CENTRAL AFRICAN RAINFOREST TOUR
This trip includes Nouabale-Ndoki and Dzanga-Sangha National Parks.
The journey goes into the untouched rainforests of Central Africa. This vast region spanning several countries, 
sparsely populated with Bantu tribes and nomadic groups of Pygmies is noted for its large areas of prime jungle habitat and won't disappoint the adventurer and wildlife lover.
You will travel in 4 x wheel drive vehicles, motorised pirogues, small pirogues powered by Pygmy and Bantu tribesmen, and on foot into the remotest parts of the jungle, and yet surprisingly your accommodation will be comfortable with private bathroom facilities and cold drinks throughout the time. You'll enter a
pristine region full of wildlife, including Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Elephants, and a wealth of smaller primates, small mammals, forest birds, and abounding variety of flora.
We spend time watching gorillas and elephants from the comfort of miradors [Large covered viewing platforms] at the famous Mbeli and Dzanga bais. We also track gorillas on foot with Pygmy trackers. A highlight of the trip is a day spent with the Pygmies, starting early in the morning with a net hunt, followed by a lesson on medicinal and food plants of the forest, hut building and perhaps food preparation by some fascinating Pygmy woman.
TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1: The tour begins in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo where we will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel.
Day 2: After an early breakfast we transfer back to the airport for our flight to Ouesso in the Northwest where we transfer to pirogues [Large Dugout canoes] and travel by river for around 5 hours to the village of Bomassa where we spend the night. Bomassa is the head quarters of the WCS project that runs Nouabale Ndoki National park, and is run as a research and logistical support centre for the Nouabale project.
Day 3: After breakfast we transfer to 4WD's for our trip through the buffer-zone surrounding the National park. On arrival at the Ndoki river we transfer into small pirogues and get poled upstream to Mbeli camp, our home for the next 4 nights in the heart of the rainforest and prime Gorilla habitat.
Days 4 to 6: We walk through the forest to the swamp clearings called Bais. Mbeli Bai is one of these and we 
watch from a high viewing platform the comings and goings of gorillas and other forest inhabitants. Of interest is that researchers use these observation posts as a way of studying the behavior and social dynamics and of the western lowland gorillas.
As a result of these observations they can identify over 130 individual gorillas and have an understanding of some of their social behaviors, which would otherwise be very difficult to obtain in the thick forest.
But as well we see a wealth of other animals using this area as a waterhole such as Forest elephant (very different to the African elephant), Sitatunga, Red River- hogs, Black and White Colobus, and others.
Day 7: Travel by pirogue and 4WD to Bayanga. Overnight at Lodge.
Days 8-13: Dzanga- Sangha is the northern section of the Northwestern Congo Basin. In the reserve are large populations of forest elephant, Lowland gorillas, 16 of the country's primate species (such as De Brazza's monkey with its distinctive white beard), hundreds of bird species, reptiles, frogs etc. We visit a village of the Ba'Aka pygmies and if we want we can join them in a hunt for food into the forests. The woman will share some traditional knowledge of the plants and we learn about the lifestyle in the forest. The WWF works with the Ba'Aka in establishing conservation, education and health programmes in the area. The next few days will be spent visiting Dzanga bai, tracking lowland gorillas and hunting with the Ba'Aka. Nights in Doli Lodge.
Day 14: Once again by vehicle and pirogue we head downstream, to Bomassa for a one-night stay.
Day 15: Another travel day takes us down stream by pirogue to Ouesso for a one-night stay.
Day 16: Catch plane to Brazza for 1 night.
Day 17: Departure
NOTE: WE EXPECT THIS ITINERARY TO CHANGE SLIGHTLY IN 2010, DUE TO THE EXORBITANT COSTS OF FLIGHTS TO BRAZZAVILLE WE ARE INVESTIGATING FLYING IN VIA CAMEROONS INSTEAD.
