Dinosaurs still live in Africa? Yes, that's what the Congolese believe. Tourists can venture far to Tele Lake to find the truth.

The Republic of Congo is a country in western Africa, which is listed on one of the world's poorest countries. In contrast to the North African region such as Egypt or Tunisia whose natural landscape filled with deserts, the Congo region is dominated by a very dense tropical forest like Indonesia.

Tourist affairs in the Congo, generally the same as the country that has tropical forests. But for the traveler who likes to mysterious things, Congo offers one destination called Lake Tele. The lake is supposedly inhabited by brontosaurus, a giant long-necked dinosaur but locals call it Mokele-mbembe.

Unfortunately Tele Tele information is not much. Please search on the internet, you must be difficult to know the details of the lake. Bright course, the journey to Lake Tele is not kidding!

Tele lake with a diameter of 5 km, still surrounded by dense tropical forest and swamps. The trees there are high, which makes the sunlight difficult to penetrate. The distance is quite far from Brazzaville, the capital of Congo. Must go on a pioneer plane and connect with a 3-day journey across the Likouala River. Not completed, still have to trekking tens of kilometers until it reaches the edge of the lake.

In 2001, the Lake Tele Community Reserve was established. An agency devoted to researching and keeping Tele Lake from the Congolese government. From the results of the team's research for months it is known, Tele Lake is a shallow lake with a depth of 8 meters and beneath it is mud. Field trip to it was considered very very difficult.

History of Dinosaurs or Mokele-mbembe

From the 1700s, many explorers have come to Congo. They went into the interior, including Lake Tele. One goal, look for Mokele-mbembe!

It all started in 1776, an Italian missionary named Bonaventure spreading religion to Congo. In his note to visit the Congo, he claimed to see traces of very large footprints and considered horrible around the Likouala River that led to the Lake Tele.

From there, there are countless invaders who have come to this day. In the 1970s for example, the explorers Marcellin Agnagna, Rory Nugent and Herman Regusters claimed to see large humped animals roaming the lake. Not just one, but there are many!

In 2012, the astonishing findings were obtained by biologist and cyptozoologist, Roy Mackal. Together with his team, they found an underground cave with a good air duct. Although not managed to get the appearance Mokele-mbembe, but with sonar technology, revealed many creatures like snakes and lizards in the lake that can be 9 meters in length. Wow!

For the Bantu, the natives of the Congo (especially those living in the northern part of the lake), have trusted Mokele-mbembe since ancient times, long before missionaries and explorers came. If defined, Mokele-mbembe means something that stops the flow of the river.

However, there are many versions. There is mention, if Mokele-mbembe a kind of spirit and resembles a human that emerged from the lake. But more consider, Mokele-mbembe is a large animal figure with a long neck dangling.

To be sure the tribe Bantu believe, the creature is a keeper of Lake Tele. It has been told from generation to generation. If the Bantu tribe were looking for fish or hunting around the lake and suddenly appeared Mokele-mbembe, then they had to get out of the way or get hurt.

Unfortunately, from hundreds of explorers who have come there until now there has been no real evidence either photos or video recordings Mokele-mbembe. Although Roy Mackal rate, the creature is a giant lizard or olar, still Bantu tribe consider it as a giant animal.

For the curious traveler, tour operator Congo Travel and Tours offers travel packages to Tele Lake. Notes, 'Serious Extreme Frontier Wilderness' and 'the most difficult trip in Africa'. That is, the journey is really not an ordinary journey because it sort of fights the world's middle of nowhere. Get ready to meet gorillas to crocodiles in the forest.

Package trip, 12 days 11 nights with a starting point in Brazzaville. The journey only lasts in summer, where there is no journey in the rainy season from July to October which is the rainy season. The price of the package, starting from USD 3.999 or equivalent to Rp 55 million.