Central African Republic - Rainforest Discovery

Dossier

The Central African Republic is home to some of the most pristine rainforest on our planet, a vast swathe of land home to enigmatic wildlife and fascinating ethnic groups – yet is one of the least visited spots in the world. On this short trip we fly from the bustling capital Bangui into the jungles of the Congo basin and Dzangha-Ndoki National Park, on the borders of Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon. Using the charming Sangha Lodge as our base for the next few nights, we set forth into the forests in search of unique wildlife experiences. At the clearing of Dzangha Bai we look for forest elephants, buffalo, bongo and other species, and we also have the chance to track a family group of western lowland gorillas – undoubtedly one of Africa’s wildlife highlights. We visit local villages, and spend time with the original inhabitants of the forests, the Ba’Aka, as we accompany them on a traditional hunt and learn about their customs. The Central African Republic is a country bursting with incredible opportunities for true exploration, offering a chance to travel right to the heart of the most impenetrable regions on earth.

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Day 1 - Bangui - Bayanga and Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
Arrive in Bangui. You will be met at the airport and transferred to our private charter flights, departing for Bayanga airstrip, from where you will transfer to Sangha Lodge. Enjoy an evening sundowner with your fellow travellers. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)

Bangui
Bangui is the capital of the Central African Republic and lies on the northern banks of the Ubangi River. The navigable Ubangi River turns sharply south below Bangui and connects to the Congo River just south of the Equator near Brazzaville as its chief northern tributary. The river marks the border between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Congolese town of Zongo sits opposite the river from Bangui.

Sangha Lodge
Sangha Lodge consists of six well-appointed bungalows, each with their own en suite bathroom, with hot and cold running water and flush toilets and two with a shared shower and toilet, giving a total of eight bungalows. The kitchen prepares European and African dishes.

Day 2 - Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
Drive into the rainforest and then take a leisurely hike along elephant paths to Dzanga Bai, frequented by large numbers of forest elephants. Spend the day observing these and other species before returning to the lodge. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)

Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
Dzanga-Ndoki National Park was established in 1990 and is located in the far south western corner of the Central African Republic; it also contains the Dzangha-Sanga Reserve, by which name the park is often known. Covering some of the most pristine rainforest environment on earth it has one of Africa’s highest densities of western lowland gorillas, making it an excellent place to spot these magnificent primates. Apart from gorillas, other species found here include red river hog, chimpanzees, bongo, forest elephant, forest buffalo and sitatunga. The park is contiguous with two other protected areas; Lobeke National Park in Cameroon and Nouabale Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo, which together form the Sangha River Tri-National Protected Area.

Dzanga Bai
Your walk through the forest will take you through cool shallow sand streams and clouds of butterflies, until you reach the top of an observation platform that looks out over a natural clearing. This type of clearing, called a “bai,” is frequented by scores of forest elephants who exhibit wonderful interactive behaviours: meeting and greeting each other, sniffing, trumpeting and challenging, and sinking their long trunks deep into water-logged holes in search of minerals. Here you can also meet field biologist Andrea Turkalo the world’s leading expert on forest elephants, who has lived in Dzanga Sangha for 20 years, and works to decipher the elephants’ vocal communication as she compiles the world’s first “elephant dictionary” from her perch on the edge of the bai.

Day 3 - Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
This morning begins with a visit to the Ba’Aka villages, where the Ba’Aka accompany you on a short drive into the rainforest. Once in the rainforest you will have the incredible experience of participating in a traditional Ba’Aka hunt, and spending time with the original inhabitants of the rainforest. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)

Pygmies
The Pygmy people are the original inhabitants of this region, having lived here for centuries before the great Bantu migrations which saw them eventually reduced to minority status in their traditional lands. Typically their villages are located in the forest, close to the flora and fauna that they hunt and gather by age old methods, and the villages are usually constructed from materials found in the jungle, with houses being simple affairs made from branches, leaves and animal hides. Pygmies are expert hunters and organise group hunts for animals as large as forest elephants, although with the encroachment of logging and mining firms into their lands, wildlife is becoming less plentiful than in previous years. The term pygmy is in fact not used by the people themselves, who name themselves according to their particular ethnic group, such as Batwa or Ba’aka. They have been systematically marginalised in all of the nations of Central Africa where they live, and there have even been reports of soldiers in Eastern DRC hunting and killing them for food. In some areas pygmy populations still live as virtual slaves, or serfs, to Bantu overlords. In recent years pygmy groups have become more organised and have sent representatives to the UN and the World Bank in order to lobby and defend their rights, and be allowed to maintain their traditional lifestyles.

