Lowland Gorillas. Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari. DAY BY DAY ITINERARY gorilla and chimpanzee safari

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1 Lowland Gorillas DAY BY DAY ITINERARY gorilla and chimpanzee safari Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari At first, all you see is the deep green leaves towering over your head. Then the jungle shudders with cracking wood and bending trees. Something massive is crashing your way. A silverback barges into your path and gives you a look. It could be Neptuno, a bold but friendly leader with an authoritative air. Or Jupiter, who is more of the strong silent type. Soon, you re surrounded by western lowland gorillas one of two groups habituated to a quiet, respectful human presence. Young mothers nuzzle babies. Bashful juveniles peek from the foliage, while the more outgoing perform aerial acrobatics, glancing often to gauge your appreciation. This is your own private Africa. An adventure on foot, a ramble through primeval landscapes few have seen. The thrill of being here is deepened by the knowledge that your visit helps save these magnificent creatures and the future of their pristine rainforest home. Photo credit: Michael Lorentz/Odzala Discovery Camps

2 SAFARI SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #1 Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #2 Departs: TBD Arrives: Brazzaville, Republic of Congo DAY TRAVEL/ACTIVITY LOCATION CAMP Days 1, 2 & 3: Arrive in Brazzaville, bush Odzala National Park Ngaga Camp flight to Odzala Days 4 & 5 : Drive to Lango Camp Odzala National Park Lango Camp Days 6 & 7: Drive to Mboko Camp Odzala National Park Mboko Camp Day 8: Bush flight to Brazzaville Photo credit: Wil Smith

3 DAYS 1, 2 & 3 NGAGA CAMP ODZALA NATIONAL PARK INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry Ngaga Camp is situated close to the action for a few days, you and the gorillas are neighbors. While you sip hot coffee, the gorillas are rising from their nests and starting to forage for breakfast. This is the best time to catch them when they graze on bamboo leaves, pith, shoots, bark and all the fruit they can find. A silverback weighs up to 500 pounds, supported entirely by fruits and vegetables. So foraging may be pleasurable but it s also serious business. Beyond idle curiosity and amusement, human activities are of little interest to gorillas. Lean into their world and you ll begin to observe the traits and habits that define each gorilla s personality. Some behaviors will look quite familiar. All this occurs in a jungle setting that lives up to the vivid images your child mind conjured when you were swinging from imaginary vines in the back yard. EXPERIENCES Gorilla trekking Forest walks Night walks WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Lowland gorillas More than 450 bird species Photo credit: Michael Lorentz/Odzala Discovery Camps

4 DAYS 4 & 5 LANGO CAMP ODZALA NATIONAL PARK INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Elephant Forest buffalo Chimpanzee Bongo Grey-cheeked Mangabey Guereza Colobus monkey Harnessed Bushbuck Many species of monkey, including: Moustached, Agile Magabey, de Brazza s, Allen s Swamp, Crowned and Putty-nosed monkeys Red River hog Sitatunga Various types of duiker More than 450 bird species From your room, or the spacious camp deck, you look out over the baï, a mineral-rich wetlands habitat. Relax with a cold drink as wildlife come down to feed. You can even wade this warm clear water while buffalo graze and egrets hunt in the shallows. Kayaking on a nearby stream, or here, when the water is high, offers an intimate, eye-level look at the landscape. If you re lucky, you may have to yield right-of-way to a family of elephants crossing the stream, the matriarch clearly in charge and keeping a close eye on the youngest one. Photo credit: Odzala Discovery Camps EXPERIENCES Viewing deck Bird watching Bai discovery walks Forest walks Wading in baï

