Expedition with ethnographer to Boali Falls, Bayaka Pygmies, western lowland gorillas and elephants in the iconic Dzanga Sangha
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
January 12 - 19, 2025
Tour Central African Republic
Ethnic expedition Bayaka Baka pygmies CAR Congo DR Congo Dzanga-Sanga Iboga western lowland gorillas elephants Dzanga-Sanga
tour to Congo, tours to Africa, trekking gorillas
Have you ever stand face to face with the giant 2-meter height alpha male gorilla? You might go hunting with Bayaka Pygmy people or witnessed how they collect wild honey from the top of huge trees? Have you in person seen Ejengi spirit or met closely with forest elephants in the iconic Dzanga Sangha?
All this you'll discover in remote jungles of Central African Republic and feel yourself as part of BBC or National Geographic project.
This ethnic and wildlife expedition with ethnographer is for truly sophisticated travelers.
All this you'll discover in remote jungles of Central African Republic and feel yourself as part of BBC or National Geographic project.
This ethnic and wildlife expedition with ethnographer is for truly sophisticated travelers.
Ethnic expedition Bayaka Baka pygmies CAR Congo DR Congo Dzanga-Sanga Iboga western lowland gorillas elephants Dzanga-Sanga Brazzavile tour Africa tour
SCHEDULE & COST:
Dates: January 12 – 19, 2025
Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
Number of participants: 7 – 12
Cost per person:
• 3 890 EUR subject to 11 – 12 participants,
• 3 990 EUR subject to 9 – 10 participants,
• 4 290 EUR subject to 7 – 8 participants.
10% early booking discount (in case you book before August 12, 2024)
Everything is included (also 2 private flights, gorilla trekking and full board) except for:
– international flight to Bangui roundtrip
– international medical insurance
– CAR visa (about EUR 150, to be obtained on arrival in Bangui airport. Or to be obtained on your own in the CAR Embassy in any other country in advance.
Estimated cost of flight Moscow – Bangui – Moscow: EUR 850 – 1400 (Usually bought on your own, we consult you).
Single supplement: EUR 400 (single supplement provided along the entire itinerary)
TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO CAR
Day 1. January 12, 2025 (Sunday). Arrival in Bangui
Arrival in Bangui, capital of Central African Republic. Welcome by the local guide and transfer to the Hotel Obangui. Accommodation, dinner and overnight at Obangui Hotel.
* Recommended flight:
— from Moscow with Ethiopian Airlines, via Addis Ababa (stopover 3 hours 30 minutes), departure from Moscow at 22:00 on January 11, departure from Addis Ababa at 10:00 am January 12, arrival in Bangui on January 12 at 11:40 am, or
— any flight with arrival in Bangui any time on January 12.
Accommodation included: Obangui Hotel
Meals included: dinner
Day 2. January 13, 2025 (Monday). Bangui – Boali Falls – Bangui
Breakfast, departure from Bangui for the visit of the Boali falls and lianas bridge of Boali, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 pm, with a lunch at waterfalls.
Return to Bangui, visit to Russian House in Bangui, the Craft Market, the cosmopolitan central African market.
Transfer to the Hotel. Dinner and overnight at Obangui Hotel.
Accommodation included: Obangui Hotel
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3. January 14, 2025 (Tuesday). Bangui – Bayanga – Dzanga Sangha Park
Breakfast, small city tour and transfer to the airport. At 11 am flight from Bangui to Bayanga at Dzanga Sangha Park. Arrival around 1 pm. Lunch at the Doli Lodge.
Around 3 pm small boat trip to see how the tribe Sango collect the Palm Raphia for wine in the forest, traditional process. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation included: Doli Lodge
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4. January 15, 2025 (Wednesday). Doli – Yamdobé – Bayaka Pygmies' camp in deep forest in Dzanga Sangha
Breakfast, trekking from Doli to Yamdobé village, meet Bayaka Pygmies tribe. Visit of very big village with more than 1000 Bayaka Pygmies people.
Continue trekking to the deep forest, we will do 2-3 hours trekking in the deep forest, crossing at least 3 rivers. On the trekking way, we will discover some medicinal plants.
Put our tents in the deep forest. Afternoon, fishing with Bayaka women. At night participating in dancing, storytelling.
Dinner and night in tents.
Accommodation included: tents
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5. January 16, 2025 (Thursday). Bayaka Pygmies' camp in deep forest in Dzanga Sangha
Breakfast, trekking to hunting area, participating traditional Bayaka hunting with nets. Taking an opportunity of honey collecting and other collecting of roots and medicinal plants. Will see traditional process of honey collecting by climbing the huge tree.
Upon return to the camping place, lunch and water drums.
In the evening attending the Magic Ejengi dance with Bayaka Pygmies. Dinner and night in tent.
