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GORILLAS & PYGMIES EXPEDITION
led by Jack Wheeler
Sunday, February 26 to Sunday, March 04, 2012
$7950
This is real African adventure, an expedition to the most
uninhabited jungle in Africa where gorillas outnumber people by 100-1. And most of the people are Ba'Aka Pygmies.
There is an extraordinary profusion of wildlife. When
you think of elephants in Africa, you think of the bush elephant like in the
Serengeti - but there is another subspecies called the forest
elephant that you can see hundreds of at a time, if you know just where to
go. There are chimps, hippos, crocs, at least eight different kinds of
monkeys like putty-nosed monkeys and crowned guenons, baboons, leopards, forest
buffalo, an incredible array of birdlife, rare antelopes like the sitatunga and
the trophy hunter's dream, the bongo.
The region is called Dzanga-Ndoki, where Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, and the
Central African Republic (CAR) come together.
As it contains Africa's greatest concentration of bongo, a
group of wealthy hunters from South Africa built a lodge on one its
rivers. When they suffered in the 2008 collapse, a South African fellow I
know bought them out and converted it into a non-hunting eco-lodge.
The problem is access. It takes two days driving in a
jeep for 250 miles through jungle mud to get there from the CAR capital of Bangui.
Then two more rough days to get back. Plus you have to stay in Bangui
coming and going, which is not a thrill.
The solution:
We'll charter a plane owned by a French mining company that
will get us in an hour from Bangui to a village airstrip; from there it's a
short boat ride to the lodge. We even figured out how to avoid staying in
Bangui altogether.
Here's the itinerary.
We begin with the easiest and quickest way to get to Bangui from the US.
It is the responsibility of all
expedition participants to be in Bangui when the expedition commences Monday
morning, February 27. This is the
way we suggest, and are happy to work with you if you prefer an alternative. Please note that the per person cost of $7950
does not include international airfare (although it does include the hotel for
an overnight stop enroute, Sunday the 26th).
Saturday, February 25.
There is a non-stop flight (used by US diplomats to most
easily get to Africa) on Ethiopian Airlines, ET 501, departing
Washington-Dulles (IAD) at 11:00am for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is a 13 hour
flight, and there is an 8 hour time change, thus arriving Sunday at 8:00am
Addis time.
Sunday, February 26.
Arrive Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on ET 501 at 8:00am
(or via a flight from Europe if preferred).
Transfer to the Addis
Regency Hotel, the #1 hotel in Addis rated by TripAdvisor. The day is at your leisure. We can easily arrange a tour of the city, one
of Africa's most historic. Welcome reception and dinner in the evening.
Monday, February 27.
Depart Addis at 9:00am on ET 913, arrive (non-stop) Bangui
at 10:40am. VIP assistance for clearing
Customs. We do not leave the airport.
Board charter flight (Cessna Caravan, South African pilot) for one hour
flight to Bayanga airstrip. Transfer to
lodge on the Sangha River in time for lunch.
Get settled in your comfortable bungalow (double occupancy) with en suite bathroom/shower.
Afternoon briefing on area:
cautions, wildlife, activities, Q&A.
Familiarization walk through rain forest spotting for various types of
monkeys such as the black and white colobus and crowned guenon, and
birdwatching (over 368 bird species in the area).
Black and White Colobus
Crowned Guenon
Late afternoon, we take a large pirogue (motorized canoe)
upriver, turn the motor off and float downriver - our sundowner cruise watching
the sunset over the jungle with gin and tonics in hand.
We'll enjoy a hearty dinner and stories around the campfire,
then bedtime for we're up at dawn tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 28
While there are tens of thousands of gorillas - western
lowland gorillas, specifically - in this enormous jungle, they are almost never
seen. The rain forest is too dense, and they hide from humans. Due to the patient and indefatigable efforts
of researchers over several years, two families of gorillas have been
"habituated" to tolerate human presence.
It is a 30 kilometer 4WD drive to the gorilla research
camp. From there, it will be a 30 minute
to 1 hour trek through the forest to reach the gorillas (on average, could be
shorter or longer depending on where they are).
