Trip to the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, to meet gorillas and elephants
Travel to the Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, green heart of Central Africa to discover two natural treasures such as the reserves of Dzanga Sangha (CAR) and Odzala (Congo), which are home to hundreds of elephants and gorillas that frequently gather in forest clearings to feed and socialize.
But on this trip we will also get close to the culture and rituals of the Baaka, the original inhabitants of the forests in this part of the continent. We will start the trip sharing dances and beers with the Sapeurs of Bangui, perfect introduction to this trip to the Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.
Trip to Central African Republic
We started our trip in Bangui, capital of Central African Republic. Bangui is a pleasant city, easy to get around and a perfect introduction to the trip. We will visit the monuments dedicated to Wagner and enjoy a few beers by the Bangui river.
In Bangui we will meet the famous Sapeurs with whom we will share dances and beers.
The SAPE “Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes” in French or “Society of Entertainers and Elegant People”, is an urban subcultural movement very popular in some cities of the two Congos or Central African Republic. This movement is usually characterized by the good dress of high fashion, luxury, expensive or designer brands.
The second day we will arrive in Bayanga, gateway to the Dzanga Sangha National Park, by private flight. The flight will take just over an hour.
Dzanga Sangha, welcome to the green heart of Africa
Located in the Congo Basin, the Dzanga Sangha Reserve (a UNESCO heritage site) is part of a vast network of three contiguous national parks called the Sangha Trinational, which is one of the largest and most intact areas of tropical rainforest in the world.
Lowland gorillas in Dzanga-Sangha, Limo family
According to some counts and estimates, more than 2,000 gorillas inhabit the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve. On our trip to Central African Republic we will do gorilla tracking, visiting in small groups (usually 2 travelers) and for one hour duration Limo, an impressive silverback and his large family, currently the only habituated group of gorillas in Dzanga Sangha.
Visiting and tracking gorillas is one of the best experiences you can have in Africa.
Elephant Bai in Dzanga-Sangha
At Dzanga Sangha, visitors can experience a unique natural spectacle: in the Dzanga Bai, a huge natural clearing in the middle of the rainforest, more than 100 forest elephants occasionally gather. Encounters with forest elephants here are guaranteed in large numbers. On our last trips we have counted more than 150 elephants at the same time, a real madness.
Elephants visit the bai at regular intervals due to the wealth of vital minerals in the water. From a large visitor platform, elephants can be observed foraging for minerals in the troughs and on the ground, bathing in the mud, interacting and playing. A truly fascinating spectacle.
Agile Mangabeys in Dzanga-Sangha
Another fascinating visit. Dzanga-Sangha offers a unique opportunity to observe agile mangabeys up close, near the Bai Hokou Research Station, where lowland gorilla tracking is conducted. We will visit a large group of Agile Mangabeys numbering over 100, sometimes even up to 300 individuals, in the world’s only habituated group of this primate species.
The Baaka, the culture of the forest
We will approach a Baaka village to attend a traditional ceremony where we will see Gengi, the spirit of the forest.
Also we will see how many Baaka still wear facial and body tattoos and still file their teeth. We will enjoy the always wonderful welcome of one of Africa’s most fascinating peoples.
Trip to the Republic of Congo
We will take a speedboat to go down the Sangha River to Ouesso, the first important city of the Republic of Congo in this part of the country. We will make different border formalities on our way and enjoy the impressive panoramic view from the river of the forests that form the triple transboundary park of Lobeke (Cameroon), Dzanga Sangha (Central African Republic) and Ndoki (Congo).
Trip to the Republic of Congo, Odzala National Park
After a night’s rest in Ouesso we will continue to Odzala.
Odzala National Park, one of the best kept secrets of the Republic of Congo, is an exceptional destination that has remained out of reach of many travelers in recent years due to its exclusivity and commitment to luxury tourism.
This 13,000-square-kilometer park is an impressive sanctuary of biodiversity and home to numerous populations of lowland gorillas, forest elephants, chimpanzees, buffalo, hippos and many other species.
Odzala, the bai of the lowland gorillas
As in Dzanga Sangha, Odzala National Park is home to countless forest clearings where different wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes and gorillas, can be found. If in Dzanga Sangha we talked about the Bai of the elephants, here we can talk about the Bai of the lowland gorillas.
Although unlike the elephant Bai of Dzanga Sangha here in this Bai of Odzala the presence of gorillas is not guaranteed, we have many options to find different groups of gorillas that come to the Bai to feed. But it is also common to find elephants, monkeys, buffaloes and many birds.
In this wonderful place in the green heart of Africa we will spend two days and two nights in a fantastic lodge exploring some “bais”, walking through salt flats and navigating some of its rivers. We hope to be as lucky as in December 2025 where we were able to see about 60 gorillas in 24 hours, as well as elephants and colobus monkeys. Welcome to Odzala, one of the last untouched places in Africa.
We will end our trip in Brazzaville, the comfortable capital of the Republic of Congo, where we will spend the night in a good hotel before saying goodbye to the jungles of Central Africa.
Highlights of this trip to the Central African Republic and Republic of Congo
- Dzanga Sangha National Park in CAR: Perhaps the most renowned of the forest reserves in all of Africa. We will visit the Elephant Bai and track agile mangabeys.
- Tracking of lowland gorillas in Dzanga Sangha (one hour permit)
- Gengi ceremony with the Baaka.
- Odzala National Park in Congo: this pristine and remote place is home to several Bais where it is common to find groups of lowland gorillas, elephants and buffalo. Odzala is a wonder of nature, we will enjoy two nights in a fantastic lodge built in the middle of the jungle.
- Navigate the Sangha River, one of the most beautiful tributaries of the Congo River that flows through forests and small villages.
- Meeting with the Sapeurs in Bangui, Central African Republic
How will we organize this expedition, what to expect, how many people in the group?
Travel in a small group of 8 passengers
This trip is limited to only 8 seats plus the guide (Cristiano Perazzo). Many of the activities are limited in the national parks to 2 or 4 passengers, such as gorilla tracking. So we will rotate in two groups per day. While one group does one activity, the others do another.
What is included in the price of the trip?
- Internal charter flight from Bangui to Bayanga
- Gorilla tracking permit in Dzanga Sangha
- All entrance fees and fees for national parks, including guides and trackers.
- All necessary transportation to make the route such as minibus or 4×4 or cabs.
- All accommodations indicated in hotels and lodges.
- Three nights full board at Doli Lodge (CAR)
- Two nights full board at Odzala Lodge
- All meals except for Bangui and Brazzaville
- Visit of the Elephants Bai in Dzanga Sangha
- Mangabeys tracking in Dzanga (CAR)
- Speedboat to go down the Sangha river
- Meeting with the sapeurs in Bangui
- Two days of visits in Odzala
