CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Adam Hickman and Christofer Olofsson went to CAR on a short trip in August, 2021
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PCR Entry Requirements – Negative PCR within 5 days, regardless if vaccinated or not.
Return PCR – Required a PCR for onward travel, I got this at Laboratoire National De Biologie in Bangui free of charge for tourists, with results processed within 24 hours. Have to collect results, they don’t email.
Necessary for my next destination, not specifically a CAR requirement
Visa Requirements – VOA is only possible with a Message Porté, which is essentially the equivalent of a letter of invitation, that is pre-registered with the authorities ahead of arrival.
Cost of the Message Porté was $100 and needs to be shown to the airline upon boarding.
Need the hotel confirmation in order to apply for the visa
Flights – CAR is not the easiest country to reach. Flight routes are infrequent and expensive.
Kenyan Airways flights from Nairobi to Bangui.
Douala, Cameroon (DLA) on Ethiopian Airlines very cheap and direct. Bangui (BGF)
Airport CFA 10,000 (each) for your airport departure tax….Airport exit process is a little challenging. Repetitive passport checks, inefficiency all round and a crazy cramped check in. No issues. Just time and patience required.
Currency (April 2022) CFA 1US$=606, 1 CAD=482. Pay for everything in cash.
Be prepared for extremely high prices, as everything is shipped in from other countries. Your company may also restrict your movements due to security concerns.
Guide Recommendation –
1. Norbert Begbayote (used my plenty of other EPS members). He was fast to respond via WhatsApp +236 72158053 and offered the most competitive price. Yes, you do have to wire him funds in advance for both the Message Porté and hotel booking.
2. Felix Mechnig-Giordanois has seen more of the CAR than any other human I know If you are going to live in Bangui, I will say that you should
3. Debjeet Sen I didn’t have a guide, but organized a taxi through my hotel. Email La_couronne_hotel@hotmail.com and see if they can organize something for you.
Driver Josias Godar Yambele.. yambele.josias@gmail.com Tel 75817909 o 72238366
Information
Expats Central African Republic.
Accommodation
1. Ledger Plaza is the only 5-star hotel in Bangui, but at $350 a night, it was out of budget. cash only, the Ledger Plaza is beautiful. You have to stick up for yourself about getting a room with working air. The hotel is cash only for food and lodging costs
http://ledgerplazabangui.info/
room division manager email: santili.manuella@zrcentrafrique.com
2. Oubangui Hotel at $85 a night. It’s 3-star (2-star by European standards).
The rooms are basic but have a balcony with a full river view. There’s also a hotel bar next to the river to enjoy a local beer.
3. Hotel Du Centre where for slightly under CFA 50,000 a night you can have very poor wifi but a comfortable bed in a very spacious room with balcony overlooking the pool that hasn’t seen a renovation since 1962. But safe, central and clean and with a free shuttle to the airport and helpful enough staff
Ledger and Oubangui websites don’t work, i’ve tried calling a couple of numbers but can’t get through and emails go unanswered. Just show up and should be no problem.
4. Karakandji Boutique Hotel has a working website and they’ve been responsive to me in the past. I’ve never stayed there, so I can’t vouch for it, but the photos look nice.
Food
1. Carré gourmand good – nice outdoor seating and atmosphere.
2. Ledger – expensive and average quality
3. Relais Des Chasses was a great restaurant choice. Extensive menu with local dishes too, great vibe, and inexpensive.
SEE
Boali Falls – A 100km drive north (2 hours). At 250 meters wide & 50 meters high, it’s a beautiful waterfall.
There are various viewing platforms and also the opportunity for a short slippery hike down to the base of the falls.
Pygmies Village – We were offered a choice of 3 separate villages… Yombo, Kikongo, and Ibengue. We chose Kikongo, which was 55km from Bangui. The pygmies were friendly, French-speaking, performed a traditional dance, then we took part in a village football match after donating balls & clothes.
There are pygmy communities near Bangui too (Mbaïki) but their lifestyle is not as traditional as of those living near Dzanga-Sangha.
Get a motor driver to take me to Mbaiki and pygmys and it was absolutely amazing. the trip itself was one of my most enjoyable African rides -3 hours each way jam-packed with cool stuff. The pygmys were amazing too
Crocodile Lake – This was an optional extra upon returning to Bangui from Kikongo. It’s NOT something I would recommend. Rundown facilities with a walkway down to the lake, where we saw a total of 1 small crocodile. (Completely different to Bazoule in Burkina)
Bangui City Tour – As someone who likes monuments, I enjoyed Bangui. Top spots to check out are… Independence Monument, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the National Stadium – (dilapidated) football stadium should be on any walking tour, you can walk inside the grounds and have a look around.
