Lango Camp
Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of the Congo
Lango Camp is located within the south-central part of Odzala-Kokoua National Park, nestled in dense gallery forest overlooking the productive Lango Bai (saline marsh), with access to the Lekoli River and the surrounding savanna. Just six individual thatched rooms urvey the bai and are constructed from natural materials such as locally woven raffia palm panels. Each has two twin beds, mosquito netting, fans, en suite bathroom with shower, flush toilet and environmentally friendly soaps and shampoos. Electricity is supplied by solar energy with a back-up generator if required. Each room has a 360-degree wraparound viewing walkway. Raised walkways wind through the forest and connect the rooms to the public areas. A star deck and fire pit are located a dropped deck overlooking the bai for after-dinner relaxation and star-gazing.
Activities from Lango Camp focus on the bai itself, nearby salines, the Lekoli River and surrounding savanna. Most activities are a combination of walking and boating, while some game drives are included. Boating on the Lekoli River is done in a variety of craft ranging from aluminium boats to motorized traditional pirogues and even kayaks, via which we explore the river’s flat waters. Forest buffalo and western sitatunga are regular visitors to the bai at any time of day, while forest elephant and spotted hyena are more typically seen after dark. Nocturnal visitors include the rare bongo, leopard and red river hog. Guereza colobus monkeys are frequently seen in camp, while harnessed bushbuck and various forest duiker species are often encountered nearby. Other primates, such as grey-cheeked mangabey and putty-nosed monkey are commonly seen, and chimpanzees are regularly heard from camp. Guests sometimes see hippo in the Lekoli River as well as two harmless species of crocodile, the slender-snouted crocodile and the African dwarf crocodile.