Trip to Central African Republic and Republic of Congo / 14 days in December 2026

Trip to Central African Republic and Republic of Congo

A trip to the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo, the green heart of Central Africa, to discover two natural treasures: the Dzanga Sangha (CAR) and Odzala – Kokoua (Congo) nature reserves — both of which are home to hundreds of elephants and gorillas that frequently gather in forest clearings to feed and socialize.

But on this trip, we’ll also immerse ourselves in the culture, way of life, and rituals of the Baaka, the indigenous people of the forests in this part of the continent.

In addition, we’ll kick off the trip by sharing dances and beers with the Sapeurs of Bangui— the perfect introduction to this journey through the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo.

Trip to Central African Republic

We’ll begin our trip in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. Bangui is a pleasant city, easy to get around, and the perfect start to our trip. We’ll visit the monuments dedicated to Wagner and enjoy a few beers along the Bangui River.

In Bangui we will meet the famous Sapeurs with whom we will share dances and beers.

SAPE—short for “Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes” in French, or “Society of Entertainers and Elegant People”—is a very popular urban subculture in some cities in the two Congos and the Central African Republic. This movement is typically characterized by high-fashion attire, luxury, and expensive or designer brands.

We will then continue our journey to Bayanga, the gateway to Dzanga Sangha National Park, on a 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 live in the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve. On our trip to the Central African Republic, we’ll go on a gorilla trek, visiting in small groups (usually of two travelers) for one hour to see Limo, an impressive silverback, and his large family—the only group of gorillas currently habituated 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. In 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 of more than 100, sometimes even up to 300 individuals, in the world’s only habituated group of this primate species.

3-day trekking expedition with the Baaka in the forest

This is one of the best cultural experiences you can have in Africa. Even today, it’s impressive to see the Baaka go about their lives in the forest.

Spending three days with them in the forest is much more than just a brief visit lasting a few hours. It’s an opportunity to see firsthand how these indigenous people of the forest hunt, fish, and gather in a spontaneous and natural way. We’ll witness how, even though they wear Western clothes and live near the town, their forest culture remains strong and vibrant.

We’ll take a three-day, nearly 40-kilometer hike through the forest with the Baaka, all the way to the border. It’s an incredible experience, though we should warn you that it’s tough and requires you to be in good physical and mental shape.

During the tour, we’ll get a glimpse of the Baaka people’s daily life in the jungle and, above all, see how they go about their lives and learn about their immense knowledge of the forest . We’ll also delve into the world of Gengi, the spirit of the forest, and other ceremonies.

Trip to the Republic of Congo

After spending those days deep in the jungle, we’ll take a speedboat down the Sangha River to Ouesso, the first major city in the Republic of the Congo in this part of the country.

We will go through various border formalities along the way and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view from the river of the rainforests that make up the triple transboundary park of Lobeke (Cameroon), Dzanga Sangha (Central African Republic), and Ndoki (Congo).

Trip to the Republic of Congo, Odzala National Park

Odzala-Kokoua National Park is one of the Republic of the Congo’s best-kept secrets; it is an exceptional destination that has remained out of reach for many travelers in recent years due to its exclusivity and focus on luxury tourism.

This 13,000-square-kilometer park is a stunning sanctuary of biodiversity and home to numerous populations of lowland gorillas, forest elephants, chimpanzees, buffalo, hippos, and many other species.

Odzala – Kokoua, the bai of the lowland gorillas

As in Dzanga Sangha, Odzala-Kokoua National Park is home to countless forest clearings where different wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes and gorillas, gather. If in Dzanga Sangha we talked about the Bai of the elephants, here we can talk about the Bai of the lowland gorillas.

In Odzala-Kokoua, we’ll stay for three nights at Camp Imbalanga, an intimate and breathtaking safari camp located within Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Nestled beneath the towering trees of the rainforest, this forest camp combines the authentic charm of safaris 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 buffaloes also gather at Bai de Imbalanga and other clearings. The raised 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 exploring some “bais,” hiking 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.

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 Central African Republic and Republic of Congo

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 passengers plus the guide (Austerio Alonso). 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 to expect about this trip? You can expect a deep immersion in the forests and nature of the African jungles. Wildlife sightings are practically guaranteed 90% of the time in places like Dzanga Sangha, and in Odzala we also have excellent chances of seeing wildlife. You can look forward to interacting with local communities such as the Baaka, with whom we’ll spend several days in the jungle, and immersing yourself in the culture of Africa’s equatorial forests.

What not to expect? When we travel to remote places, we may not have access to any amenities. In the jungle, we’ll cook for ourselves. We’ll eat simple meals—sandwiches, canned food, and local dishes if available. Don’t expect it not to rain, or for it not to be hot, or for the insects in the jungle not to swarm you. If you’ve made it this far, it’s obvious you already know that.

What is included in the price of the trip?