Cameroon & Central African Republic Adventure

DESCRIPTION

Picture yourself arriving in a zone so trampled by thousands of elephants that it’s visible from space, witnessing the parades of those majestic animals for a few hours, and continuing deep into the jungle to encounter lowland gorillas in their natural habitat. Imagine driving through the rainforest for hundreds of kilometres, and then being welcomed with open arms in pygmy villages. That’s travelling in its purest form; that’s what YPT offer you during our Cameroon and the Central African Republic Adventure.

Always at the forefront of adventure tourism, we designed this trop with the aim of combining adventure, cultural immersion, and natural beauty.

Your journey begins in Yaoundé, the largest and capital city of Cameroon, and heads right to the town of Bertoua to experience life outside the city. You’ll continue on a less frequented trail to Yokadouma, a city only visited by workers who seek resources from the rich jungle.

You’ll continue along the dirt roads until you reach the Sangha River, where you’ll take a boat to cross into the Central African Republic (CAR). You’ll go along the river at the foothills of Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described as one of the best national parks in Africa.

Here, you’ll get to experience the natural beauty of Central Africa, seeing herds of elephants, families of lowland gorillas, agile mangabeys, and much more. You will also engage with the indigenous communities, learning about their way of life, traditional practices, and folklore.

After experiencing the natural beauty of Dzanga-Sangha, we’ll take the motor boat back into Cameroon and journey back to the capital whilst stopping at small villages along the way. We’ll embrace our final night in true YPT style in Yaoundé celebrating the end of our beautiful journey together!

ITINERARY

Saturday 8th November – Yaoundé (Cameroon)

Arrive at your convenience in Yaoundé, the largest and capital city of Cameroon which is well connected with many African countries as well as Paris and Istanbul.
Transfer to our hotel to relax and freshen up.
A pre-tour meeting will be held at 6:00pm in the lobby of our hotel to discuss the tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
We’ll head out for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant to sample some delicious Cameroonian cuisine.
Overnight stay in Yaoundé.

Sunday 9th November – Yaoundé – Bertoua

Early morning start with breakfast at the hotel. We’ll check out before making our way to Bertoua.
We’ll spend the morning on the road, passing through the beautiful landscape. We’ll make stops along the way to break up the journey.

Afternoon

Lunch at a small town along the journey.
On arrival to Bertoua, the capital city of the Eastern Region, we’ll check into our hotel before heading straight out to explore.
Bertoua has a charming rustic rural feel. You’ll have the chance to explore the town centre and the local market to capture daily life, enjoy street food or simply talk to the locals.
Dinner in a local restaurant. We recommend trying Ndolé, a Cameroonian dish consisting of stewed nuts, ndoleh (bitter leaves indigenous to West and Central Africa), and fish or beef. A vegetarian version also exists.
Overnight stay in Bertoua.

Monday 10th November – Bertoua – Yokadouma

Morning

Breakfast at the hotel before we check out.
Our epic journey will take you towards the Central African Republic (CAR) border. The infrastructure isn’t what we’re used to, with muddy dirt roads, dense vegetated jungles, and rural villages. This is travel in its purest form, and a great experience for those who love exploration and adventure!

Afternoon

Lunch along the journey.
We’ll continue along this beautiful road trip making stops along the way at small settlements and nature spots. You’ll notice commercial vehicles on the route as Yokadouma is located close to a resource-rich jungle.
On arrival to the Eastern town of Yokadouma, we’ll settle into our hotel for dinner and much-deserved drinks. We’ll also see the (few) sights of the city, such as its cathedral, and learn about the 1954 “accident of Yokadouma”, one of the most violent medical catastrophes in African history.
Overnight stay in Yokadouma.

Tuesday 11th November – Yokadouma – Libongo – Bayanga (Central African Republic)

Morning

Breakfast at the hotel before we head towards the Cameroon – CAR border.
The journey will take you off the beaten path, deep into the Southeast corner of Cameroon, where Cameroon, CAR, and Congo share borders. The natural scenery is spectacular as we delve deeper into the un-touristy regions.
We’re have lunch in the small border town of Libongo

Afternoon

We’ll take the border crossing by boat along the Sangha River – your guide will assist with border formalities.
Once we cross into the CAR, formally known as Ubangi-Shari, we’ll continue along the river heading towards Bayanga.
You’ll see the beginning of Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve, described as one of the best National Parks in Africa. The wildlife flourished after 1986 when hunting became illegal.
On arrival at our lodge, deep within the Special Reserve, we’ll check in, freshen up, and have dinner enjoying the natural surroundings.
Overnight stay in Bayanga.

