Gorilla Trekking in the Congo Basin

Join your guide for immersive walks through the rainforest surrounding the lodge, learning to read animal prints, plants and subtle signs of wildlife along the way. These explorations focus on zooming in on the forest ecosystem itself, from towering trees to medicinal plants, with routes and pacing adapted to your interests and the conditions on the day.

As darkness falls, head out on a guided night walk to experience the forest in a completely different way. Using torchlight, you’ll explore the area around Ngaga Lodge while listening for nocturnal activity and learning how the rhythms of the rainforest change after sunset.

Visiting one of the nearby local villages offers you the chance to spend time in local communities near the national park. Accompanied by a guide, these visits offer insight into daily life on the forest edge and how people live alongside Odzala-Kokoua National Park.

Set out on guided walks through swampy forest clearings and shallow streams, moving carefully through the bai environment. On these outings, your guide will help you understand this fragile ecosystem by tracking signs of wildlife and observing birds and animals drawn to the open, waterlogged landscape.

Exploring the forest surrounding Lango Lodge on foot with an experienced guide, you will learn to read animal tracks, identify plants and discover how wildlife move through the forest. These slow walks offer a mindful way to understand how the rainforest and wetlands intersect, with routes adapted to the conditions and each traveller’s interests and abilities.

As evening approaches, gather on the lodge’s stunning wraparound deck overlooking the forest clearing that surrounds it to watch the landscape change as light fades to evening. With a drink in hand, observe birds returning to roost and listen for the sounds of the forest shifting from day into dusk.

Explore the Lékéni River by boat, following its winding channels through savanna and gallery forest. River cruises offer a slower, observational experience, with opportunities to watch birds along the banks, scan the water’s edge for wildlife taking a drink and appreciate how the river shapes this part of Odzala-Kokoua National Park.

Near Mboko Lodge, clear streams and calm river sections provide rare opportunities to swim in a natural setting. These refreshing dips form part of the lodge’s more relaxed rhythm – a tactile way to connect with the landscape by soothing tired feet after walks or going for a full dip, surrounded by savanna and forest.

Mboko Lodge’s long wooden deck sits directly above the Lékéni River, overlooking sandbanks, open savanna and gallery forest. Settle into one of the lounge chairs facing across the river for drinks or a snack and watch birds, butterflies and monkeys move along the water as the light softens.