Wild Philanthropy & Journeys by Design are delighted to be supporting Remembering Great Apes We present a tailor-made low-land gorilla tracking adventure to Republic of the Congo for two people Day One: Arrive Maya Maya Airport, Brazzaville, Congo (international flights as booked by yourselves) Met on arrival and assisted through to your scheduled charter flight to Mboko, Odzala (13:00/15:00) Met on arrival for your road transfer to camp (approx. 3 hours) On arrival you will meet the gorilla research team, followed by dinner Ngaga Camp, Ndzehi Forest, Private concession Western Boundary Odzala-Kokoua National Park (3 nights) Day Two: This morning you will begin your first day gorilla tracking This afternoon you will take a forest walk to bird watch followed by river sundowners Day Three: This morning you will begin your second day gorilla tracking This afternoon you will spend time with the gorilla research team followed by a night forest walk Day Four: Road transfer through Mbomo village arriving at camp in time for lunch Later this afternoon you will take a river cruise with sundowners Mboko Camp, Odzala-Kokoua National Park (1 night) Day Five: Guided kayak transfer down the Lekoli River to camp After lunch you will take a forest and bai walk and/or bird watch from the camp deck Lango Camp, South Central Odzala-Kokoua National Park (2 nights) Day Six: Guided morning walk through the bai Afternoon relaxing followed by a forest and bai walk or take a swim in the bai Day Seven: Morning wooden path walk through the swamp followed by wildlife drive to camp After lunch afternoon river cruise on the Lekoli River, swimming or guided baï and river walk Mboko Camp, Odzala-Kokoua National Park (1 night) Day Eight: Road transfer to Mboko airstrip where you will connect with your scheduled charter flight to Maya Maya, Brazzaville (09:00/11:00) On arrival you will connect with your international flight home (as booked by yourselves) We travel for these perfect moments, where mood and landscape coalesce into an instant of perfect time. William Sutcliffe travelled with Journeys by Design for The Observer
Introducing Wild Philanthropy, Journeys by Design s impact travel mechanism: Wild Philanthropy designs luxury, specialist African travel experiences at the very top end of the scale, whilst penetrating deep beneath the skin of Africa. In addition to our impact travel experiences, Wild Philanthropy offers you a set of conservation legacy planning tools. As an environmental enterprise, we generate revenue which is returned to 'at risk' conservation areas, through a blend of commercial investments, charitable donations, and commercial conservation journeys. WP generates all its revenue primarily through both sustainable trade, not charitable donations. Our world is changing at an alarming rate. Population growth sets unprecedented challenges as natural ecosystems are degraded and traditional cultures eroded. At Wild Philanthropy we believe that we have as little as ten years before we need to re-stock wild Africa and replenish depleted stock. Using our considerable expertise in specialist travel, enterprise and conservation fields, Wild Philanthropy's mission is to identify and protect 'at risk ecosystems, each chosen for their 'return on biodiversity' value. We want you to be part of this journey of exploration, adventure and discovery. We have 10 years before we will need to start restocking wild Africa - Will Jones, Founder www.wildphilanthropy.com
Your Special Access Private itinerary This itinerary is designed to enable you to take a closer look at the potential ecosystems and projects that Wild Philanthropy supports. We will combine an inspirational journey with the opportunity to meet local charitable partners working in these at-risk ecosystems and with vulnerable communities. Protecting Western Lowland Gorillas The western lowland gorillas are found in tropical lowland forest areas. They are slightly smaller than their mountain cousins. These gorillas are critically endangered due to the risks they face from habitat loss, the bush meat trade and transmission of diseases from humans. The Congo Conservation Company has collaborated with the government to protect habitat and ecologically important resources that benefit these species inside the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. The Congo Conservation Company supports a very successful gorilla research centre at Ngaga Camp which has a huge impact on the western gorillas survival. Biodiversity The Congo Conservation Company and Odzala Discovery Camps support the Sabine Plattner Africa Charities (SPAC) conservation efforts around Odzala-Kokoua National Park. This national park is home to around 80 000 people who rely on the rainforest as their environment, source of food, shelter, and medicine. SPAC follows a comprehensive and sustainable approach to conservation and works to strengthen the people, so they become protectors of their own families as well as of the rainforest. Protection and conservation of the national park creates jobs and each staff salary may feed up to 10 family members. SPAC has also built community and early childhood development centres. Odzala Discovery Camps is the only tourism business creating employment in a region where barely 10% of the population has a regular income from paid labour.
