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Uncover the Secrets of Dzanga-Sangha National Park
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Uncover the Secrets of Dzanga-Sangha National Park
Eight days deep in the Congo Basin — forest elephants, lowland gorillas and the Ba'Aka of Dzanga-Sangha.
Uncover the Secrets of Dzanga-Sangha National Park
Eight days deep in the Congo Basin — forest elephants, lowland gorillas and the Ba'Aka of Dzanga-Sangha.
In the far south-west of the Central African Republic, where the borders of the CAR, Congo and Cameroon meet, Dzanga-Sangha forms part of the Sangha Trinational — one of the great rainforest wildernesses of the Congo Basin. It shelters one of the world's largest populations of forest elephants, habituated western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, buffalo, bongo and a wealth of rare birds, and it is the home of the Ba'Aka, who have lived with this forest for centuries. Over eight days you track gorillas at Baï Hokou, watch elephants gather at the Dzanga clearing, and share in Ba'Aka forest life — a profound immersion in one of Africa's last great forests.
A forest clearing where dozens of elephants gather — seen anywhere else.
Tracking western lowland gorillas on foot at Baï Hokou.
Time in the forest with its original inhabitants and their knowledge.
A pirogue on one of the Congo Basin's great rivers.
1
On arrival at Bangui International Airport you are met by your guide, who provides airport assistance, and transferred to the Ledger Plaza Hotel for check-in, refreshments and a briefing. If you feel up to it, an optional Bangui city tour can be arranged in the afternoon.
2
Leaving the hotel, we drive through the PK5 district onto the Sangha–Mbaïré road, via Mbaïki and Ngotto, to Bayanga, headquarters of Dzanga-Sangha — about 500 km and some 11 hours, paved as far as Mbaïki and unpaved thereafter. Along the way lies the Berengo Palace (the late Emperor Bokassa's memorial, now a military base and closed to visitors), while the Île du Buffle Rouge near Ngotto offers a chance to see forest elephants, buffalo, great apes and hippos. The route is dotted with small Bantu and Ba'Aka villages, a glimpse of forest life. We reach Dzanga-Sangha in the evening and transfer to Doli Lodge for dinner and overnight.
3
After an early breakfast, a one-hour forest drive takes us to the research camp in the heart of Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and on to Baï Hokou, where the gorilla tracking begins. Following the western lowland gorillas is an exclusive hike through dense rainforest, lasting anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours depending on where the family nested the night before.
4
After breakfast we take the 4WD along a bumpy track towards Dzanga Baï. About half an hour in, a 20-minute forest walk — crossing a shallow stream that can reach knee height — brings us to a stilt platform set in the middle of the forest. From this elevated hide we spend the morning watching large numbers of African forest elephants in the Dzanga clearing, alongside rare bongo, sitatunga, dwarf buffalo and a wealth of birds, all interacting naturally.
5
Today we set out on a cultural expedition into the land of the Ba'Aka, with a range of activities to share. We may begin with a net-hunting expedition — a traditional Ba'Aka technique passed down across generations — before spending more time with the community.
6
An optional day, available if your connecting flight allows. We may repeat the gorilla or Dzanga Baï experience, relax at the lodge and visit the village of Bayanga or other Ba'Aka communities, or return to Bangui to explore the city. Highlights near Bangui include the Boali Falls, the nearby hydroelectric works and a boat ride on the Ubangi or M'poko rivers.
7
An early departure from the lodge for the journey back to Bangui via Nola and M'Baïki, arriving in the capital in the late afternoon.
8
Help with check-out and any airport assistance you need; once you reach the departure area we bid you farewell. End of the tour.
From a raised platform above a wide forest clearing, you watch dozens of forest elephants gather to drink the mineral-rich water, alongside bongo, sitatunga and buffalo. It is one of the only places on earth to see forest elephants in such numbers in the open — the unforgettable centrepiece of any visit.
Dzanga-Sangha protects one of the largest known populations of western lowland gorillas. Setting out on foot from Baï Hokou with trackers, you search the dense forest for a habituated family — a demanding but extraordinary encounter in the wild.
The Ba'Aka are the forest's first people, who have lived in step with it for centuries. Time spent with them — learning to read the forest, sharing in song and daily life — is a rare and humbling part of the journey.
A boat trip on the broad Sangha River threads the rainforest, with kingfishers, hornbills and riverside villages along the way — a slow, immersive way to feel the scale of the Congo Basin.
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The capital's leading hotel.
Sangha-river lodge at Dzanga-Sangha.
Simple camp near the elephant bai.
CAR|Wildlife & forest
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