Dzanga-Sangha Reserve, Central African Republic

From October 2008, we offer clients the opportunity to discover a new destination: the Dzanga Sangha Reserve in the South of the Central African Republic, one of Central Africa’s best kept secrets.

The Central African Republic (CAR) is situated at the North-western limit of the Congo Basin. CAR is approximately 1.5 times the size of France. A large part of the country is covered by savannah and wooded savannah. In the south, however, lies the breathtaking Dzanga Sangha Reserve in the middel fo the rainforest. It covers an area of more than 4,000 km2.

Up to now, the reserve was almost impossible to reach. By truck, it often takes between nine to twelve hours, and during the rain season, roads frequently become impassable. Our sister aviation company Africa's Connection has allowed Africa's Eden to open up the reserve to small groups of tourists, by flying them directly in and out of the reserve from Douala, Cameroon.

Dzanga Sangha Reserve is home to large mammals such as Forest Elephants, Forest Buffaloes, large Boars, Gorillas and Forest Antelopes, in densities described as unique. At a clearing in the forest named the Dzanga saline, more than 3,000 elephants have been counted and identified over the last years. Africa’s Eden is making this secret known to the world, giving small groups of visitors the chance to:

• Go gorilla tracking to a habituated group of Western Lowland Gorillas;
• Observe between 30 and 100 timid forest elephant in the wild from a platform at the Dzanga saline clearing;
• Ramble across the rainforest in the company of a group of Mangabeys;
• Get to know the secret culture of the BaAka pygmies on a net hunting outing.

Large mammals require extensive protected areas in order to be conserved. Société de Conservation et Développement (SCD), sister company of Africa’s Eden, will support WWF in their efforts to safeguard these areas.

Central Africa's Best Kept Secret Tour