Accommodation included: tents
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6. January 17, 2025 (Friday). Bayaka Pygmies' camp – Yamdobé – Doli Lodge – Elephant Bai safari – Doli Lodge
Very early breakfast and we take a way back to yamdobe village (some 2-3 hrs trekking).
By car back to Doli lodge. Installation in the rooms, relax.
Early lunch and 12:30 and drive to the Dzanga Bai for safari. Arrival at the camp, we go to the Bai 45 minutes to reach the landscape of Bai. 2 or 3 hours watching the elephants, buffalos, sitatungas, bongos, various birds.
Return for dinner at Doli lodge, overnight.
Accommodation included: Doli Lodge
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7. January 18, 2025 (Saturday). Gorilla trekking in the Bai Hoko – Doli Lodge
Early breakfast, road to a deep forest of about 50 km to reach the gorilla trekking area, arrival at Bai Hoko, Dzanga Sangha park. Formalities, information on hiking. We will discover western lowland gorillas. Gorillas are sometimes 45 minutes or 1 hour of hiking distance, sometimes more.
We will stay with the gorillas for 1 hour. Return to Doli Lodge, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation included: Doli Lodge
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8. January 19, 2025 (Sunday). Dzanga Sangha Park – Bangui — Return international flight
Breakfast and check-out from the lodge. Morning or around noon flight from Bayanga back to Bangui. Arrival in the afternoon.
Some time in Bangui. We can visit Russian Center in CAR, souvenir market or some other places we missed to see on the 2nd day.
In the evening, airport transfer. Return flight.
* Recommended flights:
— to Moscow with Ethiopian Airlines, via Addis Ababa (stopover 4 hours 30 minutes), departure from Bangui at 13:40 on January 20, departure from Addis Ababa at 23:30 on January 20, arrival in Moscow on January 21 at 7:25 am (extra night in the hotel in Bangui needed), or
— to Moscow with Ethiopian Airlines, via Addis Ababa (stopover 4 hours 30 minutes), departure from Bangui at 13:40 on January 20, departure from Addis Ababa at 23:30 on January 20, arrival in Moscow on January 21 at 7:25 am (extra night in the hotel in Bangui needed), or
— any flight with departure from Bangui no earlier than at 20:00 on January 19.
Accommodation included: no
Meals included: breakfast
Dates: January 12 – 19, 2025
Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
Number of participants: 7 – 12
Cost per person:
• 3 890 EUR subject to 11 – 12 participants,
• 3 990 EUR subject to 9 – 10 participants,
• 4 290 EUR subject to 7 – 8 participants.
10% early booking discount (in case you book before August 12, 2024)
Everything is included (also 2 private flights, gorilla trekking and full board) except for:
– international flight to Bangui roundtrip
– international medical insurance
– CAR visa (about EUR 150, to be obtained on arrival in Bangui airport. Or to be obtained on your own in the CAR Embassy in any other country in advance.
Estimated cost of flight Moscow – Bangui – Moscow: EUR 850 – 1400 (Usually bought on your own, we consult you).
Single supplement: EUR 400 (single supplement provided along the entire itinerary)
TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO CAR
Day 1. January 12, 2025 (Sunday). Arrival in Bangui
Arrival in Bangui, capital of Central African Republic. Welcome by the local guide and transfer to the Hotel Obangui. Accommodation, dinner and overnight at Obangui Hotel.
* Recommended flight:
— from Moscow with Ethiopian Airlines, via Addis Ababa (stopover 3 hours 30 minutes), departure from Moscow at 22:00 on January 11, departure from Addis Ababa at 10:00 am January 12, arrival in Bangui on January 12 at 11:40 am, or
— any flight with arrival in Bangui any time on January 12.
Accommodation included: Obangui Hotel
Meals included: dinner
Day 2. January 13, 2025 (Monday). Bangui – Boali Falls – Bangui
Breakfast, departure from Bangui for the visit of the Boali falls and lianas bridge of Boali, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 pm, with a lunch at waterfalls.
Return to Bangui, visit to Russian House in Bangui, the Craft Market, the cosmopolitan central African market.
Transfer to the Hotel. Dinner and overnight at Obangui Hotel.
Accommodation included: Obangui Hotel
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3. January 14, 2025 (Tuesday). Bangui – Bayanga – Dzanga Sangha Park
Breakfast, small city tour and transfer to the airport. At 11 am flight from Bangui to Bayanga at Dzanga Sangha Park. Arrival around 1 pm. Lunch at the Doli Lodge.
Around 3 pm small boat trip to see how the tribe Sango collect the Palm Raphia for wine in the forest, traditional process. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation included: Doli Lodge
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4. January 15, 2025 (Wednesday). Doli – Yamdobé – Bayaka Pygmies' camp in deep forest in Dzanga Sangha
Breakfast, trekking from Doli to Yamdobé village, meet Bayaka Pygmies tribe. Visit of very big village with more than 1000 Bayaka Pygmies people.
