Safari in Central African Republic

the original gap in the map of Africa

At 620,000 square kilometres, the Central African Republic (CAR) is a substantial country, roughly the size of Texas.

The population is only around 4 million people, meaning that the country has the sixth lowest population density in Africa, at around 7 people per square kilometre.

After gaining independence from France in 1960, CAR has experienced a constant cycle of civil wars, punctuated by short-lived peace treaties.

This predominantly Christian country is presently ranked sixth poorest in the world, is estimated to be the unhealthiest country in the world and the worst country in which to be young.

The country lies below the Sahel and is largely comprised of savanna grasslands, with tropical forest zones to the south.

The primary wildlife area is Dzanga-Sangha, in the tropical forests close to the border with Congo, where western lowland gorillas, African forest elephants and bongo antelopes are top of the bill.

The main reason to visit the Central African Republic is to explore the tropical forests of the south, which are home to lowland gorillas, elephants and rare species like bongos.

The country suffers from almost constant political turmoil, with an ongoing civil war. The only way to safely visit is to enter and exit through the southern border with the Congo and stick to those remote forest areas.

The number of people visiting these gorilla areas each year can be counted in hundreds, so this is seriously off the beaten track. But the financial support which this trickle of visitors generates is critical to the extremely important conservation efforts.

However, since 2023, the access from Congo has become more difficult and we are presently unable to get into these areas.

The gorilla areas are generally best visited during the Jan-Mar and Jun-Sep dry seasons.

an adventurous and expensive extension to a Congo gorilla trip