Congo and Central Africa wildlife holiday
| country: | Central African Republic, Congo |
| departures: | 2010: 15 Aug, 5 Sep |
| price: | From £3995 (15 days) excluding flights, based on twin share accommodation. |
| more info: | Price includes domestic flights, transfers and transport, accommodation, meals (as per itinerary), activities and expertise of specialist and local guides. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Congo and Central Africa wildlife holiday
Whilst most places on Earth have long since been explored, the forests of the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic have remained wild and out of reach, home to some of the world’s best kept wildlife secrets.
Highlights include:
Not only will you be accompanied by wildlife researchers and experts in their field, but you will also be invited to explore the forest homes of the Ba’Aka communities as they show you the various plants they use for medicine as well as accompany them on a traditional hunt. If you want 5 star luxury and the Big Five bagged before breakfast, head south or east. If, however, you’re prepared to sweat it out in a prehistoric landscape that allows you to experience places rarely seen by the outside world, then this is the trip for you!
This programme is deliberately aimed at those who have experience of Africa or have already seen primates in the wild and are prepared to travel with an open mind and a flexible attitude.
Highlights include:
- This area is home to the highest densities of lowland gorillas, primates and forest elephants in Africa
- Track gorillas and elephants alongside experienced wildlife researchers in the heart of the Congo rainforest
- Gain unique access to wildlife research stations run by the WWF and WCS and help support their vital work
- Meet the local Ba’Aka communities living in the forest and experience their unique culture
Not only will you be accompanied by wildlife researchers and experts in their field, but you will also be invited to explore the forest homes of the Ba’Aka communities as they show you the various plants they use for medicine as well as accompany them on a traditional hunt. If you want 5 star luxury and the Big Five bagged before breakfast, head south or east. If, however, you’re prepared to sweat it out in a prehistoric landscape that allows you to experience places rarely seen by the outside world, then this is the trip for you!
This programme is deliberately aimed at those who have experience of Africa or have already seen primates in the wild and are prepared to travel with an open mind and a flexible attitude.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | On arrival in Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo you will be met and transferred to the Hotel Saphir, with the remainder of the day to relax and meet the group. Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis. |
| Day 2: | After an early breakfast, you transfer back to the airport for your flight to Ouesso in the North west where you transfer to pirogues (large dugout canoes) and then continue by river for around 5 hours to the village of Bomassa. This is the head quarters of the Wildlife Conservation Society project that runs Nouabale-Ndoki National park and is the research and logistical support centre for the Nouabale project Situated in the north of the Republic of Congo, the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park was created in 1993 to conserve, in its natural state, one of the last examples of an untouched wilderness in the world. Covering an area of just under 4,000 square kilometres, nearly double the size of Luxembourg, the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park is one of the largest parks in the forested regions of central-west Africa, containing almost 2 % of all Congo’s forests. In partnership with the Congolese government, WCS-Congo is helping to ensure that these forests are protected by managing three Protected Areas, of which Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (NNNP) is one, as well as a protective ‘buffer zone’ around NNNP. This partnership between the Congolese government and WCS ensures that these zones are effectively managed, working towards the sustainable management of the region’s natural resources. Overnight at the WCS Bomassa guesthouse on a full board basis. |
| Day 3: | After breakfast you transfer to the jetty for your journey upstream by for a 4 hour journey to Lidjombo, the border for the Central African Republic. Here you will disembark and continue by 4WD’s for a few hours to the town of Bayanga and on to Doli Lodge in the Dzangha-Sangha Reserve. Here you can relax and enjoy the stunning setting overlooking the banks of the Sangha river and watch the fisherman glide past in their own precarious pirogues. There may also be a chance to visit the famous Dzangha Bai, home to the elusive forest elephant should time permit. Overnight at Doli Lodge. (B,L,D) |
| Day 4-7: | Over the next few days you will spend time visiting Dzangha bai, tracking lowland gorillas and hunting with the Ba’Aka, but it’s important to bear in mind the activities on each day are flexible and may well change at short notice! The Dzangha-Sangha Reserve is a jewel in the crown of the Northwest Congolese Lowland Forest Eco region and a WWF Global 200 site that spans parts of Gabon, the Congo Republic, Cameroon, CAR and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The reserve is home to one of the African continent's largest intact forest elephant populations, western lowland gorillas, 16 of the country's 20 primate species, hundreds of bird species and thousands of plant species and is also home to the Ba’Aka community, indigenous hunter-gatherers whose knowledge of the forest is extraordinary. In helping establish and protect the reserve, WWF works closely with the Ba’Aka on conservation, health and education programs. Overnight at Doli Lodge (B,L,D) |
