THE GREAT FORESTS AND KINGDOMS OF THE CONGO BASIN
For most, the Congo Basin's 700,000 square miles of tropical rainforest and phenomenal biodiversity are only experienced vicariously through the detailed journals of intrepid 19th century explorers. Only recently has the interior become accessible through the use of private charter planes that enable you to traverse vast distances which normally take weeks to cross by four-wheel drive vehicle. After hundreds of years of being closed because of civil strife, inaccessibility, and lack of infrastructure, you can finally enter the mysterious heart of the continent in comfort and safety. The 'green veil' which has kept the great forests a mystery for centuries is lifted by the world-renowned specialists in the region.

CAMEROON

Wednesday, Day 1
DOUALA
Upon arrival in Douala you pass through customs and are transferred to your hotel where you check in and depart for dinner at a restaurant on the harbor. Return to the hotel for the night. The hotel is in one of Douala's most tranquil districts, featuring attractive grounds overlooking the Wouri River, the harbor, and a wooded park.

Thursday, Day 2
BAFUT/KOUTABA
After breakfast at the hotel, you are transferred to the airport to board your charter flight to Bamenda in the Anglophone, Northwest Province. Bamenda is located in the high grasslands of Cameroon, the heart of Cameroonian culture. Upon arrival you transfer to the Bafut Palace, the seat of power for one of the largest and oldest great kingdoms (referred to as "fondoms") in all of Africa. The 800 year-old Tikar fondom is a complex of traditional buildings and courtyards, including houses for the fon's numerous wives and children. You are escorted by one of the queens through the outer courtyard and ceremonial ground of the Bafut people, including the drum house and the inner palace called the Achum. You view the Nighaa Ni Bifh, an immense 300-year-old talking drum used to send messages around the Bafut fondom, particularly in times of war, as well as ancient stones where prisoners or disloyal subjects were put to a brutal death. You then have the opportunity to meet with the fon or king (if he is in residence) and view a traditional dance executed by the royal family. Dancers wear fantastic costumes indicative of their respective secret societies and move to the rhythms of drums and other traditional instruments.

You have lunch at the palace with members of the royal family before departing on the famous Ring Road to Sabga. The 210-mile Ring Road passes through some breathtaking scenery - pasturelands of the Grassfields area of West Cameroon. There are terraced fields in the mountains, forests and meadows.

You continue your scenic drive through small villages to Babunga, where you visit the Babunga fon's palace and art collection. The fon, if in residence, introduces you to a few of his 77 wives and 506 children, and shows you the ancient treasures of his dynasty, including priceless museum quality masks and ceremonial objects. End the day in Koutaba with dinner at your comfortable hotel.

Friday, Day 3
KOUTABA/FOUMBAN
After breakfast at the hotel, you have a lecture on the culture and traditions of peoples of the West. The Bamiléké, a mixture of peoples, are now the country's biggest and most economically dominant ethnic group.

After lunch you visit the culturally rich town of Foumban. You spend the early afternoon exploring the Royal Palace of the Sultan as well as numerous traditional buildings dating from the period of German colonization. For the remainder of the afternoon, you meander through the colorful market in the town center where there are plenty of opportunities to buy arts and crafts at a variety of shops and stalls.

Dinner is served at the hotel under the stars with a local cultural dance.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Saturday, Day 4
BANDJOUN/BAYANGA/DZANGHA SANGHA
After breakfast at the hotel, you drive to Bandjoun which is one of the largest Bamiléké chiefdoms and contains one of the most impressive traditionally built palaces in West and Central Africa.

Midday you stop for lunch before driving to Bafoussam to board your private charter (three hour flight) to the Central African Republic. Upon arrival in Bayanga, CAR, you are transferred by four-wheel drive vehicles to your lodge for welcome drinks and dinner.

Sunday-Tuesday, Day 5-7
DZANGHA-SANGHA NATIONAL PARK
The world-renowned Dzangha-Sangha National Park is in the remote southwest corner of the Central African Republic. You spend the next three days exploring the bai. Large viewing platforms called miradors allow you to watch the animals interact in their natural habitat. Avid birders find the occasion to identify numerous exotic species. One of the highlights of your stay in Dzangha is trekking through the mist in search of the lowland gorilla in one of only two places in the world where lowland gorillas are habituated to human presence. Mangebey tracking is also available to those who are fit to keep up with the agile and fast-paced primates. During your stay, you participate in an authentic Ba'aka (known as pygmies or forest people) hunt in which it is possible to see the animals lured by the magical music of the pygmy hunters. Moreover, Ba'aka women take you on a forest walk to teach you about medicinal local plants. You visit Bayanga village to observe village life and local customs; here you enjoy a private viewing of the unique tortoise dance.

