Arriving at Brazzaville it took some time to get out of the airport due to immigration checks and Yellow Fever checks. Even though I had a visa already I had to fill out two huge forms to get into the country. I was stopped in customs and it took at least 20 minutes to get through customs because I brought a big lens that was covered in a camo neoprene cover. The customs officers thought it was a spy lens - only when they called in a senior officer he confirmed that it was a perfectly normal lens!
In the arrivals area I was met by the driver from the Radisson Hotel and then driven to the hotel. I relaxed the rest of the day at the hotel which is brand new, it’s been open for less than 6 months. It’s has nice views of the Congo River and Kinshasa on the other side of the river.
The next morning I was met by a Congo Conservation Company representative at the hotel. We did a short walk by the Congo River before leaving for the airport. Here I met Stephanie from Odzala Discovery Camps. The domestic flight to Ollombo was a nice, short and comfortable flight.
At Ollombo we were met by the ODC driver and started the four hour drive on sealed roads to Etoumbi. There were cold drinks in a cooler box. The drive was very comfortable in the minibus. In Etoumbi we met up with guide Adam from Ngaga who drove us to Ngaga Camp in the open Toyota Landcruiser car. The drive took about 3-3.5 hours driving on rough roads like so many other places in Africa.