This safari tour to Nouabalé-Ndoki in Congo and Dzanga Sangha can start either Congo-Brazzaville or in the Central African Republic. For this travel we start our tour from Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo and we end in Dzanga-Sangha. You can then either return the same way overland from Bayanga to Ouesso to Brazzaville. Or we can help you transfer from Bayanga to Bangui by plane or by car transfer. It is also possible to help you connect to Cameroon by crossing the river between Bayanga and Libongo. Plenty of options! Below is a sample itinerary. Please, bear in mind that you should add a buffer day or two in the end in case of any delays.
Nouabalé-Ndoki (Congo Brazzaville) and Dzanga Sangha (Central African Republic) are two parks which are next to each other and both belong to a trinational park together with Lobéké National Park in Cameroon. For this wildlife tour we combine both Nouabalé-Ndoki and Dzanga Sangha for your safari and gorilla tracking in one travel.
Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park
In the far north of Congo-Brazzaville tucked in between Congo, Cameroon and the Central African Republic we find the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. The park was established in 1993 and is an important haven for wildlife such as elephants, forest buffaloes, giant forest hogs, genets and primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees. The park is also home to several antelopes such as bongos, duikers, sitatungas and many birds such as turacos, African gray parrots, hornbills, etc. Nouabalé-Ndoki is almost 4.000 km² big and mostly has pristine tropical rainforest. Together with Dzanga Sangha and Lobéké they form Sangha Trinational, which has world heritage status, managed by the WCS. The park is currently (2022) being restructed and some tourist infrastructure is being set up. They plan to reopen somewhere in 2023 and then you can book your safari and gorilla tracking at Nouabalé-Ndoki, together with your safari to Dzanga Sangha Park in the Central African Republic. One of the highlights of the park is Mbeli Bai from where you can observe elephants and other mammals. The park is also known for its gorilla tracking.
The second leg of our journey is at the Dzanga Sangha Park in the south of the Central African Republic. Dzanga Sangha is THE best wildlife destination in all of Central Africa and knows no competition. The park should be on the bucket list of any serious wildlife enthusiast or anyone who wants to do a photography in Central Africa and wants to photograph forest elephants and gorillas. For this trip you will go deep in the jungle, wade through shallow waters, meet the Ba’ka tribe, have magnificent wildlife viewing from the platform in the forest, see pangolins, track mangabeys and lowland gorillas. This safari will be very different than your typical African safari. Besides mammals, there are of course many birds you can spot and photograph in the Dzanga Sangha and you will constantly hear the call of the turaco and the chattering of the African gray parrot during your stay at Dzanga Sangha.
Please, add at least one buffer day before the itinerary in case your flight is delayed and also add at least one buffer day after the tour so you won’t miss your flight back. We are not responsible for you missing any transfer flights due to bad planning.
Please know that this travel involves hiking through dense rainforest with mud and also walking through shallow water. You don’t need to be an experienced hiker, but during the trip you will need to watch your steps. During the trip we will encounter wildlife such as gorillas and elephants. Know that wildlife is unpredictable and therefore can always pose a threat. Take precautions and keep distance and bring a mask for the mangabey tracking and gorilla tracking.
Our tour starts in Brazzaville. We take a coach to Ouesso (or you can upgrade to a private car). In Ouesso we will take the boat to Pokola and from Pokola we will continue to the headquarters. After our stay in Nouabalé-Ndoki, we will continue to Dzanga Sangha. We will go by boat transfer from Bomassa to Bayanga, where we will stay for four more days. You can then go back through Brazzaville or request a transfer from Bayanga to Bangui by plane or car through our agency.
Please, note that the itinerary can differ, so we ask you to be flexible.
Day 1: Brazzaville: City tour
Afternoon city tour in Brazzaville in which we will visit all the most important spots and monuments as well as a visit to the rapids in Brazzaville. We will pick you up from the hotel and bring you back.
Day 2: Brazzaville to Ouesso
In the morning we will drive from Brazzaville to Ouesso by coach or if you want to by car. Know that going by private car from Brazzaville to Ouesso will increase the price. We will pass Gambomba, then Oyo, Owando and Makoua before we arrive in the late evening in Ouesso.
Day 3: Ouesso
As delays can always happen due to heavy rain and such, we have included a buffer day in Ouesso. We will use this to get to know this charming city next to the Sangha River and on the border with Cameroon.
Day 4: Nouabalé-Ndoki Main Camp
We will transfer from Ouesso to the Main Camp in Nouabalé-Ndoki and install ourselves in our rooms.
Day 5, 6, 7: Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park
We have three full days in the camp and will watch wildlife from the platform and go on gorilla tracking. We include one gorilla visit in Nouabalé-Ndoki.
Day 8: Bomassa to Bayanga by boat
We will arrange your boat transfer from Bomassa to Bayanga. It’s a long day on the boat, but you will be treated with magnificent views of the river and the bordering forest.
Day 9: Gorilla Tracking in Dzanga Sangha
We’ll go gorilla tracking today. There are three habituated groups and it takes between 30 minutes and a few hours to locate them. Once we find them we spend around one hour among them to photograph. Please, make sure you bring a mask. You will also be asked to do a pcr-test before.
Day 10: Dzanga Bai in Dzanga Sangha
The highlight of Dzanga Sangha is Dzanga Bai, a large clearing in the middle of the forest which is rich in minerals and water. Because of the mineral-rich soil, there are hundreds of animals coming to feast every day: large groups of forest elephants, bongos, sitatungas, giant forest hogs, red river hogs, forest buffaloes and large flocks of African grey parrots and other birds. We will observe them from a comfortable platform, which is ideal to photograph.
Day 11: Agile Mangabey Tracking n Dzanga Sangha Park
We are going to track a group of mangabeys of more than 150 members. This is a beautiful 4-5 hour hike in which we are also able to see antelopes, elephants and buffaloes.
Day 12: Departure
After breakfast you can now be transported to Bangui, Congo or Cameroon.
Includes:
– Full board accommodation
– All activities
– Park entrance fees
Doesn’t include:
– Accommodation in Brazzaville and Bangui
– Airport transfer in Brazzaville
– Meals and drinks outside of the parks
– Drinks
– Tips and gratuities
Have a look at some of our videos of our Dzanga Sangha trips!
