The Republic of Congo is a former French colony on the west Atlantic coast of central Africa. The countryside around Brazzaville is all rolling hills and lush green trees; further north, there’s bright orange earth and untamed tropical rainforest bristling with wildlife-the Congo boasts Africal’s largest lowland gorilla population. After three devastating civil wars in less than a decade, this is a nation of people eager for a laugh and luckily, as the country slowly regains its stability, there’s something to smile about.

June to September, when the season is dry and temperatures uniform

Being inspired by the intoxicating blend of Congolese food, culture and music Trawling Brazzaville’s colourful markets where you can pick up useful items such as caterpillars, bats, palm wine and aphrodisiacs Eating croissants in a Brazzaville café while watching water hyacinths float down the Congo River and black marketers paddle their pirgues (traditional canoes) Retaining you cool after spotting a lowland gorilla at Odzala National Park Playing a rowdy game of babyfoot (table football) with friendly Congolese locals

Read Congo Journey by naturalist Redmond O’Hanlon, who explores the swamplands of the Congo with descriptive style

Listen to Brazzaville, an atmospheric compilation of jazz, samba and soul fusion tracks

Watch Congo, directed by Frank Marshall and based on a Crichton novel about an unknown race of killer apes-certainly not to be taken seriously

Eat maboke, river fish cooked with chilli and wrapped in wrapped in manioc (cassava) leaves

Drink a huge bottle of refreshing Ngok (‘crocodile’) beer

Bonjour (hello)

A nation of lively, enthusiastic conversationalists; riotous colour and glorious chaos; beaches; Denis Sasson Nguesson; gorillas, chimps and all things monkey; baguettes; a country in recovery; candlelit night markets; Congo River; elephants; civil war; towering office blocks housing foreign oil companies

Even Brazzavillois don’t know the street names of their city! lstead, everyone makes reference to landmarks

Dress and manners are a sacred cow in the Congolese psyche and you will be judged on what you wear. A Congolese man will sleep on the floor rather buy a mattress if it means he can save enough for a three-piece suit with hand stitching on the lapels… lf you lucky enough to be invited into a Congolese home, take a carton of Spanish table wine. lt’s champagne to the Congolese and will be seen as properly respectful in a country obsessed with manners.