Only 3 people at a time may visit a gorilla family for a maximum of one
hour. The experience of being close -
within meters - of a family of gorillas in the wild is extraordinarily intense
and unforgettable. These are gentle
giants, however, who have never attacked a human.
At the camp, we'll get an in-depth briefing from the
researchers, several of whom are American.
We'll also be able to witness and photograph the only habituated group
of agile mangabey monkeys in all of Africa - a troop of well over 200.
Agile Mangabey
We'll have lunch at the research camp, for we won't return
to the lodge until mid-afternoon, with time to freshen-up - and then it's off
on our sundowner cruise. With luck, we
may spot hippos on the river bank, maybe a leopard, and certainly a profusion
of birds and monkeys.
After dinner and the campfire, there's the option of a night
jungle walk to spotlight nocturnal animals such as long-tailed pangolin (scaly
anteaters) and rare types of monkeys called pottos and galagos.
Long-Tailed Pangolin
Galago
Potto
Wednesday, February 29
(yes, 2012 is a leap year)
We are going in the dry season, the best time of year to see
large animals as they congregate at watering holes. The most spectacular is Dzanga Bai (bai being
the Ba'Aka word for clearing/watering hole), which has a concentration of
mineral salts craved by elephants. Over
4,000 separate elephants have been counted and identified by researchers over
the last few years at Dzanga Bai. It is
possible at this time of year to see over 100 at a time.
The Dzanga Bai at this time is also the best place in the
world to see bongo, the most elusive and beautiful antelopes in Africa - up to
one or two dozen at once. We also have
an excellent chance to see sitatunga, another beautiful antelope almost as rare
as bongo. Giant river hogs, forest
buffalo, various types of monkeys, and a plethora of birds abound at Dzanga
Bai.
Bongo
Sitatunga
It is about a 30 minute drive, then a 2 km (1.2 miles) walk
to Dzanga Bai, and we want to get there early for the waves of African Gray
Parrots flying in. Families of elephants and many other animals will come and
go throughout the morning, then taper off in mid-day as we enjoy a bounteous
picnic lunch on the observation platform.
The animals return mid-afternoon and we'll stay to watch and learn.
We hope to be joined by Andrea Turkalo, an American
researcher who has been living near Dzanga Bai for 20 years and is the world's
foremost expert on forest elephants.
She'll teach us about "the secret language of elephants," so fascinating
she was the subject of a CBS
News 60 Minutes segment (January 2010).
CBS called Dzanga Bai "one of the most magical places on Earth," and
we'll be seeing why.
We won't want to leave but we must to get back to the lodge
before dark, for dinner and the campfire.
Thursday, March 1
You have to get up early to go hunting, and this morning we
go hunting with the Ba'Aka Pygmies.
Their most sought after quarry are small antelopes like blue duikers,
which they hunt with nets, short wooden spears, and bow & arrow. If the hunt is successful, there will be a
celebration at their encampment.
The Ba'Aka have no permanent settlements. They are true hunter-gatherers practicing the
original way of human existence, setting up temporary shelters of leaves and
branches in the forest where the hunting is good.
One of the most extraordinary aspects of
their life is their music. Their singing
is based on pentatonic five-part harmonies.
Their instruments include pipes, drums, hand-clapping, and water - yes,
water-drumming. You won't believe your
ears.
An American musicologist, Louis Sarno, has lived with the
Ba'Aka for two decades, and calls their music "one of the hidden glories of
mankind." We'll spend the afternoon with Louis, to learn as much from him and
his beloved Ba'Aka as we can. This
evening, the Ba'Aka will invite us to an Ejingi
ceremony, where they call in the most powerful forest spirit, Ejingi, to ask
for our protection as their guests. The
singing and dancing in the firelight will be unforgettable.
The polyphonic music of the Ba'Aka is listed by the UN as an
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Here's the UN slideshow
and video commemorating it (be sure and watch the video):
Friday, March 2
This is the day the fishermen have been looking forward to,
going after the greatest freshwater game fish on earth, the Goliath Tiger Fish
(Hydrocynus goliath).