Your Itinerary to Republic of the Congo Day One Three nights, full board: Ngaga Camp, en-suite forest room, Odzala-Kokoua National Park Everything at Ngaga Camp centres around trekking three groups of Lowland gorilla, whose territories intersect the camp s location. Neptune and Jupiter groups are habituated, whilst a third non-habituated group is observed for research. Other activities include visiting the nearby village. Please be aware that the camp does not accommodate children below the age of 15 due to policy on gorilla tracking.
Located on the western boundary of Odzala-Kokoua National Park, in the Ndzehi Forest, private concession, and one of three Odzala Discovery Camps Republic of the Congo based accommodations, Ngaga Camp is a wonderfully engaging eco-luxury camp. Situated overlooking a forest glade and stream, and surrounded by primary rainforest, Ngaga Camp is a woodand-thatch build and consists of a main area and six sleeping rooms, the shared areas including lounge, bar, dining area, decking, and fire pit. There is no Wi-Fi. A laundry service is available. Approached by means of a raised walkway, sat high on a wooden platform, the sleeping rooms at Ngaga Camp use the same traditional design-and-build methods as those used for the main area, and include a double or twin bed, private veranda, shower and plenty of storage.
A great deal of attention is paid at Ngaga Camp to not just the quality of food, but also to the dining experience, which is relaxed, communal and unhurried. Early pre-trek breakfast consists of range of European and cooked breakfasts. Lunch is buffet, so salads, pastas and a range of meats. Dinner s a three-course affair and the recipient of much praise from returning guests. Private dining is available. The service is wonderful, the guiding especially so. As well as Western lowland gorillas, species here include: black-casqued wattled hornbill, crowned monkeys & putty nose monkeys, moustached monkeys, forest duikers, over 416 species of butterfly and great blue turaco.
Day Two and Day Three Two days gorilla tracking Led by skilled local trackers, and with expert guides to interpret the sights and sounds of the forest, you will use the network of forest trails to get close to some of our nearest living relatives in the wild and observe their behavior as they go about the daily business of being a gorilla. Gorilla Tracking expeditions typically leave on foot from Ngaga although they may involve a short drive depending on where the gorillas are. The marantaceae forest which is favored by the gorillas also supports an incredible array of life of every shape and size. Walking the forest trails, you will feel as though you have stumbled into one of the workshops of evolution. However, experienced a safari-goer you may be, Ngaga is certain to surprise and delight you. At intervals throughout the year the gorillas also seek out fruiting trees within the forest. Lowland gorillas are very at home in the trees, which can provide some very special sightings. Expeditions do not cover enormous distances and can range in length from one to eight kilometres (0.5 to five miles) over undulating country. The undergrowth can be thick, however, and including the time spent with a gorilla group, excursions can last between two and eight hours (including time spent with the gorillas). Please note that although every effort is made, gorilla viewing cannot be guaranteed.
An average day tracking You will be up relatively early for a hearty breakfast to give you the energy needed for your gorilla track. Just before 0800hrs, you will report to the ranger station for registration and a talk by one of the rangers; the guides will then take you through the bush pushing your way through the undergrowth, parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas. The trek can take from half an hour to eight hours a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes. Once you are close to the group, the guides will ask you to leave behind your bags as no food items should be carried close to the gorillas. Just take your cameras with you as you are about to meet the gentle giants. You will sit in the forest amongst the gorillas, listening to them grumble to each other and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant male; the silverback. It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas sadly enough there are only about 650 of these beautiful creatures left. You are allowed exactly one hour with the gorillas before returning to the base station.
Please note Please listen to the instructions of the local rangers at all times. It is forbidden to approach the gorillas closer than seven meters, to feed them or to use flash photography. Likewise, for your and their safety. While walking, please feel free to ask guides to slow down if they are going too fast and if you need a rest. You are not allowed to go trekking when you are sick as gorillas are very susceptible of human diseases. Should you feel sick the day of the trek we urgently advise you to abide this rule. To receive a 50% refund of the permit cost you MUST get a doctor s report that day (please ask your guide to arrange this for you). We must also stress that, while you have a very good chance of seeing gorillas, success is NOT guaranteed. They are wild creatures with no fixed routine and finding them requires the skills and experience of your tracker sand guides, as well as luck. The trackers and guides have helped to habituate the gorilla groups and know them intimately. They will take you to the area where they left the gorillas the day before. Before leaving they may be able to suggest how long the hike might be.
