Dzanga Sangha National Park

Dzanga Sangha National Park, in the triangle of southwestern CAR separating Cameroon from Congo, is probably the one corner of the country still attracting visitors. Bayanga is the main village near the park, on the banks of the Sangha River, and although a handful of intrepid visitors may come to Bayanga by road, negotiating countless checkpoints along the way, or even by river, most visitors probably arrive in chartered aircraft. Gorillas, elephants and Aka people are all found in this remote corner of Africa.

Bayanga has a number of small guesthouses offering simple accommodation, but the fly-in groups will probably stay at the riverside Doli Lodge (doli means elephant), which has rooms with luxuries such as private bathrooms and running water. The lodge is only open when a group, usually bringing their own supplies with them, turns up. Two Americans have been living in Bayanga for many years: Louis Sarno has spent 20 years with the BaAka while Andrea Turkalo has spent 15 years tracking a herd of elephants in the park.