THE GREAT EXPLORERS : DESCENT OF THE SANGHA AND CONGO RIVERS


HIGHLIGHTS
- Led by our guides, venture into the world’s richest terrestrial ecosystem
- From lake peoples to traditional knowledge: the Sangha-Sangha ethnic groups and the Pygmy tribes
- Discover of villages on the way and traditional dances
- A rich and visible fauna in the clearings such as Gorillas, elephants, Buffalos, sitatungas, hippopotamus, pangolins, crocodiles and hundreds of birds
- 3 days in Dzanga Sangha National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- A Flora made up of more than 10,000 species of plants.
- Landscapes of great diversity: savannah, clearings, swamp forests and cathedral forests
- Several excursions per day by tender boat or canoe
- The visit of Brazzaville and its sappers
- lectures or film on board to enrich the trip
- Small groups to create links and not disturb ecosystems
- Environmentally friendly travel (recent engines with reduced emissions)
CLIMATE
- Average temperature of 26°C, Tropical rain and sunshine daily.
- Regular tropical rains
- Time GMT+1
EXTENSIONS
- Pistage des Bonobos en RDC
- Observation des Chimpanzés à Pointe Noire
- Observation des gorilles au sanctuaire de lesio-Louna
- Pistage des gorilles dans le Parc Nouabalé Ndoki
THE GREAT EXPLORERS : 550 MILES FROM OUESSO TO BRAZZAVILLE ON CONGO AND SANGHA RIVER
13 NIGHTS
Day 1 Arrival
Arrival in Brazzaville (Air France flight).
- Overnight in a 5* hotel
- Dinner not included
Day 2 – Transfer to Ouesso and fly over the evergreen tropical forest.
1 hour – 45 minute flight in the morning in a 70 seat jet. Through the portholes, we can see all the primary forest. Such a view of one of the largest primary forests of the world will stay in our memory forever. Upon arriving in Ouesso, we embark on launch boats to reach the Princess Ngalessa.
- Night on board.
Days 3 to 7 Immersion in the Tri-National Sangha.
Situated in the north-western Congo Basin, where Cameroon, Central African Republic and Congo meet, the site encompasses three contiguous national parks totaling around 750,000 ha. Much of the site is unaffected by human activity and features a wide range of humid tropical forest ecosystems with rich flora and fauna, including Nile crocodiles and goliath tigerfish, a large predator. Forest clearings support herbaceous species and Sangha is home to considerable populations of forest elephants, critically endangered western lowland gorilla, and endangered chimpanzee. To be as discreet as possible, our group will be divided into three subgroups.
Day 3 – The Tri-national of the Sangha
We sail up the upper Sangha River towards Bayanga in the Central African Republic on launch boats for a comfortable 7.5 hours journey surrounded by pristine forest. Along the way we can see local villages and settlements. Based on the season we observe the many birds or if we’re lucky some monkeys of the region. We arrive in the afternoon at our lodge for a nice sundowner overlooking the Sangha.
- Night at our lodge on the river.
Day 4 – The elephant village
Early in the morning we will visit the famous Dzangha Bai. Known as the Elephant Village, up to 150 elephants can be spotted in a day. Sitting high up in the trees we will have a chance to spot many animals including buffalos, bongos, sitatunga, cephalophus etc. We take the time to observe the animals from the platform before returning to our lodge.
- Night at our lodge on the river.
Day 5 – The Hokous Salt Flats and its wild animals
Departure in the morning for the seven baïs called Hokous baïs. During these walks we have the chance to see a variety of animals including elephants, gorillas, cephalophores, forest hogs and many birds. During our walk, our BaAka trackers will find the groups Agile Mangabeys followed by the scientists. These silver-grey monkeys exhibit remarkable gracefulness as they navigate the forest canopy with ease, using their long limbs and prehensile tails. Agile Mangabeys are highly social creatures, often engaging in playful behaviours such as chasing each other, leaping through the trees, and engaging in mock battles. They communicate through a diverse range of vocalisations, including chirps, squeals, and grunts, which play a crucial role in maintaining social bonds and coordinating group activities.
- Night at a lodge on the river.
Day 6 – Return on the Princess Ngalessa
After spending the last three days in some of the least visited places on Earth, we return to the boat on launch boats.
- Night on board.
Day 7 – Immersion in an indigenous village