Afternoon visit with the Gorilla research team A unique aspect of this experience is the in-house research team who were the first to habituate western lowland gorillas. Thanks to the pioneering work of Dr. Magda Beremejo and German Illera, Ngaga has become one of Africa s most important gorilla trekking destinations. They have been studying western lowland gorillas in northern Congo for over 15 years now without this research there would be no habituated gorillas and no guest experience on which to base an eco-tourism venture. Ngaga Camp is ideally located to allow Magda and Germán to investigate the human-gorilla interface and the potential for human-wildlife conflict. Also, the habitat overlaps between gorillas and the smaller central chimpanzees provide an ideal opportunity to look at competition, resource sharing and other interaction between the two ape species. Ngaga provides a unique opportunity to assess the effects of gorilla tourism on broader gorilla conservation efforts in Congo and beyond.
Day Four One night, full board: Mboko Camp, en-suite river room, Odzala-Kokoua National Park Located in Odzala-Kokoua National Park, on the banks of the Lekoli River, Mboko is the largest of Odzala Discovery s three Republic of the Congo based luxury eco-camps. Activities at Mboko Camp include wildlife drives, guided walk-and-wades, and boating and kayaking the Lekoli River. Some of the species found here are forest buffalo, Western sitatunga, spotted hyena, red river hog, harnessed bushbuck, bongo, forest elephant, African grey parrot, aardvark and serval.
Situated overlooking an extensive and wildlife-populated bai (floodplain), Mboko Camp is a beautiful wood-andthatch build and consists of a main area and 12 sleeping cabins. Raised and set on polished wooden floors, its sides largely open to the elements, its peaked thatch roof most unlike the domes of its sister camps Ngara and Lango, the main area includes a lounge, dining areas, decking and fire-pit. Spaced along the river, overlooking the bai, and backed by riverine forest, Mboko Camp s sleeping cabins are raised on wooden platforms, and include private veranda, four-poster double bed, seating, luggage space, and en-suite shower and sink.
Sourced from locally or in the main from Brazzaville, with any imports coming from France, the food at Mboko Camp is excellent. Breakfast is served early - giving guests time for an early wildlife drive, walk or boat. Dinner is always a three-course affair, and delicious with it. The service from restaurant floor to guiding is friendly, knowledgeable and professional.
Day Five Two nights, full board: Lango Camp, en-suite forest room, Odzala-Kokoua National Park Located in Odzala-Kokoua National Park, in the south, and one of the three Odzala Discovery Camps, Lango Camp is a beautiful and beautifully located eco-luxury camp. Activities at Lango Camp include wildlife drives, guided walk-and-wades, bird watching, kayaking the bai and nearby waterways, and boating the Lekoli River. Please note that the camp does not accommodate children below the age of 15. As well as the wildlife found at the other camps, you may also see black-and-white colobus monkey, greycheeked mangabey and green pigeon.
Situated in a mixed habitat of forest swamp and savannah and built in exactly the same style as sister camp Ngaga, Lango Camp is a wood-and-thatch build consisting of a main area and six sleeping rooms. Raised and overlooking a beautiful bai or floodplain, the main area includes a lounge, bar, dining room, decking and fire pit, the amenities split across two traditional structures, one housing the dining room, the other the bar and lounge, each joined together by the same decking. There is no guest Wi-Fi. Accessed via a raised walkway, sat high on a wooden platform, the build and interiors of the sleeping rooms at Lango Camp are identical in every way to those at Ngara Camp. Sourced from a local vegetable garden or from mainly Brazzaville and France, the food at Lango Camp is great, the dining communal - though private dining is available.
