$13,100
10 nights and 11 days
Open all year round
Discovery Camps
Fly-in and Boat transfers
Brazzaville
If the mysterious tropical forests of Africa fascinate you then this is the expedition for you, a journey into the untouched rain forests of Central Africa. This vast region, spanning three countries sparsely populated with nomadic groups of Pygmies will not disappoint the adventurer and wildlife lover. These are the last jungles of Tarzan. Within the pristine natural rainforests, crisscrossed by life-giving rivers and dotted by savannah, lies our conscious travel experience. Come to one of Africa’s most important Western Lowland Gorilla tracking destinations – the Congo Basin – for an opportunity to engage with science and nature through exploration.
Explore the Bai, Lekoli River and surrounding areas with long and short walks through the various biomes. Prepare to get a little wet and muddy when immersing within one of the last few places in Africa where you can safely explore forest streams and marshes on foot. Here, dense flocks of Green Pigeons and African Grey Parrots fly overhead, Forest Buffalo graze throughout the day, and Forest Elephants dig for minerals throughout the night. Unearth the history and heritage of this incredibly diverse and beautiful area.
Dzanga-Sangha is in the northern section of the Congo Basin. In the reserve are large populations of Forest Elephant, Lowland gorillas, 16 of the country’s primate species (such as De Brazza’s Monkey with its distinctive white beard), hundreds of bird species, reptiles, frogs etc. You can visit a village of the Ba’aka pygmies and if you want, you can join them in a hunt for food into the forests. The women will share some traditional knowledge of the plants and you learn about their lifestyle in the forest. The Lodge works with the Ba’aka in establishing conservation, especially of Pangolins, but also other small animals common in the bush meat trade. The next few days, may be spent visiting Dzanga Bai, tracking lowland gorillas and hunting with the Ba’aka.
There are few places on this planet which is as beautiful as the Congo Basin and in fact, beautiful is an underestimation to describe the beauty of it. Take a moment to immerse your senses in this place and time. See the pristine ecosystems, hear the sounds of a healthy environment, smell the dewy humidity and promise of rain, taste the sense of wonder filling your heart, and feel connected to something greater than yourself. Join us and explore one of West Africa’s hidden gems.
Upon arrival, Guests are assisted at Maya Maya Airport (Brazzaville) before boarding the Congo Conservation Company’s scheduled flight – departs Brazzaville at 1 pm and arrives at 3pm at Mboko (Odzala-Kokoua National Park); 2-hour flight. Walk through the trees on a boardwalk and enjoy a scenic drive from Mboko airstrip to Lang0 Camp. Enjoy the sunset relaxing on the deck overlooking the Lango Bai with sundowners. Dinner and overnight in the Lango Camp in an en-suite forest chalet.
Lango Camp
Located on the edge of the Lango Bai, Lango Camp offers one of the most spectacular views of any camp in Africa. The Lango Bai is a magnet of attraction for flocks of Green Pigeons and African Grey Parrots as well as herds of Forest Elepehants and Forest Buffalo. The camp’s wraparound walkways and elevated chalets maximise these views.
During your stay at Lango Camp, be prepared to get up close with nature, whilst walking in the footsteps of elephants on trails through forests, streams and bais. Feel the personal connection with this pristine landscape as you get wet and muddy on foot. For those less adventurous guests, there are optional tours in the drier forests surrounding the bai.
Prepare to get wet, as you begin the morning with a walk in the Bai surrounding the Camp. Following lunch, embark on another Bai walk, forest walk or head out looking for some of Congo’s sought after avian wonders. Dinner and overnight in the Lango Camp in an en-suite forest chalet.
Following an early breakfast, enjoy a scenic drive and a short walk through the trees on a boardwalk to reach Mboko Camp. Transfer to the airstrip – Congo Conservation Company’s scheduled flight: departs Odzala at 9am, arrives Kabo at 9:40am (40 mins), landing at Kabo Airstrip. From Kabo, transfer by road to the boats where a 4 to 6-hour boat journey up the Sangha River begins and takes guests through the Sangha Tri National Special Reserve (clear customs en-route at Bayanga). Arrive at the Sangha Lodge nestled on the Sangha River for a relaxed afternoon in camp. Overnight in the ensuite river chalet in Sangha Lodge.
Sangha Lodge
The lodge consists of 7 well appointed bungalows, each with it own ensuite bathroom, with hot and cold running water and flush toilets. There is a well stocked bar with cold beer and drinks, ice is made with Bottled water and is safe to add to your drinks. A small kitchen produces simple yet tasty Western and African foods.
After breakfast, drive 1.5 hours and walk 2 km to visit the Dzanga Bai. Dzanga Bai is large mineral rich clearing in the middle of the rainforest where forest elephants gather in large numbers to indulge in drinking the mineral rich waters that bubble up in places in this Bai. The interaction between so many different groups of Forest elephants ensure that no one can ever get bored at this place, while the possibility of some of the other normally shy forest creature like Bongo, Giant Forest Hog, Red River Hog, Sitatunga and ofcourse the Forest Buffalos visiting the Bai keep us alert. Overnight in the ensuite river chalet in Sangha Lodge.
