Republic of Congo
Congo Explorer & Gorillas
10 nights from £14,155 per person
Includes: Accommodation, most meals, flights, transfers, guides and activities
Overview & Highlights
For adventurous travellers looking for an exclusive, truly memorable, once-in-a-lifetime Africa experience, Republic of Congo’s Odzala-Kokoua National Park is a unique destination.
This trip has been rated by Wanderlust Magazine as one of the ‘best tours of the world’, as it entails light adventure in one of our planet’s greatest rainforest areas. Located in the second largest expanse of tropical rainforest left on our planet, this is home to a ‘Garden of Eden’ for nature and wildlife enthusiasts.
Famously, it is home to the Western lowland gorilla, the most plentiful of the remaining species and subspecies of these magnificent great apes.
In the rainforests of Odzala-Kokua National Park, there are three habituated groups of Western lowland gorillas; two of which can be visited by tourists. The national park has another 11 species of primate, as well as Forest elephant, Forest buffalo, Bongo antelope and Giant forest hog.
Birdwatching is superb here with 430 bird species recorded from the area, including specials such as White-crested Tiger-heron, Congo Serpent-eagle, Vermiculated Fishing-Owl and Forest Swallow and Black-and-White Casqued Hornbill.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Stunningly beautiful equatorial African rainforests
- Tracking Lowland gorillas with expert guides
- Look out for Bongo, Forest elephants, Forest buffalo and other rainforest inhabitants
- Plentiful birdlife
- First class hospitality in remote, secluded camps
“For Africa enthusiasts wanting to explore remote rainforests and unique wildlife, this trip is the ultimate adventure! Walk through forest bais in the world’s second largest remaining tropical forest searching for Lowland Gorillas and other rare species of mammals and birds.”
With this sample itinerary, guests spend seven nights in and around Odzala staying at three different lodges.
Each of the lodges has been built from locally-sourced materials and creatively designed to blend with the surroundings. Each camp has only a small carrying capacity, so visitors are able to enjoy a feel of exclusivity and intimacy with the surrounding nature.
- Day 1: Fly to Brazzaville. Flights are normally via Paris with Air France. Transfer to your hotel for the night.
- Day 2: Two hour charter flight to Odzala-Kokoua National Park. On arrival at Mboko airstrip transfer to Ngaga Camp driving through the park. Here you will be able to meet the gorilla research team for a briefing before dinner. Overnight in your luxury en-suite tented forest room. Ngaga Camp 3 nights
- Day 3: Today you will track one of the resident, habituated family groups of Lowland gorillas. While chances of seeing the gorillas are generally very high, please note that nature can never be guaranteed. Recent reports indicated that reaching the gorillas tends to take on average 90 minutes – 2 hours. A big plus here is that terrain is relatively flat. After tracking gorillas, return to camp for lunch and a rest. In the afternoon there will be the opportunity to explore one of the forest trails on foot and seek out some of the resident wildlife and birdlife.
- Day 4: This morning you have another gorilla tracking excursion. In the rainforest, keep an eye open also for Putty-nosed and Crowned monkeys, both of which are fairly common. Birdlife is prolific here. After dinner, you will be taken on a guided night walk to seek nocturnal wildlife.
- Day 5: Optional 3rd Gorilla tracking experience. You will then be taken by road through Mbomo Village and the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Arrive at Mboko Camp for lunch, followed by a late afternoon river cruise and sundowners. Overnight in Mboko Camp in an en-suite river room with all meals included.
- Day 6: Journey on today from Mboko Camp to Longo Camp: a guided morning kayak on the Lekoli River is followed by a walk upstream to the Lango Bai, where you can look for wildlife such as Forest buffalo, Forest elephant, Sitatunga and the rare Bongo. Enjoy lunch at Lango Camp. In the afternoon, you can either relax at camp, or take a dip in the Lango bai. Lango Camp for 2 nights in a luxury, en-suite forest room.
- Day 7: A choice of activities today include a game drive (look for primates such as Guereza Colobus, Grey-cheeked Mangabey and Moustached Monkey as well as bushbuck and various species of forest-dwelling Duiker (small antelope) and also, a pirogue trip along the river, before returning to camp on foot through Lango Bai. In the evening you will be given a camera-trap presentation to see what wildlife researchers have managed to capture on film.
- Day 8: A guided morning walk to the bird hide from where you can watch species such as African grey parrots and African green pigeons at the bai, is followed by a game drive transfer and then a walk along a raised, wooden walkway through the swamp. Arrive in time for lunch at Mboko Camp. In the afternoon, choose between an adventure walk in the Likeni River or take an afternoon river cruise on the Lekoli River. Overnight in an en-suite, river room at Mboko Camp, all meals included.
- Day 9: After breakfast at Mboko Camp, depart on a charter flight back to Brazzaville. On arrival in Brazzaville late morning, you will be met and transferred to a hotel where you have the use of a day/evening room. We can arrange an activity for you in Brazzaville today if you wish. In the early evening, transfer back to Brazzaville Airport to check in for the Air France flight departing to Paris late evening.
- Day 10: Arrive UK
This is just one example of a tailor made wildlife holiday to the Republic of Congo. We can also put together itineraries using different camps and trips to nearby Gabon which is another wildlife hot spot.
A few impressions…
“Thanks for all your help arranging what turned out to be an absolutely fantastic trip. Sightings included Western Lowland Gorilla families emerging out of the forest and the most amazing spectacle of thousands of African Green Pigeons and African Grey
Parrots performing the ‘bird dance’.I booked my trip in the UK through Travel With Jules’ to avoid having to send large sums of money to foreign bank accounts in central Africa. Using an agent obviously addsto the cost, but I considered it well worth it for financial security and safety and this bespoke service gave me certainty that there would actually be someone waiting for me when I stepped off the plane! “
Andrew Sneddon
Let us begin the journey that will create memories to last a lifetime.
