Preparing for Your Adventure of Central Africa's Best Kept Secret
At Africa's Eden, we offer tours to places that are off the beaten track. It is likely to be an experience you'll never forget; imagine telling your friends about tracking habituated lowland gorillas in the wild, that you slept in deep jungles of Gabon and that you have tasted the famous authentic chocolate of Sao Tome. You'll want to ensure it's a great trip and with so much to consider, we've tried to make it easy for you with the following overview
1. Passport
Your passport needs to be valid at least 6 months from the date of your departure.
2. Visa
| Country | Type of Visa | Arrangements | Costs |
| Central African Republic | Single entry visa |
A tourist visa is needed for your visit to Central African Republic. This needs to be arranged before arrival. You can check with and apply for a visa at your local Central African Republic embassy, Consulate or visa service organisation. Upon payment of the 20% deposit, Africa's Eden will send you an invitation letter, which will facilitate your application. In order for us to make the invitation letter, we kindly request you to send us your full name as stated in your passport.
Notes:
|
Dependent on country of residence. In general, the cost is approximately $ 100 |
| Gabon | Multiple entry visa | A multiple entry visa for Gabon is obligatory and needs to be arranged prior to your arrival in the country. This can be done at the Gabonese Embassy using the invitation letter that you will receive from Africa’s Eden upon receipt of the deposit for your trip to Gabon. Please take approximately 2 weeks into account to organise your visa and note that it is only valid for 3 months from date of issue. Notes:
|
Dependent on country of residence. |
| São Tomé & Príncipe | Single entry visa | * General procedure The visa to be able to visit São Tomé & Príncipe can be arranged upon arrival in Sao Tomé & Principe. However, the Reservations Department of Africa’s Eden does need to receive a full colour scan of your passport at least 5 days before arrival. This will enable us to inform our local office and give them enough time to prepare. The cost is $100 and is expected to be paid upon arrival in exact change. * Exception for travellers flying with TAP Air Portugal If you are flying to São Tomé with TAP Air Portugal, you will need to apply for and obtain a visa before departure in your country of residence. If you are a Dutch citizen, we can provide you with an application form and some more details to enable you apply at the São Tomé & Príncipe Embassy. In other cases you will need to contact the Embassy of São Tomé & Príncipe in your country of residence. * In the following countries, there is an Embassy or Consulate and your visa needs to be arranged prior to arrival in the country.
* Additional notes from São Tomé & Príncipe Embassy in order to obtain visa for São Tomé & Príncipe :
* To download the application form for São Tomé & Príncipe, please click here |
$ 100, expected to be paid upon arrival in exact change |
3. Vaccinations and Medical Preparations
Upon arrival in Gabon you will need to provide a proof of vaccination. This includes:- Proof of yellow fever declaration (obliged);
- Other vaccinations are not obliged, but recommended:
- DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio)
- Hepatitis A
- Belly typhoid (for a stay longer then 3 months)
4. Health Form
We will send you the health form before the departure of your trip. We kindly request you to return this to us at your earliest convenience by fax or email.5. Insurance
A repatriation insurance is obliged.6. Age Restrictions
- The Park Administration of the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve has fixed a minimum age of 16. Especially for For Gorilla Tracking, one needs to be fit enough to hike for several hours on uneven terrain.
- Children under the age of 8 are allowed to go on daytrips in Loango National Park but are not allowed to sleep in our eco-camps Tassi and Akaka.
- Bom Bom Island Resort has a certified NAUI dive instructor. Based on NAUI's policy, the minimum age for children to go diving is 12 years old.
7. Regulations Gorilla Tracking Dzanga-Sangha Reserve
All participants have to take responsibility for any risk themselves. The Park Administration has fixed a minimum age of 16. Visitors are informed of the rules of conduct at the camp. No one with diarrhoea, a cold or other transmittable diseases are allowed to participate, this is so as not to endanger the gorillas’ health. The role of the dominant male gorilla, the silverback, is to defend his family, preventing the group from overly dispersing and other males from leaving with resident females. This role partly explains the mock charges against the “pursuing humans”. If this occurs, one must wait in a knelt position with the head declined. Charges can be up to only a few meters away. Most of the time, researchers and tourists are within 15 or 20 meters of the animals.8. Travel Advice Central African Republic
We are aware that most governments have expressed caution about travelling in the Central African Republic. The areas concerned are the northern and western parts of CAR, bordering Chad. It is advised not to travel throughout the country by road. Africa's Eden agrees with the advice for those parts of CAR and will never put our clients' safety at risk. The Dzanga-Sangha Reserve where our programme takes place is located in the south of CAR, a peaceful area where there has been no turmoil in over 5 years. In addition, to guarantee the safety and comfort of our clients, we fly clients directly in and out of the Reserve by private jet.We always recommend clients to obtain travel and medical insurance before travelling, and to carefully check it for any exclusions, to be sure that the policy covers for all the activities.