| Day 8: | Today you return to Bomassa (a shorter journey as you are heading downstream) and on arrival transfer to the WCS headquarters. This evening there is the chance for an evening visit to the nearby village accompanied by the WCS staff, to discuss the issues they face in the region (B,L,D) |
| Day 9-12: | This morning you head out in the pirogues for your journey to Mbeli Camp with the next few days being spent at Mbeli Bai, a large clearing of approximately 15 hectares situated in the southwest of the NNNP and the preferred feeding site for western lowland gorillas, who come here to eat the roots of the hyacinth plants that dominate the bai. Research at Mbeli focuses on the social dynamics of western lowland gorilla groups, and a continuous research presence means that observers can now identify over 130 individuals, comprising 13 social groups and 8 solitary silverbacks. Researchers have compiled detailed life histories for all the groups that have used the bai regularly during the duration of the project, providing a unique insight into the social behaviour of these elusive apes. The researchers themselves spend much of their time here and will be happy to talk to you about their work and show you their findings. The bai is also important for many other animals and in addition to gorillas, researchers also monitor the presence and activity of elephants, sitatunga, red river hogs, black and white colobus and buffalo. Observations are made from an 8m high viewing platform situated on the edge of the bai which, along with the adjacent ‘crow’s nest’, gives an unobstructed view across almost the entire bai. Gorillas are now completely habituated to the presence of observers on the platform, enabling far greater levels of observation than would be possible using more traditional methods such as tracking through the forest. (B,L,D) |
| Day 13: | Today you begin your journey back to Bomassa by boat, before transferring to 4WD’s for the Journey to Ouesso. Here you then embark on the return leg of the river journey back along the Congo, leaving the forest behind, where you continue directly to Ouesso, where you will spend the night at the La Ouessoise Hotel, a 2 star property which whilst basic is the best option available. (B,L,D) |
| Day 14: | Today we fly to Brazzaville where we will be met on arrival and taken to the Olympic Hotel, where you will spend your last night. (B) |
| Day 15: | Today is at leisure before you are transferred back to the airport in time for your flight home. |
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
wildlife specialist
Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Inevitably, wildlife is the main focus of attention however, the aim will be to incorporate all other aspects of the natural world in an attempt to be as broad-minded as possible. A local guide may often accompany trips. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
This pioneering tour allows a few select travellers the chance to experience authentic Central Africa, with our host Jean-Pierre staying in simple eco-lodges used to generate income to support the parks in which they operate. This particular tour works closely with both the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund as the money from this tour (£25 per person) goes to supporting the researchers with whom you spend time and whose job it is to monitor and improve the long term survival of many the areas fragile wildlife. By travelling to this remote region, you are directly funding their work. The research taking place is ongoing and money raised from tourism and park fees is used to allow the researchers to continue their work. Monitoring the population of the gorillas and elephants is continuous. The annual report from WWF and WCS is their data come to fruition. We travel in groups no larger than 8 paying clients, not only to minimise our impact on the area, but also to allow for a much more personal interaction with your hosts. Finally, we are based mainly in only two very different lodges over a longer period of time to allow you the chance to experience the destination that much more, without the need for constantly moving around. Go slow travel! Community You will be hosted by the local Ba’Aka community, indigenous people who will act as your guides for much of your time here, opening up a small, but steady stream of income from tourism in an area that needs alternative employment to that of logging and bushmeat, the two most significant factors in the depletion of wildlife. The lodges are a combination of local and regionally owned properties. The staff are all local (given the location, there’s no one else around!) and this provides work for communities previously involved in the logging industry. Food is fresh fish caught from the river, fruits found in the forest and vegetables grown on sight. Given the obvious logistics of travelling in such a remote and humid destination, some food is imported (from Brazzaville!) This is an area that is still very much developing in terms of tourism infrastructure so high-yield, low impact tourism is vital if a sustainable system is to be put in place and the wildlife and communities in the region are to see real long term benefits. Our small group tours aim to do just that. One of the lodges in which we stay is a converted timber camp and the staff here are now involved in tourism as guides and lodge staff instead of the illegal timber trade. By establishing an eco-tourism model here (local guides, expert leaders) we open up an income stream in an area which sees few benefits from tourism elsewhere in the country. |
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