Upper Sangha Expedition

Day 1 – ARRIVAL IN BRAZZAVILLE

Arrival in Brazzaville and transfer to your hotel. Our guide will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to your hotel. Free time in the evening (dinner not included).

➢ Overnight at the Radisson hotel

Day 2 –  TRANSFER TO OUESSO

Today, we drive to Ouesso (approx 10 hours on a good road). We stop for lunch in Oyo and cross the Equator in Makoua.

➢ Overnight in the local hotel in Ouesso

This transfer will be operated by commercial flight if available.

Day 3 – TRANSFER TO BOMASSA, THE GATEWAY TO NOUABALE NDOKI NATIONAL PARK

In the morning, we embark our speedboats for a journey of approximately 4 hours to Bomassa, the gateway to Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. On the way, we will stop for a walk in Lobeke NP (Cameroon).

We arrive in Bomassa in the late afternoon; we have dinner and spend the night at the WCS headquarters, located at the entrance of the national park.

➢ Overnight at WCS headquarters in Bomassa

Day 4 – JOURNEY TO MONDIKA

Today, we start by driving by 4×4 to the Djéké Triangle. From there, we begin a walk of approximately 2.5 hours (8 km – including a walk in the river) through pristine rainforest to reach the remote Mondika research camp.

One of the Congo Basin’s oldest western lowland gorilla research sites, Mondika is a simple scientific camp dedicated to the long-term study and habituation of gorillas. Along the trail, our BaAka trackers introduce us to the remarkable diversity of the forest and its wildlife. We spend the night at the camp, surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest.

➢Overnight in a platform tent at Mondika (bucket shower, dry toilets)

Day 5 – GORILLA TREKKING

Early in the morning, accompanied by our BaAka trackers, we set out on our gorilla trek. Once we reach the habituated group, we quietly observe their natural behavior from a respectful distance. Young gorillas play, females feed and rest, while the silverback keeps a watchful eye on the group.

Mondika is one of the few places where it is possible to observe habituated western lowland gorillas in such an exceptionally intact forest environment. After approximately one hour with the gorillas, we quietly withdraw to minimise our impact. Back at the camp, we can cool off in the clear river flowing nearby.

➢ Overnight in a platform tent at Mondika (bucket shower, dry toilets)

To accommodate the limited capacity for gorilla tracking at Nouabalé-Ndoki, activities will be organised on a rotating basis. The sequence of activities may therefore vary.

Activities may be delayed (or in rare cases cancelled) if it rains, as the trackers can no longer hear the movement of elephants, the main hazard during forest walks.

Day 6 – WALI BAI

This morning, we return to Bomassa where we’ll have lunch. We’ll then meet our BaAka trackers who will guide us through the forest on a walk of approximately one hour to the magnificent Wali Baï. This small, shallow forest clearing is one of the best places in Nouabalé-Ndoki to observe forest elephants. Surrounded by dense rainforest, its elevated viewing platform offers a remarkable perspective over the water and the wildlife that comes to drink, bathe and feed.

We spend the night on the observation platform, sleeping on camp beds under a roof protected by mosquito nets. As the light fades, elephants and buffalos may gather at the baï, while rare birds and other wildlife can sometimes be spotted. After sunset, the sounds of elephants splashing and trumpeting fill the forest, offering an unforgettable night in the heart of the wilderness.

➢ Overnight on camp beds on the raised platform – Cold meals on site

Day 7 – JOURNEY TO DZANGA SANGHA NATIONAL PARK

This morning, we return to Bomassa to board our launch boats and sail upstream along the upper Sangha River towards Bayanga, in the Central African Republic.

The journey takes approximately four hours, with the forest stretching along both banks of the river. Along the way, we pass local villages and riverside settlements, while keeping an eye out for the region’s birdlife and, depending on the season, perhaps even monkeys along the riverbanks.

We arrive in Bayanga in the afternoon and settle into our lodge, where we can relax and enjoy a sundowner overlooking the Sangha River.

