Odzala-Kokoua National Park

Odzala-Kokoua National Park, in the north of the Republic of the Congo, is one of Africa's oldest and most pristine protected areas, a vast, remote expanse of the great Congo Basin rainforest, one of the largest tropical wildernesses on earth. This dense, primeval jungle, laced with rivers and dotted with open, marshy forest clearings known as bais, is a stronghold for the western lowland gorilla, and offers the rare and thrilling chance to track habituated gorillas on foot. Forest elephants, forest buffalo, chimpanzees, and a spectacular wealth of birds also gather at the bais, making Odzala a magnificent and truly wild rainforest safari.

What you actually see

• Gorilla tracking - the western lowland gorillas on foot.
• The forest clearings (bais) - the marshy openings where wildlife gathers.
• The forest elephants - the elephants of the Congo Basin jungle.
• The pristine rainforest - the vast, untouched Congo jungle and rivers.

When to go

June to September, the main dry season, is the best time for tracking and travel, when the forest is more accessible; the park is deeply remote, reached by charter flight and boat, and visited on organised trips staying at a few exclusive lodges. Gorilla tracking is strenuous and encounters, while good, are wild and never guaranteed.

Honest expectations

Odzala is extremely remote and reached only by charter flights and boats on organised trips to a handful of exclusive, expensive lodges, so it is a serious splurge and logistical undertaking rather than a casual safari, and the Republic of the Congo has minimal tourism infrastructure; gorilla tracking is demanding jungle trekking. For the rare and extraordinary experience of tracking lowland gorillas and encountering forest elephants in one of the most pristine rainforests on earth, though, far from any crowd, Odzala is genuinely magnificent.

Nearby

The Congo Basin forests and the capital Brazzaville are reached by air.