Africa, the untamed continent, the continent of legends, mystery and adventure… and no region which embodies this more than Central Africa with its deep rivers, lush forests, mysterious animals and isolated tribes. Endless and endless rainforests full of strange animals such as gorillas, bonobos, okapis and exotic birds. Even the smaller inhabitants like colorful caterpillars and insects which are omnipresent. Millions of butterflies flying over the river as you slowly glide over the water, or luminescent mushrooms lighting the path on a night walk. Your journey will be accompanied by the cry of the turaco, trumpeting elephants, distant drums and flashes of gorillas.
Our adventure kicks off in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. Once the scene of civil war, now back to being the sleepy capital it once was. We will embark on a comfortable speedboat here on the Ubangi River where our journey will commence.
During our voyage we will camp along the banks of the Ubangi River and the Congo River. Our team will cook simple, local dishes and whenever we have the chance, we prepare fresh fish in the traditional way, using charcoal and firewood.
Our first stop is the village of Zinga, in the south of the Central African Republic.
The village of Zinga is located south of Bangui and is situated where the Lobaye and Oubangui come together. It is a small village known for the railroad it once had. We will visit the local pygmy tribes here and get a great introduction to their fascinating culture and traditions.
After Zinga we continue to Congo-Brazzaville, the second country on our list. Congo-Brazzaville is rich in forests and wildlife and has some beautiful national parks with large numbers of gorillas, elephants, chimpanzees, antelopes and more.
We pass first by Bétou, the first major city to enter Congo-Brazzaville and a perfect stop to have a cold beer and have a walk. The following days we pass Landza, Lidouma, Ibenga and villages and settlements. It is now time to enter the DRC where we’ll enter the Ngiri Ngiri Reserve in search of chimpanzees, bonobos, elephants and other animals.
The Ngiri Reserve extends from the confluence of the Congo River with the Ubangi River. According to WWF, this reserve helps is extremely important to the local biodiversity and ecosystem of the Ngiri Triangle. It is a refuge for many birds and home to many species of mammals such as hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, leopards, antelope and bonobos as well as other primate species. We can also find more than 150 species of fish in the waters.
We will gradually continue to Impfondo in Congo-Brazzaville, a charming town and the gateway to the Lake Télé Community Reserve, a vast inaccessible home to more than 125,000 lowland gorillas. It is named after Lac Télé, which has seen several expeditions in search of the Mokele-Mbembe, a mythical creature that roams the area according to local legends.
In this area we find mainly swamp forests and flooded savanna. The rivers are rich in fish and we can also try to look for the Goliath tigerfish, giant eels and catfish if you are keen on fishing. Besides gorillas we also find chimpanzees, elephants, buffalo, antelope and hippos.
We continue our way down passing Bolemba, Djoumbélé and after Djoundou we will finally see the mighty Congo River that gave its name to two countries. The area where the Oubangi and Congo meet offers great fishing opportunities with large predator fish for anyone interested. We will spend a day or two around Mossaka where the Alima River gets into the Congo River.
After Mossaka we will go look for a group of wild bonobos on the DRC side. They are being tracked on a daily base and we can sometimes even see up to 50 individuals. We are the only agency which offers bonobo safari.
Our tour lasts about 15 days on the river and it is necessary to have at least 4 to 5 buffer days in Kinshasa in case of delay. We will use these days to explore the city and its surroundings.
Price:
For a group of 4 persons: 19,800 usd per person
Why choose Congo Voyages for this tour?
We are the only local agency with people who are actually on site, and apart from a “lost Belgian expat”, our team consists entirely of Congolese with years of experience in the field. We work closely with the authorities such as the Ministry of Tourism, ICCN, but also the military who help us to secure sensitive areas. Our tours will only take place if all safety conditions have been met and the necessary permissions have been granted and if we have been given the green light from the local authorities/chiefs if necessary.
Beware of (fake) travel agents who copy our itineraries and offer our tours for a lower price. Most of them are Ugandan, Rwandan and Spanish operators who have never been to Congo and recruit locals without knowledge of the field or a license on the internet to do their travels, often with disastrous results, with people being arrested or defrauded and put in jail. worst case no one even shows up.