➢ Night at Doli Lodge in Dzanga Sangha National Park

Day 8 – WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLA TRACKING

We leave the lodge in the morning for a 1-hour drive to the gorilla base camp, where we begin our tracking. Accompanied by BaAka trackers, we follow the signs left by the gorilla group as they move through the rainforest. Along the trail, we may encounter other wildlife and discover the remarkable richness of the forest.

The group is led by the silverback Limo and currently comprises 11 western lowland gorillas: one silverback, six females and four infants (as of September 2026). Once we reach them, we observe the family from around ten metres away as they go about their daily lives. The young play, females feed, others rest, while the silverback keeps watch. After approximately one hour, we quietly leave the group to minimise disturbance.

Trackings take place in small groups of up to three guests, with a maximum of six visitors per day. The terrain is mostly flat but uneven, and each tracking session lasts approximately 2.5 to 4 hours, depending on the location of the gorillas. 

With a success rate of over 95%, the experience offers an exceptional opportunity to observe western lowland gorillas in their natural environment.

➢ Overnight at Doli Lodge

Important

Activities in Dzanga-Sangha may be carried out in a different order. A Covid test is performed before each tracking.

Day 9 – THE BAAKA PEOPLE & DZANGA BAI

In the morning, we set out for an immersion into the world of the BaAka, discovering the traditions of this iconic forest people. 

Depending on the season, you may take part in a traditional net hunt, learn about plants used in traditional medicine, harvest honey, or try your hand at basket fishing—always in the characteristically joyful atmosphere of the forest communities.

We will also witness the BaAka’s captivating water drumming. By striking the water with their palms, they create a rhythmic sound that echoes like an ancestral drum.

In the afternoon, we head to the renowned Dzanga Bai. Known as the “Village of Elephants,” it is a place where up to 150 elephants can be observed in a single day. From the raised viewing platform nestled among the trees, we will have the opportunity to observe a variety of wildlife, including buffaloes, bongos, sitatungas, duikers, and more. We take our time watching the animals before returning to the lodge, with the added chance to speak with the scientists working on site.

➢ Overnight at Doli Lodge

DAY 10 – THE HOKOUS SALT FLATS AND ITS WILD ANIMALS

We leave in the morning to explore the seven forest clearings known as the Hokou Baïs. The route takes us through a varied landscape of forest types and clearings, with the exact circuit depending on local conditions and opportunities. It may include several of the surrounding bais, such as Ngubunga, Bakulangu, Mosokpo, Mongole and Dibwe.

As we walk from one clearing to another, we have the chance to observe a variety of wildlife, including forest elephants, gorillas, duikers, forest hogs and numerous bird species. Around Hokou and Mosokpo Baïs, we can also see how elephants shape their environment, stripping the bark from large trees and transforming the forest around the clearings.

➢ Overnight at Doli Lodge

DAY 11 – RETURN TO OUESSO

After spending the last days in some of the least visited places on Earth, we return to Ouesso on our launch boat (7 hours). 

➢ Overnight at the local hotel in Ouesso

DAY 12 – TRANSFER TO BRAZZAVILLE

Today we leave Ouesso in the morning and drive back to Brazzaville (10 hours). We drive on the eastern boarder of the Odzala Kokoua National Park and stop for lunch in Oyo.

We arrive in Brazzaville in the late afternoon and check-in at our hotel before dinner.

➢ Overnight at the Radisson hotel in Brazzaville

DAY 13 – VISIT OF BRAZZAVILLE AND RETURN FLIGHT

In the morning, we set out to explore the city, visiting the Poto-Poto School, the Congo Basin Museum, St. Anne’s Basilica and the Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza Memorial, where we encounter the famous Sape – Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes. We have lunch before visiting the Plateau-Ville art market and the Congo River Rapids (programme provided for guidance only and subject to change depending on local conditions and opportunities).

Transfer to the airport in the afternoon for guests travelling with Air France. Guests travelling with Ethiopian Airlines will need to book an additional night in Brazzaville (dinner at their own expense).