The Area - Odzala-Kokoua National Park Odzala-Kokoua National Park (PNOK) in north-western Congo is a vast green wilderness and one of Africa s oldest national parks. It covers some 13 600 square kilometres (1.360 million hectares) of pristine rainforest and is an integral part of both the Congo Basin and the TRIDOM Trans frontier Park overlapping Gabon, Congo and Central African Republic. Covered in forests, rivers, marshes and swamps, the Park is drenched in some 1 500 mm of rain annually, which falls mainly during the two wet seasons. Permanent rivers are a primary feature of Odzala-Kokoua, with the Lekoli and Kokoua rivers flowing into the Park s major channel, the Mambili. In some places, the Mambili is up to 100 metres wide between densely forested banks; it then flows into the great Congo Basin. The north of the Park has dense forest covering many steep-sloped hills. In the west, a major escarpment runs roughly north-south from which the altitude drops 350 metres into a low swampy forest towards neighbouring Gabon. The southern part of the Park is characterized by pockets of savannah dotted with forest islands, bisected by the rivers and their associated gallery forests. A major feature is the occurrence of bais or salines. These are swampy, grassy clearings in the otherwise dense forest that forest wildlife visit on a regular basis in order to drink, feed on sedges and grasses, and obtain minerals and salts.
This vast and truly wild region, with its wide range of landscapes and habitat, is home to an incredible diversity of life. Forest Elephant, Forest Buffalo, Leopard, Bongo, Giant Forest Hog and Hippopotamus live alongside the greatest density of Western Lowland Gorilla in Africa, the highest numbers of Chimpanzee yet recorded for any central African forest block, and a further nine diurnal and five nocturnal primates. Clouds of spectacular butterflies are characteristic of the region, whilst close to 440 bird species have been recorded here. The trees are spectacular: ancient giants well over 50 metres tall emerge from the canopy, delicate orchids cling to the branches and the forest floor is littered with an incredible array of pods, fruits, flowers and fungi. Day Seven One night, full board: Mboko Camp, en-suite river room, Odzala-Kokoua National Park - End of Services
Your itinerary: Inclusive of: A seamless ground handling service with meet and greets throughout Full board accommodation throughout to include all meals and local brand beverages All scheduled charter flights and road transfers as stipulated in itinerary from Brazzaville into camps Concession and park fees as required Please note the following activities are available upon request: Freshwater swimming in the Likeni River Daily guided Ndzehi forest walks (dry) Multiple discovery baï walks (wet) Kayak safari on the Lekoli River Boat cruise on the Lekoli River 4x4 wildlife drives Gorilla trekking Guided night walks through the forest Exclusive of: Travel insurance Visas - to be obtained in advance with letter of invitation International flights into Brazzaville Gorilla Trek fees Personal expenses and gratuities Premium brand beverages and champagne throughout Any changes to Government taxes or levies that are beyond our control Terms: Subject to availability and valid for 12 months from the auction date. Excludes travel during July to September and Christmas and New Year period. Peak travel dates (July to September and Christmas and New Year) can be negotiated at additional cost. Itinerary cannot be transferred or taken in exchange for cash.
Why take a conservation journey with us We believe that for tourism to work, it must be sustainable. All the travel opportunities provided through Journeys by Design and Wild Philanthropy ultimately depend on healthy ecosystems. Responsible travel can be a real force for good, providing economic benefits to local people, protecting endangered species and conserving the wilderness which makes Africa so special. Journeys by Design was founded in 1999 by environmental scientist Will Jones, to create inspirational adventures of the spirit to his homeland Africa. Our highly-skilled team has organically grown and now boasts over 75 years of experience on the ground in 17 Africa countries. The fact that over 70% of our business is repeat or referred is a measure of our success. Wild Philanthropy was set up in 2016 in both the UK and the US as a conservation foundation, powered by Journeys by Design. Established to identify, invest in, and help manage at-risk ecosystems, it is our response to the unprecedented challenges faced by natural environments and traditional cultures in the African countries we operate in. Our bespoke conservation journeys enable you to make a positive contribution, while immersing yourself in a truly awe-inspiring safari experience. We use only the finest camps, parks and guides in east and southern Africa to explore the lesser-known frontiers of this vast safari continent. Journeys by Design and Wild Philanthropy offer a lifestyle choice, with values not just a holiday. Journeys by Design s modus operandi is always the same: make it original, unfailingly well-organised, fun, caring and life changing Conde Nast Traveller, The Experts