“There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne – bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive” – Karen Blixen
East & Central Africa Safari
East and Central Africa safari Combine the ‘Big 5’ with the ‘Great Apes’ in one safari! Start with a ‘Big 5’ safari in Akagera National Park in Rwanda, then visit the Mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Mgahinga Forest in Uganda, then back to Rwanda for Chimps in Nyungwe NP, and then Eastern Lowland Gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega NP of the DRC then end with the Western Lowland gorillas and forest elephant in the Congo!
ITINERARY
day 1
Arrive in Kigali and depart for Akagera National Park, 2.5 hrs away! Afternoon boat cruise on the lakes. Overnight Ruzizi Bush Camp. DBB **If late arrival then first night will be in Kigali.
Akagera National Park
Ruzizi Bush Camp
Karenge Bush Camp
day 2
Game drives, bush walks & boat cruise on the lake, overnight Karenge Bush Camp. Full board. Karenge Bush Camp *Akagera is a Big 5 reserve and is the largest protected wetland in Africa, this makes for a diverse range of species. Akagera offers game drives, bush walks as well as boat cruises on the lakes for game viewing. *Mgahinga National Park in Uganda is home to the Mountain Gorilla as well as the Golden Monkey, only found in the Virunga mountains
Boat cruise Game Viewing in Akagera
day 3
Depart for Uganda and Mgahinga Park for the mountain gorillas, afternoon visit the Batwa people living in the forest. Overnight Mutanda Lake Resort. DBB
Game drives in Akagera
Mutanda Lake Resort
Mountain Gorillas Mgahinga NP
day 4
Trekking the gorillas this morning and golden monkeys the afternoon. Overnight. DBB Mountain Gorillas Mgahinga NP
day 5
This morning we travel to Karongi back in Rwanda for overnight on the lake at Cormoran lodge. DBB
Cormoran Lodge Lake Kivu. Rwanda
day 6
From Kigori we transfer through the border to the DRC and overnight Orchids Lodge. DBB
Orchids Lodge on lake Kivu (DRC)
day 7
This morning tracking the largest of the gorilla species, the Eastern Lowland in the Kahuzi-Biega National park, the only place where these gorillas can be observed. Afternoon trekking in the forest for other species found here! Overnight Orchards Lodge. LDBB
Eastern Lowland Gorillas. Kahuzi-Biega
day 8
Morning depart from the DRC and head back to Rwanda and now to the Nyungwe forest and the canopy walk. Overnight Nyungwe lodge. DBB
Chimps in Nyungwe
day 9
Tracking Chimps and monkeys, overnight Nyungwe Hotel. DBB.
day 10
We leave Nyungwe and head back to Kigali for afternoon flight out OR on to Brazzaville in the Congo, overnight. BB
**Note: The tours are offered combined or separateCost: $6800 per person sharing.
Includes. Accommodation, meals, transport, guide, entrance fees, permits, border visas.
NOT Included. Visa fees on arrival, flights, optional excursions, items of a personal nature.
CONGO BASIN
Includes the Jungles of Gabon, Congo, Cameroon & CAR
A mosaic of rivers, forests, savannas, swamps and flooded forests, the Congo Basin is teeming with life. Gorillas, elephants and buffalo all call the region home. The Congo Basin spans across six countries—Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
ODZALA-KOKOUA NATIONAL PARK
Odzala-Kokoua National Park is one of Africa’s oldest national parks. The expansive 13,500km2 (1.35 million hectares) park is situated in the northern reaches of Congo-Brazzaville – not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the east.
As part of the much larger Congo Basin and an integral part of the TRIDOM Transfrontier forest, this magnificent reserve encompasses the famous forests, colourful swamps and vibrant swathes of savanna brimming with life and includes the Dzanga-Sangha (CAR), the Nouabale-Ndoki (Congo) and Lobéké in Cameroon. The Odzala-Kokoua park has always been somewhat off the beaten track, but its fortunes turned when, in 2010, African Parks entered into a 25-year-long agreement with the ROC’s Ministry of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment.
The park has been operating under African Parks management ever since. African Parks also runs the Sangha Trinational further north on the borders of the Central African Republic and Cameroon.
ODZALA-KOKOUA NATIONAL PARK
Above is a map of the Republic of Congo, not to be confused with the DRC which borders along the Congo River to the east.
Suggested 6 Day tour:
*Flight into Brazzaville. Overnight. (Day 10 from Kigali)
Day 11: Transfer to Camp Imbalanga from Brazzaville. Full day trip.
Day 12: Morning and lunch at camp (observation baï Imbalanga)/ Afternoon moba pool viewpoint, back in camp for dinner/overnight
Day 13: Early morning drive to moba pool viewpoint, then forest walk, then boat trip (lunch in lokoué), afternoon boat trip to moba beach viewpoint, overnight camping in moba beach viewpoint
Day 14: Morning boat and vehicle drive back to camp, relax afternoon at camp and/or bai Imbalanga
Day 15: Relax full day at camp (and observation bai Imbalanga) overnight/dinner at camp
Day 16: Transfer from Camp Imbalanga back to Brazzaville, maybe overnight depending on flight details.
$2390 per person min 2 pax. For 4 pax. $2170 per person. (Includes transfer cost)
Includes. Accommodation in large tents on platform, all meals, all activities as mentioned in the program, all park, conservation, community fees. Guiding and transport.
Camp Imbalanga. Odzala-Kokoua Park
Comfortable accommodation
Gorilla at the Bais
Viewpoint at Imbalanga Bais
Forest Elephant and Bongo
Western Lowland Gorilla
Forest Elephant