Continue trekking to the deep forest, we will do 2-3 hours trekking in the deep forest, crossing at least 3 rivers. On the trekking way, we will discover some medicinal plants.
Put our tents in the deep forest. Afternoon, fishing with Bayaka women. At night participating in dancing, storytelling.
Dinner and night in tents.
Accommodation included: tents
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5. January 16, 2025 (Thursday). Bayaka Pygmies' camp in deep forest in Dzanga Sangha
Breakfast, trekking to hunting area, participating traditional Bayaka hunting with nets. Taking an opportunity of honey collecting and other collecting of roots and medicinal plants. Will see traditional process of honey collecting by climbing the huge tree.
Upon return to the camping place, lunch and water drums.
In the evening attending the Magic Ejengi dance with Bayaka Pygmies. Dinner and night in tent.
Accommodation included: tents
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6. January 17, 2025 (Friday). Bayaka Pygmies' camp – Yamdobé – Doli Lodge – Elephant Bai safari – Doli Lodge
Very early breakfast and we take a way back to yamdobe village (some 2-3 hrs trekking).
By car back to Doli lodge. Installation in the rooms, relax.
Early lunch and 12:30 and drive to the Dzanga Bai for safari. Arrival at the camp, we go to the Bai 45 minutes to reach the landscape of Bai. 2 or 3 hours watching the elephants, buffalos, sitatungas, bongos, various birds.
Return for dinner at Doli lodge, overnight.
Accommodation included: Doli Lodge
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7. January 18, 2025 (Saturday). Gorilla trekking in the Bai Hoko – Doli Lodge
Early breakfast, road to a deep forest of about 50 km to reach the gorilla trekking area, arrival at Bai Hoko, Dzanga Sangha park. Formalities, information on hiking. We will discover western lowland gorillas. Gorillas are sometimes 45 minutes or 1 hour of hiking distance, sometimes more.
We will stay with the gorillas for 1 hour. Return to Doli Lodge, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation included: Doli Lodge
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8. January 19, 2025 (Sunday). Dzanga Sangha Park – Bangui — Return international flight
Breakfast and check-out from the lodge. Morning or around noon flight from Bayanga back to Bangui. Arrival in the afternoon.
Some time in Bangui. We can visit Russian Center in CAR, souvenir market or some other places we missed to see on the 2nd day.
In the evening, airport transfer. Return flight.
* Recommended flights:
— to Moscow with Ethiopian Airlines, via Addis Ababa (stopover 4 hours 30 minutes), departure from Bangui at 13:40 on January 20, departure from Addis Ababa at 23:30 on January 20, arrival in Moscow on January 21 at 7:25 am (extra night in the hotel in Bangui needed), or
— to Moscow with Ethiopian Airlines, via Addis Ababa (stopover 4 hours 30 minutes), departure from Bangui at 13:40 on January 20, departure from Addis Ababa at 23:30 on January 20, arrival in Moscow on January 21 at 7:25 am (extra night in the hotel in Bangui needed), or
— any flight with departure from Bangui no earlier than at 20:00 on January 19.
Accommodation included: no
Meals included: breakfast
Cost includes:
• Private charter flight from Bangui to Bayanga (Dzanga Sangha park),
• private charter flight back from Bayanga (Dzanga Sangha park) to Bangui,
• accommodation in lodges and hotels based on TWIN rooms or DBL rooms (for couples),
• accommodation in camping based on SINGLE (or DBL for family couples),
• camping equipment: tents, mattresses, furniture, cooking stuff, dishware, cutlery,
• full board meals (3 times a day) along the whole itinerary,
• unlimited drinking mineral water along the whole itinerary,
• transport: minibus or Toyota Coaster bus in Bangui city, 4x4 jeep vehicles (3 participants in each car maximum) in other places, all with AC and experienced drivers,
• all airport transfers,
• all boats along the route,
• western lowland gorilla tracking in Dzanga Sangha NP,
• all safaris in Dzanga Sangha NP,
• all permits,
• all activities, visits and entrance fees along the itinerary,
• all ceremonies and folklore along the itinerary,
• governmental taxes,
• financial support of local communities/tribes,
• photo- and video shooting allowance,
• experienced English speaking professional guide along the whole itinerary,
• Russian-speaking and English-speaking team leader along the whole itinerary
Cost excludes (to be additionally paid):
• international flight to Bangui (CAR) roundtrip
• international medical insurance
• CAR visa (about USD 150, to be obtained on arrival in Bangui airport. Or to be obtained on your own in the CAR Embassy in any other country in advance),
• tips
• alcohol, soft drinks and personal expenses
• single accommodation in lodges and hotels
To take with:
- sets of clothes suitable for the weather conditions, including lightweight clothes (shorts, T-shorts), and one set of warm clothes (hoody or light jacket), long sleeve clothes
- sun hat/panama
- swimwear
- raincoat
- comfortable trekking footwear, light footwear (sneakers)
- sleeping bag for warm weather
- sunblock set (cream, spray)
- various repellents (is a must!)