Gorilla tracking. Today you head down to Bai Hokou where you will spend time tracking a group of Western Lowland Gorillas. Dzanga Sangha and its neighbors in Congo Nouabale-Ndoki National Park and Odzala are the only places in the world where you can find habituated Lowland Gorillas.
Breakfast at the lodge and following a 15 minute boat transfer to the forest walk through the Valley of Giants – spend the morning walking amongst some of the tallest trees in the Congo Basin. Also, walk around a series of clearings in the forest. The chance of finding buffalos, elephants and several monkey species on this trek are good. Return for a late lunch at camp.
In the evening you may do a night walk near the lodge with the hope of finding some of the more elusive nocturnal animals such as Potto, Thomas’s Galago, Tree Pangolin, African Palm Civet, Frazer’s Eagle Owl, Vermiculated Fishing Owl and several more. Dinner and overnight in the ensuite River Chalet in Sangha Lodge.
Heading upriver by boat you will hike to a series of waterfalls in the area. These will take us through the best examples of prime rainforest that you would ever see. Apart from the amazingly beautiful waterfalls, you will see some of the most spectacular trees imaginable. Climbing to the top of the falls will provide vistas over the canopy of the forest while the possibility of seeing the extremely rare and endangered Grey-necked Rock fowl will excite any birders. Lunch is followed by time with the pangolin researchers and protectors, followed by sundowners. Dinner and overnight in the ensuite River Chalet in Sangha Lodge.
After breakfast, drive 1.5 hours and walk 2 km to visit the Dzanga Bai. Dzanga Bai is large mineral rich clearing in the middle of the rainforest where forest elephants gather in large numbers to indulge in drinking the mineral rich waters that bubble up in places in this Bai. The interaction between so many different groups of Forest elephants ensure that no one can ever get bored at this place, while the possibility of some of the other normally shy forest creature like Bongo, Giant Forest Hog, Red River Hog, Sitatunga and ofcourse the Forest Buffalos visiting the Bai keep us alert. Overnight in the ensuite river chalet in Sangha Lodge.
Spend a second day on the research platform with this second excursion observing the diverse wildlife activity around the remote baï and enjoying a packed lunch. Return to Sangha Lodge with a forest walk and a road transfer. Dinner and overnight in the ensuite River Chalet in Sangha Lodge.
Guests head out with a group of Ba’aka net hunters as they go about their daily hunter-gatherer lifestyle. It is fascinating and a joy in itself to see how well adapted and comfortable the Ba’aka are in the forest while you may find it overwhelming and almost intimidating. You will be shown several of their medicinal plants while the hunt goes along in the background, and the excited cheers will alert us if they do catch something.
THIS ACTIVITY IS NOT CONTRIVED AND THE HUNTERS ARE THERE TO CATCH THEIR FOOD SO PLEASE BE AWARE THAT SOME ANIMALS MAY BE KILLED DURING THIS TIME
Enjoy Breakfast at the lodge and a 4 to 6-hour boat journey downstream the Sangha River via Bayanga to Kabo Airstrip in the Republic of Congo. Congo Conservation Company’s scheduled flight: departs Kabo at 1pm, arrives Odzala at 1:40pm (40 mins), landing at Mboko. After lunch, in the afternoon, go on a guided forest walk followed by sundowners on the Lekoli River. Relax and unwind for the day after dinner and overnight in the ensuite river chalet.
Mboko Camp
Mboko Camp is a place of adventure and peace, in equal measure, comprising of a combo of towering rainforests, open grasslands and slow flowing rivers. Explore the forests in a safari vehicle, on a Kayak/boat or by foot. Of Odzala’s three camps, Mboko is the closest to the airstrip. Everyday holds a new adventure in this tranquil location.
A home to great adventure, activities at Mboko Camp involve a combination of walking, boating and kayaking through some of Congo’s most picturesque and pristine habitats. Between experiences short drives may be required.
At Mboko Camp, on request, soothing massages are available to rejuvenate from days of adventure. Massages are done by ladies from the local community who are part of the development programme. They continue to be trained by professionals locally and from Brazzaville and provide the perfect end to an adventurous vacation before a flight back home.
Enjoy your last breakfast in the Congo Basin in Mboko Camp. Transfer to the airstrip for the return flight to Brazzaville. Congo Conservation Company’s scheduled flight: departs Odzala at 9am, arrives in Brazzaville at 11am (2 hours), landing at Maya Maya Airport. Connect with onward flights back home or stay in Brazzaville and soak up the city atmosphere.
The Congo Basin’s Bais are one of the last places in Africa where you can safely explore streams and marshes on foot. Be prepared to get a little wet and muddy as you explore this wildlife haven. This is place that is home to large flocks of Green Pigeons and African Grey Parrots. Throughout the day Forest Buffalo are grazing and during the night, Forest Elephants dig for minerals.
With Lango Camp offering of Africa’s most arresting views, pull up a chair on the deck and enjoy a refreshing sundowner as flocks of African Grey Parrots and Pigeons fly overhead, the call of the Colobus Monkey is resonates through the forests, and large mammals emerge from the forest to drink.