Hunting with the Ba’Aka
Along the way excitement grows and the Ba’Aka sing and chant with anticipation. Carrying hand woven nets and gathering baskets they head into this rich environment searching for food—edible plants and roots, medicinal barks, and Africa’s smallest antelope called duiker. The Ba’Aka disperse, yodelling to each other as they efficiently orchestrate their centuries old tradition of hunting and gathering, striking their nets and pulling them down repeatedly. At the end of the hunt they come together and share their bounty according to tradition, before you drive back to their villages, surrounded by harmonic singing and great green canopies.

Day 4 - Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
Early this morning depart for Bai Hoku research camp. On arrival depart with the tracking team that consists of a Ba’Aka forest tracker and WWF researcher, and start your hike in search of western lowland gorillas. You will also have the chance to track mangabeys, and with luck will also see some of the other species that inhabit the forest. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)

Gorilla tracking
The team will depart camp with information on where the gorillas slept the previous night, and you begin the trek searching for the nest. As soon as the nest site is found, you then follow the traces the gorillas have left while moving and feeding. The search for these western lowland gorillas follows elephant paths and narrow trails. The pursuit can be extensive as gorillas can sometimes cover significant distances before finding a fruit tree of choice. Tracking can take 1 to 2 hours before establishing contact with them, and while encounters are always likely they cannot be guaranteed.

Mangabey tracking
Before or after tracking gorillas, you will have the opportunity to track the colourful and agile mangabey monkeys. Departing from Bai Hoku research camp with the tracking team, search for these medium sized monkeys that are mostly ground-dwelling and feed on a diverse array of fruits, seeds, stems, eggs, insects and even certain mammals. The group followed at Bai Hokou is of an exceptional size, numbering more than 200 individuals whose range is focused around the bai system, and the habituation process allows this secretive and relatively unknown species to be easily observed in the dense vegetation. The group can be observed at distances of less than 30ft while they rummage through leaf litter, store seeds in their cheek pouches, and groom their companions. These monkeys also have a vast vocal repertoire, with the males possessing a vocal sac to amplify their distinctive ‘whoops’ across the forest - allowing them to communicate to the rest of their group and other groups. With a bit of luck you will not only see mangabeys, forest elephants and buffalos, but also sitatunga, bongo antelopes. The sounds, smells and the luminous green of the vegetation also creates a very unique African landscape atmosphere.

Please Note: Gorilla trekking occurs twice daily allowing 3 guests per trek with 1 hour of viewing the gorilla group. Each trek begins and ends at Bai Hoku, and the gorilla permit is an additional cost of Euro 230 per person per trek.

Day 5 - The Yobe River
After breakfast, board your boat and travel up the Yobe River. Nearby is a population of the extremely rare Red-necked Picathartes, and even if not a birder, this hike up the river will show you some huge forest trees,primates, waterfalls and other bird species, and an amazing view over the rainforest canopy. In the afternoon you will be driven to a river crossing and board pirogues with Ba’Aka guides for a 4-5 hour trip down the Yobe River to the main river, travelling through some beautiful primary rainforest. This river has recently been opened up as a community project by the Ba’Aka and Sangha Lodge and now allows access to areas once unknown to western travellers. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)

Day 6 - Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
Today, you can choose to track gorillas for another chance to spend time with these impressive great apes. Alternatively follow elephant paths through the forest to clearings and salines where wildlife such as elephant, buffalo and other species gather. This evening enjoy traditional Ba’Aka dance and music. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)

Day 7 – Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
A further visit to Dzanga Bai to look for elephants and other species. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)

Day 8 - Bayanga - Bangui
Today, return by private charter to Bangui. Tour ends on arrival. (B)

Tour style: Pioneer

Inclusions:
All accommodation on twin share basis
Services of English speaking guide / tour leader
Meals as listed (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
Entrance / park fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary

Excluded:
International flights
Any airport taxes
Travel Insurance
Visas
Drinks

Please note that you should also read the Country Notes in association with this itinerary for practical information about your trip and the destination you will be visiting.

The itinerary and supplementary information has been compiled with care and provided in good faith. However it may be subject to change, and does not form part of a contract between the client and Undiscovered Destinations.