National
Geographic calls it "the monster fish of the Congo," an example of
"evolution on steroids." This bad boy is
up to five feet long, can weigh over 150 pounds, and eats small crocodiles for
lunch. The Sangha River has them, and if
you bring the right tackle, we'll hook you up.
We'll also trek through uninhabited virgin rain forest to a
beautiful waterfall for a swim and a picnic.
Another round of fishing in the afternoon, then our sundowner
cruise. After dinner, we'll go
spotlighting in the jungle.
Saturday, March 3
This is a day of Options.
Whatever you liked best over the last 5 days, you can do again. You can simply relax at the lodge bar or go
for a short hike to spot monkeys and birds.
Hike back to the waterfall. Try
to snag another goliath. Visit the
Ba'Aka. For a second gorilla trek or
visit to Dzanga Bai, there will be an additional cost for transport, fees,
& guides split among those who wish to go.
Whatever you're up for, we'll accommodate.
Of course we'll have our sundowner cruise, and after dinner,
a night river cruise to spotlight creatures along the riverbank. We end with a nightcap around the campfire.
Sunday, March 4
After a nice Sunday brunch, we bid goodbye to our lodge,
take the pirogue to the Bayanga airstrip, where our charter plane will fly us
back to Bangui in well enough time for the ET 903 flight departing at 3:05pm
non-stop for Addis. Arriving at 8:45pm,
this connects with ET 500, departing at 10:15pm direct to Washington-Dulles.
This ends our expedition.
Those who wish to stay longer in Ethiopia or visit other places in East
Africa, we'll be happy to help with whatever arrangements you require.
Monday, March 5
ET 500 arrives Washington-Dulles at 7:30am, in time to
connect to a flight back home anywhere in the US.
Cost: $7,980
Cost includes:
*Airport
transfer upon arrival in Addis Ababa on February 26 to Addis Regency Hotel;
return to airport February 27.
*Hotel
accommodation at Addis Regency on February 26.
*All
meals, including bottled water and soft drinks, with group from dinner in Addis
February 26 to brunch at Dzanga Sangha Lodge March 4.
*Accommodation
at Dzanga Sangha Lodge, double-occupancy bungalow with en-suite bathroom.
*Charter
flight Bangui-Bayanga-Bangui
*All
activities specified in the itinerary (other than a second optional gorilla
trek or Dzanga Bai visit), including park fees, permits, and guides.
Cost does not include:
*International
air travel to Bangui.
*All
personal expenses for incidentals, tips for lodge staff and guides, and
alcoholic drinks. You can BYOB in your
checked luggage from the US, buy it in Addis, or tell us your preference and we
can purchase bottles of it for you in Bangui, although brand selection is
limited.
*Visa
fees for Ethiopia and CAR. We suggest
using a visa service in Washington DC such as TravelDocs. TravelDocs' Africa specialist is Dean Orbell:
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*Required
medical costs, specifically vaccination for yellow fever and malaria prevention
medication (we recommend either meflaquin or malarone). Please see your physician regarding both.
Deposits, Payments,
Cancellations and Refunds
*Deposit of $1,000 must be received by December 20,
2012. Note that the maximum number of participants is 8. We encourage you to send your deposit ASAP to
make sure you are one of them.
*Balance in full - $6,950 - must be received by January 20,
2012.
*Refund of deposit and balance in full on the condition of a
fully-paid acceptable replacement for you.
Note: You may want to consider trip cancellation
insurance.
Please send all
deposits, payments, or inquiries to:
Jack Wheeler
5810 Kingstowne Center Drive
Suite 120-333
Alexandria, VA 22315
* note: Checks must be payable to - Global Venture Holdings
Phone: 703-992-4529 Email:
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Bank wiring instructions upon request
This is an opportunity to experience some of the rarest wildlife on earth in the remotest part of Africa, easily, in comfort and safety. I hope you will join me. Please fell free to ask whatever questions you may have.
Jack Wheeler
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