Haut Niger National Park

Haut Niger covers a large block of Sudanian savanna and gallery forest along the upper Niger in central Guinea, protected as a biosphere reserve and holding chimpanzee, buffalo, hippo, roan antelope and a long bird list. The Mafou core area carries the densest forest. Infrastructure is minimal and access is by rough track with guides, which is true of protected areas across the country. The park covers around six thousand square kilometres in total, which makes it one of the largest protected areas in the country.

What you actually see

• The gallery forest - the wooded strips along the river through the savanna.
• The chimpanzees - the population in the Mafou core area.
• The upper Niger - the river the whole park is built along.
• The savanna - Sudanian woodland across most of the reserve.

When to go

November to April is the dry season and the practical window. Wildlife concentrates near water late in the dry season. The rains make tracks impassable.

Honest expectations

Infrastructure is minimal to nonexistent and everything must be arranged in advance. Wildlife is scarce and sightings are unlikely. Poaching pressure in the park is significant.

Nearby

Faranah is nearby, and the Niger source is southwest.