Dja Faunal Reserve

The Dja is one of the largest and least disturbed rainforests in Africa, five thousand square kilometres almost entirely enclosed by a loop of the Dja river that acts as a natural boundary. UNESCO listed it in 1987. Western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and mandrills live here alongside more than three hundred and twenty bird species, though the forest is dense and sightings take patience rather than luck. Baka guides lead walks from the villages at Somalomo and Mintom and read the forest as a larder. Nights are spent in basic camps or with families in the villages. The road in runs from Yaoundé through Sangmélima.