Expedition to the Congo - a pioneering journey
18 July to 1 August 2008
19 Sept to 3 October 2008
Prices from £4,755 per person excluding international flights to Brazzaville
See “Details on right”
Ndoki and Dzangha Sangha have one of the highest densities of lowland gorillas, small primates and forest elephant in Africa.
Expertly led by naturalist Rod Cassidy who has been travelling here for many years.
You get the opportunity to track lowland gorillas and study them from hides
This Congo wildlife trip aims to show you the conservation efforts needed to sustain this great ape and meet the people and local guardians who will be responsible for their long term welfare.
In association with WCS and WWF this tour helps contribute towards the conservation of the area and its wildlife
Step into the original heart of darkness, exploring this wonderfully remote and colourful region, deep in the virgin rainforest of the Congo basin.
While most places on Earth have long since been explored, the forests of Congo and the Central African Republic have remained wild and out of reach and are one of the world’s best kept wildlife secrets. The forest clearings of Ndoki (Congo) and Dzangha Sangha (CAR) are a unique feature that offer marvellous game-viewing opportunities.
The Dzanga-Sangha Reserve is the jewel in the crown of the Northwestern Congolian Lowland Forest Eco-region. Your time on this Congo safari will be spent between observing elephants at Dzanga Bai, tracking lowland gorillas at Bai Hokou and hunting with the Ba’Aka pygmies. Dzanga Bai is truly the bai of the elephants and no other clearing of this nature in the central African forests is known to harbour such large concentrations of these animals. The combination with gorilla tracking and hunting is utterly, utterly absorbing.
Downriver is the world renowned Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, an area with one of the highest densities of lowland gorillas in Central Africa. Alongside WCS researchers you will have the privilege of being able to spend hours at Mbeli bai. From the mirador it is possible to see a plethora of Congo wildlife such as lowland gorilla, forest elephant, bongo, sitatunga, giant forest hog, bushpig and forest buffalo.
Accompanied by a real Congo expert Rod Cassidy, who has run these pioneering journeys since they where first allowed and conceived in 2004 this Congo safari programme is deliberately aimed at taking hardy travellers who are prepared to be flexible in attitude and are reasonably fit to places seldom visited by other wildlife enthusiasts or indeed researchers, and escorted and managed by world class experts.
Make an Enquiry & learn more
Dates & Prices for this Expedition to the Congo
18 July to 1 August 2008
19 Sept to 3 October 2008
Price per person:
From £4,755 per person in twin share room throughout, excluding international flights. (subject to confirmation)
Subject to availability and based on eight people travelling.
Please contact us if you are travelling from outside the UK
Cost includes:
Short-haul regional and domestic flights, all transfers and transport, all accommodation and meals as specified in the above itinerary, expertise and leadership of Rod Cassidy and local guides and trackers. Trips to Dzangha-Bai,gorilla viewing at Mbeli Bai, net hunting with Ba’Ka pygmies,and one gorilla tracking activity at Dzangha-Sangha.
Cost excludes:
Long-haul international flights to Brazzaville,travel insurance, visas, extra meals, vaccinations, items of a personal nature, soft drinks, alcohol, laundry and gratuities and deparute taxes, additional gorilla tracking at Dzangha-Sangha.
Single supplement:
Due to the nature of this trip and limited rooming, we are unable to offer single rooms.
This Trip Supports..
World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)
Wildlife Conservation Society
World Wildlife Fund for Nature WWF is the largest independent nature conservation organisation in the world founded in 1961 with over 5 million supporters. In the past ten years they have spent over £211 million on conservation work and currently have more than 1000 international projects.
Discovery Initiatives has worked closely with the UK organisation in the past and visits a number of project regions within its travel programmes.These Congo safari tours are set up in coordination with the Wildlife Conservation Society and their research teams, who sponsor and support ongoing research and conservation initiatives in these parks, and encourage low impact tourism to support them and promote small scale sustainable wildlife tourism development.
Field Expertise
Rod Cassidy
Rod is a well respected naturalist and birdwatcher within Africa, having led tours and expeditions for over twenty years to many African countries including Botswana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and has led a number of trips to Gabon and the Congo for us over the last three years.
Rod has a good knowledge of the main areas that you will be visiting including Dzangha Sangha and Ndoki and knows many of the researchers in situ such as Emma Stokes and Mark Gately.
Our Feedback Should you wish to get direct feedback from any number of our numerous clients who have enjoyed the Congo expedition with us please do contact us and we would be delighted to help put you in touch.
Overall, this trip to the Congo was amazing. To see western lowland gorillas in their natural habitat was a rare privilege. To spend the day with the Ba Aka pygmies was an unexpected treat. To take part in a way of life that’s vanishing from this planet was another privilege that we will never forget. The first day we spent in Dzangha Bai was amazing. I didn’t expect the variety and number of animals we observed on that day. At one point there were 75 forest elephants in the Bai! We even witnessed elephants mating! The highlight for me was when the four bongos walked into the Bai. Both Rod and I saw them at the same time and we couldn’t believe our eyes. What great luck! Peggy Fauchur 2007
The wildlife sightings were indeed incredible. If you remember, before the trip, I said that one of my dreams was to see bongos. We did!
jean Dille 2007
I am thrilled to report that I had an absolutely terrific experience! Jean-Pierre, Neville and George were superb – professional, knowledgeable, flexible, respectful and genuinely friendly. What a great team you set me up with! And all the locations were great-For the most part I got everything I could have expected and more. I thank you and your team for your amazing work. I couldn’t be more happy and satisfied.
R Goldman 2005