Compare Untouched Africa: Gorillas of the Congo Basin by Extraordinary vs Masai Mara Camping Safari by G Adventures

Day 1: Brazzaville

Upon landing in Brazzaville in the the Republic of Congo you will be met by our ground crew outside the baggage hall and be transferred to a four star hotel in the country's capital.

Day 2: Oyo or Owando towns

After an early breakfast, you will depart Brazzaville today in private 4 x 4 vehicles along the Republic of Congo's Highway 1. Your destination tonight is the upcountry town of Oyo, where Rep. of Congo's current president was born, or Owando town, an hour’s driving distance beyond Oyo. Enjoy simple accommodation and late dinner in Oyo or Owando. Total driving distance today is six to seven hours.

Day 3:  Ouesso town and Nouabale-Ndoki National Park

This morning you must get an early start in order to arrive in Ouesso by early afternoon. After the bridge across the Mambili River, Highway 1 becomes rough gravel for the last four hours of the drive. By this time there is forest on both sides of the road. Every so often you will pass small villages which border the route. If there are road delays then it is possible to overnight in Ouesso town but ideally, you should arrive at Ouesso wharf on the Sangha River by 2:30 pm. Once at the Ouesso port, a motorized canoe called a pirogue in French Africa and the primary means of transportation in the Congo Basin waits to take visitors up the Sangha River. Your destination tonight is Bomassa, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park's headquarters. Depending on the number of your party, and river flow, this boat ride is between three and five hours. Traveling by boat on the Congo Basin’s river highways is yet another highlight of this safari.

Accommodation at Bomassa is modest, as scientific research continues to be its focus. Shared rooms come with mosquito nets and bedding; bathroom and shower are just outside the rooms. The camp uses a generator for power which is switched off at 9 PM.

Day 4 & 5:  Habituated Gorillas of Mondika Camp- Nouabale-Ndoki National Park

Today you head for Mondika Camp via 4 x 4 vehicle (50 minutes) and on foot (2.5 hours). There is some flooded forest to cross at the beginning of the walk and rubber boots are required. The depth

of water depends on the season and the flooded forest is significantly less of an obstacle during the dry season from mid-November to end of February. You will arrive in time for lunch.

There are two habituated gorilla groups around Mondika and after a quick rest and lunch you will head out for your first gorilla tracking! One of the gorilla families often comes very close to camp. At least two gorilla permits are recommended for a two night stay at Mondika. Additional permits can be purchased as well.

This tour allows you to experience an extraordinary culture as well. Congo Basin forests are the ancestral homes of Ba’Aka pygmies, traditionally hunters and gatherers, and cornerstones of today's tourism programs because without their knowledge of the forest and its wildlife the gorilla habituation programs would not exist. Every time you enter the forest you are escorted by a Ba’Aka guide.

The next morning you will go on your second trek to visit the habituated gorilla families in the morning and if you wish enjoy a forest walk in afternoon learning about tree species and indigenous plants from your Ba'Aka guides. In the evening relax and chat with your Ba'Aka trackers or the head of gorilla habituation and research also acts as camp manager at Mondika (the camp manager/research will often accompany you on gorilla treks as well)

While Mondika Camp sleeps a maximum of eight visitors, only two/three people at a time can visit the gorillas. The camp manager decides on gorilla trekking logistics for each group of visitors.

Day 6 & 7: Mbeli Camp and Mbeli Bai- Observations of Unhabituated Gorillas

Today you head to Mbeli Camp on foot (2.5 hours), by road (40 minutes), and by pirogue (90 minutes). The pirogue ride up the Ndoki and Mbeli Rivers to Mbeli Camp is perhaps the most magical of all the river travel on this tour. There is no motor; instead, two trackers stand upright at the front and back of the traditional wooden pirogue and propel the craft along with long paddles. On either side of the narrow river channel is lush forest. Sometimes the forest meets overhead creating a canopy over your canoe. After lunch, you walk 45 minutes through the forest to Mbeli Bai, an extensive clearing several hundred meters in length. Here wildlife such as elephants, gorillas, buffaloes and antelopes come to feed on nutritious aquatic plants growing in the swampy soil. Wildlife is observed from a raised wooden platform located in the tree-line.

This is your best opportunity on the tour for spotting the some 150 unhabituated gorillas known to researchers who come here (there may be as many at 90,000 lowland gorillas in Republic of Congo, these 150 are those that are well known to the researchers and come to the Mbeli Bai regularly). You return to camp in the late afternoon.

Mbeli Camp consists of four screened bungalows on stilts, all facing the forest. Bathing houses and long drop toilets are at the foot of the stairs of each bungalow. Water is heated for hand showers. There is no generator at Mbeli Camp. Dinner is usually attended by the resident researchers which allows guests to learn more about the wildlife under observation at Mbeli. On your second day at Mbeli Bai you will spend a full day at the observation tower with picnic lunch.

Day 8:  Bomassa

Today you begin your journey back to Brazzaville. You will return to Bomassa and the park headquarters, arriving mid to late morning. After a brief rest, you transfer by motorized pirogue downriver to Ouesso town where you will spend the night. There will be time to explore this frontier town on foot. Spend the night at one of two simple hotels in Ouesso.

Day 9:  Ouesso – Oyo/Owando

Continue retracing your steps, spending the night in either Oyo or Owando.

Day 10: Brazzaville

You will arrive Brazzaville early to mid afternoon and will have use of a day room until your early evening check-in for your flight.

If you are spending an additional day in Brazzaville you can enjoy a city tour with visits to local churches and markets or a visit to a local non-profit which supports and feeds local street children.

JC, private guide and logistics master will be with you every step of the way while your guides in the park are the Ba'Aka and the researchers who live and work with the gorillas. If you are interested and book your trip at least 6 months in advance you can choose to have the founder of Congo Gorilla Tours, Leslie Nevison, join you.

Because of the size of the camps each trip is limited to a maximum of 8 people but can be done for as few as 2.

Day 1 Nairobi

Arrive at any time.

There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.

Day 2 Nairobi/Masai Mara

Journey through the Great Rift Valley on the way to one of the most famous national parks in Africa. Enjoy a late afternoon wildlife safari drive in the hopes of spotting the "big five".

Travel from Nairobi, through the Great Rift Valley on to Kenya's premier wildlife reserve. In the afternoon, arrive in the area and get settled at the safari camp, our base for our time here. Head out for a late afternoon wildlife safari drive with excellent chances of seeing the "big five" — watch for lion, cheetah, buffalo, elephant and giraffe. The varied wildlife and natural environment come together to provide a spectacular safari experience.

Day 3 Masai Mara

Enjoy an early wildlife safari drive when animals are most active. Opt to visit a Masai village, learn to dance like a warrior, stop in the manyatta (family compound) and learn about this nomadic culture.

Opt to go for a balloon safari for a new perspective over the beautiful landscape. Pre-book on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

Day 4 Masai Mara/Nairobi

Enjoy one last safari drive in the Masai Mara National Reserve before departing for Nairobi, where the tour ends upon arrival.

Breathe in the fresh morning air, stretch and enjoy the African sun as it rises over the savannah of the "Mara". Visit a watering hole while on a morning safari drive, a perfect time and place for wildlife photography. Visit the G for Good supported Amani Ya Juu for lunch, before heading back to Nairobi, where the tour ends on arrival in the late afternoon.

Please note that Amani Ya Juu may not be open and operating due to current restrictions and a visit may not be possible during this time.