5 DAYS 6 & 7 MBOKO CAMP ODZALA NATIONAL PARK INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS EXPERIENCES Boat cruise Kayak safari Swimming Deck viewing/elephants Elephant Forest buffalo Guereza Colobus monkey Harnessed Bushbuck Hyena Various types of duiker More than 450 bird species Travelers come for the gorillas and fall in love with the rainforest and its rich mosaic of ecosystems not as an abstraction but as a living breathing thing. Mboko Camp sits on the bank of the Lekoli River, which flows into the Congo further downstream. Here the rainforest gives way to an open savannah. The fertile grassland attracts buffalo, hyena and forest elephant. The open sky and unlit night provide perfect conditions for stargazing. Photo credit: Odzala Discovery Camps

6 GORILLA TREKKING In the field, once you find gorillas, you have one hour to observe. Every minute counts. Before you re up, trackers scout out where the gorillas bedded down for the night. When you head out, you re in a group of four led by a guide and a local tracker who have been following these groups for 15 years or more. Trackers are trained and coached by internationally prominent primatologists who work on site. When possible, a member of the research team will drop by one evening after dinner to answer questions, talk to you about their work and the exciting progress being made to protect this thriving rain forest habitat. Photo credit: Odzala Discovery Camps

7 COMMUNITY DAY X CAMP AND CONSERVATION PARK INITIATIVES SABINE PLATTNER AFRICAN CHARITIES SABINE PLATTNER AFRICAN CHARITIES Ngaga Camp is the field headquarters for Dr. Magda Bermejo (often referred to as The Dian Fossey of the Congo ) and her husband, German Illera. Thanks to their pioneering work, Ngaga has become one of Africa s most important gorilla trekking destinations. The two have been studying western lowland gorillas in northern Congo for more than 25 years. Without this research there would be no habituated gorillas here and no tourism to protect these animals and this unspoiled habitat. Magda and German study the human-gorilla interface and resource sharing by gorillas and chimpanzees. With support from Sabine Plattner African Charities/SPAC, they have also begun to develop community projects that help both the gorillas and the people in nearby villages. The goal is to enable and empower children, women and men at the Republic of Congo s Odzala-Kokoua National Park to act independently and sustainably for a future in the rainforest that is worth living. Ngaga Camp is also an important outpost for studying the effects of gorilla tourism on broader gorilla conservation efforts in Congo and beyond. Deeper Africa makes a contribution to these research efforts on behalf of each of our Ngaga Camp travelers. Photo credit: Odzala Discovery Camps

8 DAY 12 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL BUSH FLIGHT Departs: Odzala National Park Arrives: Brazzaville, Republic of Congo INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #1 Departs: Brazzaville, Republic of Congo Arrives: TBD INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #2 Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD Photo credit: Michael Lorentz/Odzala Discovery Camps

9 ADDITIONAL SAFARI INFORMATION INCLUDED IN YOUR SAFARI Full board accommodations in all lodges and tented camps All meals as specified in itinerary All park and entrance fees Gorilla and chimpanzee permits 2018 pricing $8,399 - $10,299 Wildlife viewing in 4x4 Land Cruisers Experienced and professional safari naturalist guides 2018 CUSTOM PRICING & DEPARTURE DATES All in-country transportation Enrollment with SATIB Evacuation Service Laundry Alcohol & Beverages Bottled water available at all times Extensive pre-departure briefing and materials including health information, reading list, and map EXCLUDED FROM YOUR SAFARI Gratuities Also, Deeper Africa uses best efforts to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circumstances that occur in Africa that require lodging substitutions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions whenever necessary. January 1-14 $9,699 USD per person Single supplement: $4,799 USD January 15-March 31 $8,399 USD per person Single supplement: $3,699 USD April-December $10,299 USD per person Single supplement: $5,199 USD Best Value All pricing is in US dollars. All arrivals are into Entebbe, Uganda and departures through Kigali, Rwanda. Prices do not include international airfare. All itineraries and prices are subject to change. Gorilla and chimpanzee permit prices fluctuate; pricing subject to park fees. Deeper Africa 5353 Manhattan Circle, Suite 202 Boulder, Colorado fx gorilla and chimpanzee safaris