Gabon to Angola through Pointe-Noire or Brazzaville?

[dasc]

Hi,

Wondering if anybody knows the route from Gabon to Angola via Dolisie/Pointe-Noire/Cabinda/Matadi, knowing that most people go through Brazzaville. As we are 2 up on a bike I am looking for other options to avoid the bad Dolisie to Brazzaville stretch. But maybe we fly the bike from Libreville to Windhoek unless somebody encourages with some good information on the roads...

Cheers,
Andrea & Daniel

[gjackson]

Hey,

This may be old info but I did that route in 2004 with a Land Rover. Roads were not bad at all (in the rainy season too). We crossed from Gabon to Congo at Mbinda just S of Franceville. Track from there was narrow, muddy and little used for the first 20km. After that it got better and faster.

We took the road down to Pointe-Noire which does NOT go through Dolisie as shown on the Michelin 955. Instead it cuts the corner and goes straight to Point-Noire. We got Angola visas in Point-Noire.

Dropped down into Cabinda at Nzassi and then out to DRC at Lema. We stayed one night in Muanda at a Sisters of Charity Mission. Then on to Boma and Matadi where we crossed the river by bridge. Roads in DRC were better than Congo, but still dirt and muddy. We stayed at the Sisters of Charity mission in Matadi while waiting for our second Angola visa.

We have info and waypoints on our website starting here for Gabon:
Africa Overland - Africa

If you would like a track, let me know.

cheers

[steve.lorimer]

Hi

If you have a double entry visa to Angola then going through Cabinda is fine. You don't have to go all the way to Dolisie, but can turn off at Nairi, go through Mtima to Pointe-Noire. The road from Pointe Noirt through Cabinda is all tar, and great condition. When you hit DRC things get very rough. Once in DRC head to Boma, then to Matadi where you cross the Congo River over a big bridge. Cross into Angola at Matadi. Fill up as much fuel as you can here - there is none on the Angolan side for AGES!

If not, I would suggest going from Ndjole through Lope, Lastoursville, Moanda, Franceville, Lekoni and then cross into Congo at Assiene and head for the main North/South road to Brazzaville at Gamboma.

This gets you to Brazzaville, and you don't have to go on the Dolisie/Brazzaville stretch.

Hope this helps
Steve
www.overafrica.org
www.overlandcamperforsale.com

[dasc]

Thanks for the info! We just got to Brazzaville. Took the crossing at Ndende to get to Dolisie and did the road eastwards. Well, not a good road but even two up we managed to get through without dropping the bike once. Now we're trying the Angolan visa thing here in Brazza. We'll let you know how we suceed...

Andrea & Daniel