Day 1 - Yaounde
Arrive in Yaounde and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore. Overnight Hotel Congress or similar.
Days 2-3 - Batouri - Yokadouma
Drive to the far east of Cameroon, driving past plantations, patches of forest, colonial towns and small villages along the way. On Day 3 we start to encounter small settlements of the Ba'Aka pygmies, the original inhabitants of the forest. Overnight camping or simple hotel. (BD
Day 4 - Bayanga - Dzanga-Sangha Reserve
Cross the mighty Sangha River and the border with the Central African Republic. After border formalities we continue to Bayanga and then to our accommodation, Sangha Lodge, which will be our base for exploring the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve. (BD)
]Day 5 - Gorilla tracking
One of the highlights of the trip - today we track a family of habituated western lowland gorillas in the forest, getting close to this most magnificent of animals in the company of experienced trackers and guides. There are few experiences that can ever equal spending time with gorillas, and it ranks among the best that Africa can offer. In the afternoon we track a different primate - mangabeys, of which troops of two to three hundred are not uncommon. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)
Day 6 - Dzanga Bai
Drive and walk to Dzanga Bai. Here you can often see herds of between fifty and a hundred forest elephants that have come here to consume the mineral rich soil, along with other forest wildlife such as buffalo, sitatunga and bongo. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)
Day 7 - Dzanga-Sangha Reserve
This morning we visit a nearby village to experience typical life here in a remote part of the forest. This afternoon is free to explore the area around the camp. Overnight Sangha Lodge. (BLD)
Day 8 - Pygmy Camp
We head back into Cameroon and travel to a small village, then hike into the forest to a small settlement belonging to the Ba'Aka pygmies. Accompanied by our hosts we explore the surrounding area and have a unique opportunity to learn how they live, gathering honey and medicinal plants to sustain their lifestyle. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Days 9-10 - Yokadouma - Bertoua
We leave our hosts behind and drive back towards 'civilisation' and the forest towns of eastern Cameroon. Overnight camping or simple hotels. (BD)
Day 11 - Yaounde
Return to Yaounde and transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (B)
What's included:
Airport transfers - We include arrival and departure transfers regardless of whether you book flights yourself, or we book them for you. If you're booking them yourself, then please let us know the details so that we can arrange the transfers. Please note though that if you arrive earlier than Day 1 of the tour, and leave after the final day, we may need to make an additional charge for an airport transfer.
Accommodation - Accommodation as listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we'll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you're used to elsewhere.
Guides - You will be accompanied by an English speaking guide from start to finish.
Meals - As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner). These will vary from trip to trip - in some areas it makes sense to include all meals while in others there is a good choice of restaurants and we feel people might like to 'do their own thing' now and again.
Entrance fees - Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you'd like to see, these would be at your own expense.
What's excluded
Visas - We don't arrange visas for our travellers, but if an invitation letter is necessary then we will arrange this for you. If you need any advice with visas then let us know.
Airport taxes - If there are any departure taxes to pay that are not included within the cost of your ticket, you'll need to pay these yourself.
International flights - Many of our travellers arrive from different destinations and so we don't include international flights in the cost of our tours. If however you would like us to book flights for you, then just let us know and we'll be happy to discuss your options.
Travel Insurance - If you need any assistance with this, then let us know - although we can't arrange it ourselves we can point you in the direction of a reputable provider that can assist.
