Zaire. Exhilarating.

Still branded as a dangerous destination, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), is vast and largely inaccessible country at the heart of Africa. Rich in mineral resources, and as the war is over, it has an enormous tourism potential. It is a land of great natural beauty - lush jungle, mighty volcanoes, and continent’s highest mountains harbouring the last surviving mountain gorillas. I went to see them.

Horrifically, in July 2007, the family of the gorillas that I visited were slaughtered by rebels. None of them survived. Not even the babies.