Tailormade Holidays in The Congo

Mboko is the largest of our recommended camps in the Congo, and also the newest. With 12 cabins nestled in an area of lush meadow-like savannah bordering the tropical rainforest, the camp is frequented by Forest Buffalo, Forest Elephant and Spotted Hyena. Birding too is exceptional and special sightings may include Plumed Guinea-fowl, Hartlaub’s Duck, Cassin’s Malimbre, Bare-cheeked Trogon, Black Bee-eater, Blue-throated Roller, Spotbreasted Ibis, Forbes Plover, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Spotted Greenbul, Fire-crested Alethe and Buff-throated Apalis. When not exploring this rich, swampy habitat by boat, visitors can explore on foot, often wading through the bai itself to access the most productive areas of the park’s forest-savannah mosaic habitat.

Lango Camp is a satellite camp from Mboko, and is cleverly concealed within the dense gallery forest overlooking the Lango Bai. It has just six thatched guest rooms, each with twin beds, mosquito netting, fans and an en suite shower room. The entire camp is elevated several metres above the ground with walkways connecting the guest rooms, lounge, bar, dining area and stardeck. Activities on offer here include game drives, bird walks, or a pirogue (traditional boat) excursion making use of the permanent rivers that penetrate deep into the forest. Guereza Colobus monkeys are frequently seen in the trees above the camp, and Grey-cheeked Mangabey and Putty-nosed Monkey are often sighted in the nearby forest. There are also several Chimpanzee families in the vicinity which are frequently heard, but are harder to sight. The Lango Bai is regularly visited in the daytime by Forest Elephant, Forest Buffalo, Spotted Hyena, Harnessed Bushbuck and Western Sitatunga, while night-drives may reveal more elusive species such as Leopard, Red River Hog and the rare Bongo. At night the camp is sometimes visited by Aardvark, Golden Cat, Palm Civet and Pangolin.

Located just outside the south-western boundary of the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Ngaga Camp nestles beside a forested glade in the heart of pristine primary rainforest. The entire camp, including its six luxurious guest rooms, is built on raised decking that stands above the Ngaga stream, affording views of the surrounding canopy. The focus of a stay at Ngaga Camp is the enigmatic Western Lowland Gorilla. The territories of two habituated Gorilla groups encompass the camp and, with the help of an expert guide, it is possible to track these magnificent mammals on foot and observe them at close quarters. The forest birding at Ngaga is also first-rate and guests might hope for sightings of the huge Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Great Blue Turaco, Black-collared Lovebird, Chestnut Wattle-eye and even such rarities as Congo Serpent-eagle and Vermiculated Fishing-owl. Ngaga also has a much lower density of Forest Elephants and Forest Buffaloes than Lango and Mboko, so after dark it is possible to safely venture out on foot in search of the many nocturnal forest residents. Nocturnal primates are well represented here, and along with the more familiar Galagos (or Bushbabies), there is the possibility of sighting the bizarre Potto or Angwantibo – two slow-moving prosimians.