Central African Replublic - 7 day Highlights of Dzanga Sangha

Rockjumper Wildlife Tours is proud to present our Central African Republic safari, to this extremely under-visited part of the world, offering some of the best lowland rainforest wildlife viewing on the African continent.

Join us on what will be an unforgettable journey where our base has been carefully selected in the peaceful south of the country and located within the magnificent Dzanga-Sangha National Park.

Day 1: Arrival Bangui transfer to Sangha Lodge

The tour begins in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your charter flight and head down to Dzanga Sangha for the first night at Sangha Lodge. If time permits we will venture out in the afternoon to visit the only habituated Black bellied pangolin in the world, followed by a short afternoon sundowner cruise on the Sangha River. Our program will remain flexible as the logistics often dictate but should run closely along these lines:

Day 2: Sangha Lodge – Bai Hokou

Gorilla tracking. Today you head down to Bai Hokou where you will spend time tracking a group of Western Lowland Gorillas. Dzanga Sangha and its neighbours in Congo Nouabale-Ndoki National Park and Odzala are the only places in the world where you can find habituated Lowland Gorillas.

Day 3: Sangha Lodge – Dzanga Bai

Visit to Dzanga Bai. Dzanga Bai is a large mineral rich clearing in the middle of the rainforest where forest elephants gather in large numbers to indulge in drinking the mineral rich waters that bubble up in places in this Bai. The interaction between so many different groups of Forest elephants ensure that no one can ever get bored at this place, while the possibility of some of the other normally shy forest creature like Bongo, Giant Forest Hog, Red River Hog, Sitatunga and Forest Buffalos visiting the Bai keep us alert.

Day 4: Sangha Lodge – Day with Ba’aka net hunters

Today you head out with a group of Ba’aka net hunters as they go about their daily hunter-gatherer lifestyle. It is fascinating and a joy in itself to see how well adapted and comfortable the Ba’aka are in the forest while you may find it overwhelming and almost intimidating. You will be shown several of their medicinal plants while the hunt goes along in the background, and the excited cheers will alert us if they do catch something. THIS ACTIVITY IS NOT CONTRIVED AND THE HUNTERS ARE THERE TO CATCH THEIR FOOD SO PLEASE BE AWARE THAT SOME ANIMALS MAY BE KILLED DURING THIS TIME.

Day 5: Sangha Lodge – River activities and trekking

River activities and trekking. Heading upriver by boat you will hike to a series of waterfalls in the area. These will take us through the best examples of prime rainforest that you would ever see. Apart from the amazingly beautiful waterfalls, you will see some of the most spectacular trees imaginable. Climbing to the top of the falls will provide vistas over the canopy of the forest while the possibility of seeing the extremely rare and endangered Grey-necked Rock fowl will excite any birders. In the evening, you may do a night walk near the lodge with the hope of finding some of the more elusive nocturnal animals such as Potto, Thomas’s Galago, Tree Pangolin, African Palm Civet, Fraser’s Eagle Owl, Vermiculated Fishing Owl and several more.

Day 6: Sangha Lodge – Dzanga Sangha

Back into the park today with picnic lunches and you will do a walk around a series of clearings in the forest. The chance of finding buffalos, elephants and several monkey species on this trek are good. You will also visit a group of habituated monkeys called Agile Mangabey and spend some time photographing their interesting antics. This group of habituated monkeys has over 150 members and their fascinating behaviour is part of a long-term study in the region.

Day 7: Sangha Lodge – Leisure day

Leisure day for optional activities, you have these days for optional activities…These can range from repeating any of the earlier activities done at Sangha lodge such as Gorilla tracking, or visits to the Dzanga Bai, or alternatively just relaxing or walking on the several hikes you have laid out in the forest around the lodge.

Day 8: Transfer to Bangui for departure

Today we take a charter back to Bangui where the tour ends