Niokolo-Koba National Park

Niokolo-Koba stretches over the upper Gambia river in south-eastern Senegal and is Senegal's largest national park and one of the largest protected areas in West Africa, a UNESCO site of savanna, gallery forest, marsh and sandstone hills. Wildlife here has had a hard century, but conservation work has pulled numbers back: the park holds one of the region's few remaining lion populations, the enormous and rarely seen Derby eland, hippo and crocodile along the river, chimpanzees in the southern hills and over three hundred bird species. Viewing takes patience compared with East or Southern Africa - the reward is genuine wilderness with almost no other visitors.

What you actually see

• The Gambia river - hippo, crocodile and gallery forest along the water.
• Derby eland - the giant antelope that is the park's flagship rarity.
• Simenti area - the main viewing zone with river hides.
• Birdlife - over three hundred species across the habitats.

When to go

The park is generally accessible in the dry season from December to May and largely closed or impassable during the rains. Game concentrates on the river as water dries up from March, which is also when temperatures climb hardest.

Honest expectations

Expectations need calibrating: densities are far lower than East African parks and sightings take patience and luck, with lions rarely seen. Roads are rough, a guide is compulsory and 4x4 is essential. Accommodation inside is limited and basic. This is a park for travellers interested in West African wilderness and conservation history rather than a guaranteed big-five circuit.

Nearby

Bassari country and Kedougou to the south-east, Tambacounda to the north.