In the early hours of the day, navigation on the dark waters of the Ndoki and observation of majestic birds. Known for its black water, the river is surrounded by high grass and trees which is a perfect hunting ground and nesting for large birds. In the afternoon, we will meet the indigenous people (Pygmies). They are among the last hunter-gatherer groups in the world. In the forest, in small groups, we share their daily lives: gathering fruits and plants, collecting medicinal herbs, building a hut, making mats or baskets, and learning polyphonic singing. We experience their millennia-old way of life and discover their incredible symbiosis with the forest. Our visit concludes with a Ndzengi ceremony, where the Pygmies sing and dance.
- Night on board.
Day 8 – The village of Pikounda and meeting with the Land’s Chief of the Bongili people
Sailing towards Pikounda. The village was once a trading post that flourished with the activities of the Truchot brothers. We explore the different neighbourhoods, the old colonial buildings, and the process of cocoa transformation, from the pod to cocoa butter and the maize wine highly esteemed in the region. In the evening, at the edge of the woods, we meet the Chief of the Lands, the traditional leader of the Bongili people, who shares stories of the land with us.
- Night on board.
Day 9 – The Mangui River
In the early morning, we sail up the Mangui River on launch boats. The Mangui River makes the northern border of the Ntokou Pikounda National park. Small monkeys may be observed such as the talapoin and birds. On the way, we stop at a fishing camp, where we discover the river’s fish, and the process of fish smoking.
- Night on board.
Day 10 – Crossing the equator
At the beginning of the day, we cross the equator in the heart of the vast tropical forest. It is the baptism of the Line! In the afternoon, we sail down a tributary of the Sangha in a Canoe-Kayak which winds through the middle of the forest. We admire.
Day 11 – The Likouala-Aux-Herbes and the beginning of the plains
We leave the tropical forest behind. In the morning we reach the Likouala-Aux-Herbes estuary on launch boats to observe some of the most emblematic birds of the Congo Basin. Based on the season, during our cruise we’ll have the chance to see some of the emblematic birds of the region such as ospreys, palm-nut vultures, African fish eagles, hamerkops, cormorans, kingfishers, weavers, ibis, grey herons, storks, egrets, hornbills, pied crows, Brazza’s Martin and the elusive turaco. Further along, we observe hippopotamuses (in the peak of the rainy season, hippos could be difficult to observe).
At the end of the day, we stop at the village of Likendze where we discover the different fishing techniques.
- Night on board.
Day 12 – The Congo’s thousands islands
The Congo River widens considerably (more than 10 km) and a maze of islands forms. Fishing villages are established here during the dry season. We arrive at the confluence of 5 rivers, in a vast marshland area. We reach the fishing village of Mossaka, known throughout the country for its smoked and salted fish. We discover remnants of the colonial era and we meet the village’s sages.
- Night on board.
Day 13 – The Téké Kingdom and the Kébé Kébé dance
In the morning, we reach the Lefini estuary. Hippopotamus bask. We take launch boats to observe them. In the afternoon, we reach the village of Ngabe, one of the ancient capitals of the Téké kingdom. We ascend through the village to visit the current queen. As the guardian of “Nkwembali,” the spiritual deity of the Batéké, she is the person authorised to transfer power to the new king, the Makoko. She holds significant influence in the Téké kingdom, one of the powerful kingdoms in the country. We witness a kébé kébé ritual, a dance and an initiatory society from Congo. The ordinary form of the kebe-kebe resembles whirling dervishes, wrapped in raffia robes adorned with feathers from various birds, and manipulating a puppet that generally represents a painted Koyo head showing the specific scarifications of the ethnic group. In the evening we start sailing to Brazzaville.
- Night on board.
Day 14 – Brazza and the Sape.
Disembarkation. Visit to the Basilica of Ste. Anne and more of Brazzaville’s highlights. Meeting with La Sape – Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People. Departure in the evening by Air France flight to Paris*.
- Lunch not included.
- End of service –
*International flights not included.

Safari Cruise into Congo Basin
A journey to the heart of equatorial Africa, in the last wild forests of the Sangha.

Safari Cruise into Congo Basin
A journey to the heart of equatorial Africa, in the last wild forests of the Sangha.

Safari Cruise into Congo Basin
A journey to the heart of equatorial Africa, in the last wild forests of the Sangha.

Safari Cruise into Congo Basin
A journey to the heart of equatorial Africa, in the last wild forests of the Sangha.




Safari Cruise into Congo Basin
A journey to the heart of equatorial Africa, in the last wild forests of the Sangha...
12 nights - From 6 100 €