- sunglasses
- big backpack for stuff (up to 70 l)
- small backpack for radial walks (25 – 30 l)
- head torch
- mosquito net for sleeping place (is a must!)
- personal hygiene items (towel, wet tissues, soap) for camping
- individual medical kit (analgesics, antiseptic, antibiotic, antiviral, intestinal, multivitamins, rehydration, court plaster, your personal medications)
- anti malaria prevention pills (up to you to decide but recommended)
- yellow fever certificate (is a must!)
- no COVID requirements currently applied (the requirements may change and to be verified before the trip)
- favorite meals (chocolate, nuts)
- gifts for the tribes (up to you)
- photo and video camera, tripod
- power bank, batteries
• Private charter flight from Bangui to Bayanga (Dzanga Sangha park),
• private charter flight back from Bayanga (Dzanga Sangha park) to Bangui,
• accommodation in lodges and hotels based on TWIN rooms or DBL rooms (for couples),
• accommodation in camping based on SINGLE (or DBL for family couples),
• camping equipment: tents, mattresses, furniture, cooking stuff, dishware, cutlery,
• full board meals (3 times a day) along the whole itinerary,
• unlimited drinking mineral water along the whole itinerary,
• transport: minibus or Toyota Coaster bus in Bangui city, 4x4 jeep vehicles (3 participants in each car maximum) in other places, all with AC and experienced drivers,
• all airport transfers,
• all boats along the route,
• western lowland gorilla tracking in Dzanga Sangha NP,
• all safaris in Dzanga Sangha NP,
• all permits,
• all activities, visits and entrance fees along the itinerary,
• all ceremonies and folklore along the itinerary,
• governmental taxes,
• financial support of local communities/tribes,
• photo- and video shooting allowance,
• experienced English speaking professional guide along the whole itinerary,
• Russian-speaking and English-speaking team leader along the whole itinerary
Cost excludes (to be additionally paid):
• international flight to Bangui (CAR) roundtrip
• international medical insurance
• CAR visa (about USD 150, to be obtained on arrival in Bangui airport. Or to be obtained on your own in the CAR Embassy in any other country in advance),
• tips
• alcohol, soft drinks and personal expenses
• single accommodation in lodges and hotels
To take with:
- sets of clothes suitable for the weather conditions, including lightweight clothes (shorts, T-shorts), and one set of warm clothes (hoody or light jacket), long sleeve clothes
- sun hat/panama
- swimwear
- raincoat
- comfortable trekking footwear, light footwear (sneakers)
- sleeping bag for warm weather
- sunblock set (cream, spray)
- various repellents (is a must!)
- sunglasses
- big backpack for stuff (up to 70 l)
- small backpack for radial walks (25 – 30 l)
- head torch
- mosquito net for sleeping place (is a must!)
- personal hygiene items (towel, wet tissues, soap) for camping
- individual medical kit (analgesics, antiseptic, antibiotic, antiviral, intestinal, multivitamins, rehydration, court plaster, your personal medications)
- anti malaria prevention pills (up to you to decide but recommended)
- yellow fever certificate (is a must!)
- no COVID requirements currently applied (the requirements may change and to be verified before the trip)
- favorite meals (chocolate, nuts)
- gifts for the tribes (up to you)
- photo and video camera, tripod
- power bank, batteries
Why with MZUNGU EXPEDITIONS?
- 1UNIQUENESS
We find the most astonishing places on Earth and speed up to reach them. Our motto is to go ahead of road roller, touch the unique and unknown, before it disappears. - 2ADVENTURISM
Wherever we go, we look for challenging activities and adventures, filling the journey with absolutely different spirit and emotions. That is why people join us over and over again. - 3SAFETY
In our trips we pay special attention to safety. All our travels are based on personal experience, equipped with the best gear, involving proved providers and experienced local guides who perfectly know local features. - 4EXPERIENCE
We have a unique experience of the most offbeat expeditions and ascents, deep knowledge of countries and peoples, and are ready to share it with you. All the expeditions and climbings are guided by Mzungu himself, guaranteeing exciting traveling and your comfort. - 5LOW PRICE
All our trips are reach in adventures, with high quality accommodation, transportation and meals included. We do not save on it. Thanks to solid contacts with reliable providers we offer really good prices and high quality.
WE ARE IN SOCIAL NETWORKS:
