"brazzaville" Brazzaville by sacrecoeur

If you want a taste of a third world country visit Brazzaville. Prepare yourself.

Prisca in Centre ville

My wonderful French/Lingala speaking tour guide through the town. Make sure to visit a local market where you can find African clothing and handmade figures. Be ready to bargain.

Kinshasha (Democratic of Congo) across the river

The Democratic of Congo is across the river, another country across the river. I saw people bathing and playing at the water's edge and taxi drivers' car wash in the shallows. Their ability to make the best of a situation and use their resources and imagination is inspiring.

• Pros:If you want a pamper-free experience go here. It's an adventure.
• Cons:should have a local contact to help travel in the city, rebels may be in outside villages
• In a nutshell:Difficult living conditions but smiling children's faces