stanley’s nineteenth-century journey along the nearly three-thousand-mile waterway. Despite repeated warnings that his plan was suicidal, Butcher set out for the Congo’s eastern border with just a backpack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots.”
