Also in Congo, we have on file a fascinating report on a self-outfitted safari to this country. It was sent to us by fishing guide/outdoor writer/adventurer Adam Redford who hunted here this past August with two other hunters, one of them Cameron Grieg who is known to subscribers of this newsletter as the organizer of self-outfitted hunts in neighboring Cameroon. Seems Grieg and Redford are now going to begin offering similar hunts in Congo. Such hunts are entirely legal in Congo, but in our opinion only appropriate for extremely fit, healthy and experienced safari clients. The following excerpt from Redford's report on his trip spells out just some of the difficulties you can expect:
"For starters, a self-organized safari is physically rigorous. You have to walk all day through forest so dense that you have to chop your way through with a machete. Due to weight considerations, you can only bring a limited amount of lightweight foods. You subsist primarily on rice and whatever you kill, catch or collect. You get bitten and stung by a wide variety of insects (primarily ants, but also mosquitoes, bees, ticks and others).
While enroute from Brazzaville to the hunting area, likely as not one is forced to spend nights in cheap hotels, native huts, camps by the side of the road or on the banks of a river - all of which are not conducive to a good night's sleep. The climate is hot and humid and electricity and running water are rarities, even in Brazzaville.
In the jungle, you are exposed to numerous risks from the wildlife.........(continued)