Wednesday 12th November – Bayanga

Morning

Breakfast at our beautiful lodge. You’ll be able to appreciate the tranquillity and beauty of the reserve.
To explore the reserve, we’ll travel by 4×4, heading towards the indigenous Baka people’s village. The hunter-gatherers tribe with show us how they survive in the forest with traditional hunting techniques and how they treat health issues with medicinal herbs. Note that the Baka people have been historically called pygmies, but the term is now considered derogatory.

Afternoon

Picnic lunch in the reserve.
A genuine highlight and ultimate bucket list for many, we’ll continue driving to Dzanga Bai, which means “the Village of Elephants”. You’ll be able to see many forest elephants, more than 100 if you’re lucky as several thousand living in the surrounding area. The Dzanga Bai got its name because it’s believed that the area has been cleared and maintained by African forest elephants that trample or eat much of the vegetation.
You’ll have the opportunity to capture pictures of elephants, bongos and buffalos. Avid bird spotters will also enjoy many species of birds.
After a busy day, we’ll return to the lodge. You’ll have some time to freshen up and relax.
Dinner and drinks at the lodge.
Overnight stay in Bayanga.

Thursday 13th November – Bayanga

Morning

Early morning start with breakfast before we continue on a 2-hour drive for a special and touching experience.
We’ll spend several hours in Bai Hoku, a gorilla research camp that is located at the foothills of the rainforest. It is home to Lowland Gorillas and Agile Mangabeys.
On arrival at the camp, we’ll meet the park rangers and have a briefing before trekking and seeing these incredible animals in their natural landscape. Seeing the beauty of these majestic mamals will be a stark reminder of how important it is to protect them. Even though continuous efforts have been made towards their protection, gorillas are critically endangered, due to habitat destruction, poaching and diseases.

Afternoon

Picnic lunch at the research camp.
We’ll continue to a hunter-gatherers “pygmy” village to catch a tribal dancing ceremony and learn more about their way of life.
After a busy day, we’ll head back to the lodge to relax and freshen up before we celebrate our last night in CAR with dinner and drinks.
Overnight stay in Bayanga.

Friday 14th November – Bayanga – Libongo (Cameroon) – Yokadouma

Morning

Breakfast at the lodge before we check out.
We’ll take the boat along the Sangha River until we reach again the border between CAR and Cameroon.
Your guide will assist with border formalities crossing into the Cameroonian border town of Libongo.

Afternoon

Lunch in Libongo. You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase supplies for the scenic journey back to Yokadouma. We’ll make rest stops along the way to break up the journey.
On arrival to Yokadouma, we’ll check in to the hotel.
Dinner and much-deserved drinks after a busy day of traveling.
Overnight stay in Yokadouma.

Saturday 15th November – Yokadouma – Bertoua

Morning

Breakfast at the hotel before we depart.
We’ll take the scenic road to Bertoua. We’ll make rest stops along the lush green vegetated route and visit small villages for photo opportunities, to stretch our legs and simply to discover more of Cameroon.

Afternoon

We’ll have lunch along the journey.
On arrival to Bertoua, we’ll check in and have some time to relax and freshen up.
Dinner and overnight stay in Bertoua.

Sunday 16th November – Bertoua – Yaoundé

Morning

Breakfast at the hotel before the last leg of the journey back to Yaoundé.
We’ll take a scenic route to the capital city, with rest stops along the way.

Afternoon

Lunch along the journey at a local restaurant.
On arrival we’ll have a tour of Yaoundé, exploring its cultural heritage and colonial past. The city has many striking monuments and buildings, such as the Presidential Palace and Palais des Congrès.
We’ll see the Reunification Monument. The impressive structure was completed in the 1970s and symbolizes the post-colonial reunification of French-speaking Cameroon and English-speaking Southern Cameroon.
We’ll continue to explore the heart of the city, taking in the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Cathedral, the Central Post Office, and finishing up at the local crafts market, a perfect place to purchase souvenirs.
Hotel check-in, freshen up before we hit the town for dinner and drinks to celebrate our night on the tour.
Overnight stay in Yaoundé.

Monday 17th November – Yaoundé

Breakfast at the hotel.
The tour concludes with airport drop-off arranged according to your flight details. YPT is also able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights.

GALLERY