Dzanga Sangha & Mt Cameroon – 10 Days / 9 Nights

We pick you up at your hotel in Kinshasa and drive to the beach for exit formalities. You then board the ‘rapid canoe’ that will take you across the Congo River to Brazzaville. At Brazzaville, your guide will be at the harbour to assist you with entry formalities and later on get you transferred to your hotel for check-in. In the afternoon, you go for a sightseeing tour of Brazzaville where you visit the basilica, the Poto Poto market, and the lively venues of the town. Overnight in Villa Monama.

In the morning we go for a boat excursion to the Malebo pool for a couple of hours or so before heading northwards for Makoua towards the Dzanga NP.

Through the National Highway N°2, we spend the greatest part of the day driving across picturesque habitats and forest until we attain Makoua after having driven almost 600km over a tarred road. We spend the night at the Akoua Guest House, a basic accommodation site for indulgent visitors. Overnight in Akoua Guest House

Today we leave Makoua in the early hours of the morning (5 A.M) and continue on our way to Ouesso that lies about 200km from Makoua over a good road. From Ouesso, we board our powered canoe and spend the entire day sailing upstream on the Congo River to Dzanga Sangha, which we attain in the late afternoon after a 10 hour voyage, including stops at Bomassa, Libongo and Lindjombo. Overnight in Doli Lodge.

During the next couple of days we will experience all that Dzanga-Sangha has to offer:

–Lowland Gorilla tracking at BaïHokou

–Agile Mangabey tracking at BaïHokou

From the lodge, we reach the gorilla research camp after about an hour and a half’s drive through the National Park. From here we hike through the rainforest in the company of the Ba’Aka trackers up to the point where we meet a family of habituated Western Lowland Gorillas. We are allowed to be in their immediate vicinity for about an hour, after which we hike back to BaïHokou. From BaïHokou, we can as well hike through the forest to witness a very impressive gathering of Agile Mangabeys. In the later afternoon, we return to our Lodge.

In the afternoon if time permits, we go for a village walk in Bayanga where we mingle with the local Bantu and share their way of life, their dreams and hopes as well as their daily struggles. We return to the Lodge in the evening where a group of Ba’Aka will entertain us with their incredible polyphany and their forest dances, just before dinner. Overnight in Doli Lodge.

Today we leave Dzanga Sangha National Park early after breakfast. We board our boat and ride the Sangha River downstream to Libongo where our vehicle is ready for departure. After a short stop at Lindjombo for Exit formalities – and later on Cameroon entry formalities in Libongo, we continue to Yokadouma which we expect to attain late in the afternoon. Overnight in Elephant Guest House.

Today’s itinerary is tough as we will be driving on a poorly maintained, dirt road, encountering over-loaded timber trucks that serve to make the drive slower and muddier! However, the picturesque villages lying adjacent to the roadside, and the two towns of Ndelele add some interest to the journey. There is also the possibility of watching hippopotamus on the Kadey River (Only if time permits, as we’re 200km from Bertoua, and Batouri where we can stop for refuelling or lunch. ) The distance between Yokadouma and Bertoua is 300km which we expect to reach after at least a 9 hour drive. Overnight in Mansa Hotel.

Early in the morning after breakfast, we leave Bertoua heading west to Yaoundé, 340 km away. The road is completely tarred and the trip takes approximately 6 hours. If time permits we might visit the Mfou wildlife reserve on the outskirts of Yaounde, a refuge for apes, where we will see big monkeys and other primate species. The reserve is located 40 Km away from the hotel and closes by 5 P.M, so this is a highlight that exclusively depends on the arrival time in Yaoundé and isn’t compulsory. Overnight in Merina Hotel.

Early today we leave Yaoundé after a short sightseeing tour and drive for Buea past Douala. It is a beautiful drive of approximately 350km that can take us 6 hours excluding possible stops in Edea or Douala. Highlights on the way include the Sanaga old bridge of Edea, the lively town of Douala, and vast tropical cash crops plantation (rubber, banana, palm tree, papaya etc…). Overnight in Chariot Hotel.

Early in the morning after a heavy breakfast, we drive to the Mt CEO office to collect our entry permit and the related camping logistic including porters, cook and local eco guide for the ascension on the mountain. Mt Cameroon is the highest peak in West Central Africa and the 2nd highest mountain in sub-Saharan Africa after the Kilimanjaro. It is an active volcano that recorded its last eruption in the year 1999. Ascending what the Carthaginian explorers called the ‘chariot of gods’ is a physically demanding trek across a rocky pathway as we walk through the Upper Farm (1090m) the rainforest and savannah vegetation. For birders, this route is a good opportunity to spot a wide variety of bird species including the endemic Mt Cameroon Francolin.

Under the guidance of a knowledgeable eco-guide, you’ll be given botanic lecture all through the walk until we reach hut 2 in altitude 2860m after about 5- 7 h trek, where we erect our tents for the night. In the meantime before the dusk, you can optionally visit the surrounding of the hut where there are amazing rock caves. Overnight in Tents

After breakfast, we continue our ascension in the quest of the summit that lies about 3h away from where we slept. The summit of Mt Cameroon is 4090m in altitude and harbours a low temperature ranging from 0° – 8°C with speedy winds (8 – 10 m per second) in the morning. We spend some time there and later on, we descend the mountain and collect our certificates (if ready). We then board our car and leave for Douala which we attain in the middle of the afternoon. If time does permit, we visit the handicraft market before it closes and later on, we drive to the airport for your onward flight back home.