The gorilla village in Congo, Imbalanga Bai in Odzala Kokoua
After several trips to the Republic of Congo, finally this past December 2025 we visited for the first time the Odzala Kokoua National Park. It was an unscheduled visit within our “Jungle Expedition” trip, in which we traveled overland Central African Republic, Congo and Gabon.
It was a totally improvised visit as it was not scheduled in our itinerary, but we can say that it became one of the absolute highlights of the trip along with Dzanga Sangha in CAR and Ivindo in Gabon.
Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo
Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo is one of the oldest national parks in Africa. It was designated in 1935 and declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1977, as well as a World Heritage Site in 2023. Covering 13,546 km² in the heart of the Congo Basin, it is one of the largest intact forest systems in the world.
Odzala-Kokoua National Park is an impressive sanctuary of biodiversity and home to numerous populations of lowland gorillas, forest elephants, chimpanzees, buffalo, hippos and many other species including, antelopes such as bongo, sitatunga and yellow-backed duiker, and over 440 species of birds.
Travel to Odzala Kokoua National Park in Republic of Congo
Odzala Kokoua National Park, one of the best kept secrets in the Republic of Congo, largely because the park management had chosen to offer it to an exclusive market with quality services and high prices.
Bai de Imbalanga: Where Silence Meets Magic
One of the highlights of the park is the Bai de Imbalanga and we can say that it is one of the most impressive places in Central Africa, a clearing in the middle of the jungle where several groups of gorillas, elephants, monkeys and antelopes come to feed and socialize.
Camp Imbalanga, a magical place
Inside the Odzala-Kokoua National Park lies Camp Imbalanga, an intimate and impressive safari site. Nestled under the towering trees of the rainforest, this forest camp combines authentic safari charm with responsible tourism.
The camp is located a few steps from Imbalanga Baï, a clearing in the forest where in December 2025 we were able to see 3 different groups of gorillas. A beastly sight.
Here travelers can enjoy exceptional wildlife viewing, as in addition to western lowland gorillas, forest elephants, bongos and buffalo flock to the Imbalanga Bai and other clearings. Elevated platforms offer excellent visibility deep into the rainforest.
In this wonderful place in the green heart of Africa we will spend three days and three nights in our travels to the Republic of Congo exploring some “bais”, walking through salt flats and navigating some of its rivers.
Although we cannot guarantee wildlife encounters, we hope to be at least as lucky as we were in December 2025. Welcome to Odzala-Kokoua, one of the last untouched places in Africa.