Wednesday, Day 8
DZANGHA -SANGHA/ LOANGO NATIONAL PARK
After an early breakfast, depart for morning activities in the Dzangha-Sangha National Park. You visit the Dzangha bai for bird-viewing from the platforms and drop down to the Bai Hokou for your last chance to track gorillas and Mangabeys.

Return to the lodge for lunch and transfer to Bayanga to board your private charter to Loango National Park via Port Gentil.

GABON

Thursday-Saturday, Day 9-11
LOANGO NATIONAL PARK
Created in 2002, Loango National Park offers a spectacular combination of scenery and wildlife. Long white beaches, lagoons, vast forests and grassy savannas provide diverse habitats for an impressive array of animals, birds, reptiles and marine animals. Elephant and buffalo come to feed on shoreline coastal plants while Olive Ridley turtles bob their heads in the sea. Tarpon roll in the surf and dolphin and bull sharks patrol the shoreline. The mangroves here form big trees, creating an elaborate tangle of roots that provide shelter to many fishes and the exquisite mangrove crab. On occasion, gorillas and leopards are spotted venturing onto the stunning, white sand beaches. A special, rare sight is hippopotami surfing in the waves.

While in Loango, you are in the company of local eco-guides who brief you on the work of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). You search for primates, forest buffalo and Red River Forest hogs by open game drive vehicles, boat, or on foot. Optional activities include kayaking, hiking in the forest and on the beach, bird watching, and exploring the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and Congo Basin by motor boat.

OPTIONAL OVERNIGHT AT A BUSHCAMP:

All travelers have the option of spending one or two nights in one of the small Loango bushcamps where it is possible, but not always easy, to view nesting turtles on the beach at night.

Situated in the savanna, one of the bushcamps spans a beach ridge lending itself to a cool ocean breeze and an elevated view of the surrounding landscape and spectacular sunsets. The area's diverse habitat ensures that most of the common wildlife can be seen all year, and forest elephant, buffalo, Red River Forest hog and sitatunga can often be seen from the camp itself.

Sunday, Day 12
EVENGUE/OMBOUÉ/PORT GENTIL
After breakfast at the lodge, transfer by boat along the Mpivi River, stopping at the Mission of St. Anne and continuing on to Evengue Gorilla Sanctuary.

You visit the Mission of St. Anne which sits on the banks of a magnificent lake. Built in 1889, the church of St. Anne was designed by Gustav Eiffel, architect of the famed Eiffel Tower.

After your visit to the mission, you continue across the lake to the small island of Evengue, also known as Gorilla Island. Evengue is wonderfully tranquil and a safe-haven for birds, mammals such as the water chevrotain, and reptiles like the dwarf crocodile. A sanctuary for gorillas, Evengue is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Cambridge University. Here you visit and observe the gorillas' behavior. You have lunch at the small eco-lodge at the sanctuary and then continue on to the small town of Omboué, where you board your flight to Libreville, then connect to your international flight home.

NOTE: This is just one example of many custom itineraries we can do for you in this diverse country.

GENERAL INFORMATION

There are no set departure dates for this trip. Please contact EXPLORE as to the time you would like to travel and we can book this itinerary or another customized itinerary for you.

Price: TBD based on group size

Tour Includes:
Ground and intra-continental air transportation; accommodation; activities mentioned in the itinerary; all meals (excluding final dinner in Libreville); park fees, local guides; specialists as per the itinerary (if available); and porterage.

Tour Excludes:
U.S. domestic and international airfare; medical immunizations; passport and visa fees; airport departure taxes; accident/baggage/cancellation insurance; optional excursions or deviation from the scheduled tour; excess baggage charges; laundry; medical expenses; meals not specified in the program itinerary or special meals not on the menu; dishes and beverages not part of included meals; all beverages; final dinner in Libreville; telephone or fax charges; room service; gratuities to guides and staff; and other items of a purely personal nature.

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