How to Book Travel on Air Tropiques

Established in 2001 and based out of N'Djili Airport in the capital city of Kinshasa, Air Tropiques offers air transport and cargo services throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also boasts other destinations in central Africa. Air Tropiques is a relatively small operation, with just 3 medium-sized turboprop airplanes comprising its fleet. Follow these steps to book your seat.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Credit card to book travel
• Computer with Internet access
• Passport

Book Travel on Air Tropiques

1. Obtain the services of a travel agency familiar with air travel in Africa to book travel for you with Air Tropiques, since they have no official Web site or method of making reservations online.
2. Call 011 ([phone] to reach a representative of Air Tropiques with your questions or booking concerns.
3. Plan on paying mid-range prices to book airfare on Air Tropiques. Prices will depend on the length of your flight and destination city.

Enjoy Your Flight on Air Tropiques

4. Choose air service on Air Tropique's larger Fokker F27 transport, which can carry as many as 44 passengers on longer flights within Africa.
5. Consider one of the two smaller Raytheon turboprop airplanes, which seat from 13 to 19 passengers and cargo, for shorter flights within the Congo.

Take an Adventure in the Home of Air Tropiques

6. Consider a guided tour of the lands populated by mountain gorillas as absolutely essential part of any trip to the Congo.
7. Travel from Kinshasa to Matadi to visit the Botanical Gardens, with its collection of old trees from all over the world.

Tips & Warnings

• All phone numbers include the U.S. international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00."
• All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.
• Drink only bottled water while in central Africa. Avoid all tap water, including ice cubes.
• Prepare yourself for security delays in N'Djili Airport by making sure your itinerary is flexible.
• Air Tropiques does not currently offer an English-language Web site, phone number or any way to book your plane tickets via the Web.
• Book other travel necessities online to take advantage of travel search engines and services that can present you with maximum travel options.
• The area around the international airport in Kinshasa is considered to be very dangerous because of its close proximity to the border of Zaire. Border skirmishes are common. The army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is considered to be very corrupt and unregulated. Don't wander around in the neighborhoods around the airport.
• Air Tropiques is one of 92 airlines banned by the nations of the European Union from landing at any of their airports due to a failure to meet international safety requirements.
• Malaria and other diseases are prevalent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You'll need to get all your vaccinations at least one month prior to arriving. Bring enough malaria tablets to last you on your trip.

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