Choose Congo for your Next Wildlife Holiday

When we think of Africa, it's usually the sweeping plains, vast herds of herbivores and big cats that first come to mind. We perhaps all too quickly overlook its rainforest riches in favour of its grasslands and prolific game, but its forested interior offers equally thrilling wildlife experiences. Home to the largest expanse of primary rainforest in Africa and the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world, the Congo provides an extraordinary array of biodiversity.

If you want to discover a new side to Africa, one where you can walk alongside lowland gorillas, track putty-nosed monkeys through the trees, admire immense flocks of African grey parrots and sit back on a lodge verandah as forest elephants excavate the grounds before you in search of tubers, then join us to discover the best of Africa's rainforest.

As a destination, the Republic of Congo is certainly off the beaten track, and it might not be for everyone with more modest infrastructure, less habituated wildlife, and wilder trails. In the wildlife refuge of Odzala-Kokoua National Park, there is now a good network of camps where we're pleased to offer our new small group tour which takes in the very best wildlife.

Perhaps the most iconic of all the species found in the park is the western lowland gorilla. We start our tour in the park's Ngaga Camp, the base for ongoing gorilla research and situated in the heart of gorilla territory. There are thought to be 24 groups of gorillas in this area, including two fully habituated groups, plus one control group close to camp.

For many, an encounter with a gorilla in its natural habitat is the ultimate wildlife experience. A humbling moment of pure joy, excitement, curiosity, and admiration all at once. Travelling more slowly and methodically through the forest than chimpanzees, gorillas move with great purpose and our time with the habituated groups and the researchers studying them will provide treasured memories.

As we continue our exploration of the 13,500 square kilometre national park, we move to our next base at Lango Camp, perched on the edge of one of the park's many forest clearings known as baies. From both the lodge's raised platform and on our forest walks, drives and boat trips we'll uncover the kaleidoscope of species that thrive here. From the grey-cheeked mangabeys leaping in the trees to the blue-throated rollers surveying the pockets of savannah and the African dwarf crocodiles sat motionless at the edges of streams.

With soils rich in minerals as well as water, the bai is almost constantly active with wildlife, with forest buffalo, the shy sitatunga, and great congregations of the magnificent forest elephant, a species unique to Africa's forested interior, coming and going over the course of the day.

For our finale, we stay at Mboko Camp, the largest of the accommodations in the park and located next to another wildlife-rich bai and the Lekoli River. From our base here we can enjoy an all-round wildlife fiesta discovering rainforest frogs, bats and bush babies (galagos) by night and numerous monkeys and seven species of hornbill by day.

Odzala is an uplifting place of endless forest, peaceful rivers and untouched baies, full of spectacular wildlife being safeguarded by passionate people, that will show you there is so much more to Africa still to discover.

Contact our wildlife experts to find out more about our wildlife holiday to Congo, where excellent gorilla watching awaits!