I was able to go with my guide around on a motorcycle. Sunday Mass in the Catholic Church was packed
Port / Market — really dodgy and I don’t recommend walking down there due to pickpockets. I was kind of “robbed” down near the market. A guy walking past me snatched something out of my hand. Do you know what he stole? A 500 ml plastic bottle of water I was dangling by my side was about 1/4 full. That’s pretty desperate stuff. I decided not to give chase.
Sometime after that, someone walking in front of me stopped suddenly for no reason and the guy behind me seemed to intentionally bump into me/reach at my (empty) back pockets.
Dzanga-Sangha NP Doli Lodge in Dzanga- Sangha National Park where we stayed for one week. The Lodge Manager handled the police registration for us in Bayanga (the small village and entry point of Dzanga- Sangha Reserve). Some accommodation, eateries and small shops are available. Home to many Baka people (forest pygmies).
Security appears to be somewhat calmed down by the park.
Get in. The park is app. 350 miles away by road from Bangui—CAR’s capital and, most likely, your point of entry into the country. Unfortunately, making the road trip may not be too wise, given the security situation and the normal state of the roads. There are two local companies operating small planes that fly between Bangui and Bayanga. The cost can change rather drastically, depending on your flight arrangements. I suggest that you contact the park directly (they are here on FB).
Activities in Dzanga- Sangha: (gorilla Trek, several visits of Dzanga Bai- also known as the village of Elephants-; overnight on Dzanga Bai platform, canoe drives, walks etc. In Dzanga Bai we saw up to 140 elephants at once)
Car within Dzanga- Sangha NP costs 150€ full day (75€ half-day) plus costs for activities
In Dzanga- Sangha, a mandatory antigen-rapid test is undertaken before visiting the gorillas.
Central African Republic – Southwest (Bangui, Nola, Berberati, Sibut)
World Heritage Sites: Sangha Trinational
Tentative WHS
La colline et la plaine, la rivière Oubangui et le patrimoine colonial bâti de la ville de Bangui (11/04/2006)
La forêt et les campements résidentiels de référence pygmée AKA de la République Centrafricaine (11/04/2006)
La Réserve intégrale de la Mbaéré-Bondingué (11/04/2006)
Les chutes de la Mbi (11/04/2006)
Les sites paléo-métallurgiques de Bangui (11/04/2006)
Les vestiges du train de Zinga (11/04/2006)
Borders
Cameroon-Central African Republic
Central African Republic (river)
Central African Republic-Congo Democratic Republic
Central African Republic-Congo Republic
XL: Sangha-Mbaere Province (Southwest)
African Cities
BERBERATI
CARNOT
BANGUI/BIMBO World Capitals World Cities and Popular Towns
Airports: Bangui (BGF)
Religious Temples: Bangui: Bangui Notre Dame Cathedral
World of Nature
Dzangha-Sangha NP
Mbaéré-Bodingué NP
Ngoto Forest
Waterfalls: Boali Falls
Rivers
Sangha River
Ubangi River
The Dark Side: Bokassa’s ‘Castle’
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Central African Republic – Northwest (Bouar, Bozoum, Kaga Bandoro)
Tentative WHS: Les mégalithes de Bouar (11/04/2006)
Borders
Cameroon-Central African Republic
Central African Republic-Chad
African Cities
BOUAR
Vestiges of the Past: Bouar Megaliths
Religious Temples: Bossangoa: Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua
World of Nature: Nana-Barya Fauna Reserve
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Central African Republic – East (Bangassou, Ndélé, Birao, Bambari)
World Heritage Sites: Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park
Tentative WHS
Le Tata (palais fortifié) du Sultan Sénoussi, les grottes de Kaga-Kpoungouvou, la ville de Ndélé (11/04/2006)
Les gravures rupestres de Lengo (11/04/2006)
Borders
Central African Republic-Chad
Central African Republic-Congo Democratic Republic
Central African Republic-South Sudan
Central African Republic-Sudan
XL
Haut-Mbomou province (Far East)
St. Floris National Park Area
African Cities
BAMBARI
World of Nature
Andre Felix NP
Bamingui-Bangoran NP
Chinko Nature Reserve
Manovo-Gounda St. Floris NP
Ouandjia Vakaga Faunal Reserve
St. Floris NP
Zemongo Faunal Reserve
Rivers
Chari River
Mbomou River
Ubangi River