Day notes
As soon as you step off the plane in Ndjamena, you will be warmly welcomed by a representative from African Parks. You will be assisted in locating your luggage before being transferred to the luxurious Radisson Blu Hilton Hotel. This modern oasis offers the perfect place to unwind and rejuvenate after your journey.
Your stay at the Radisson Blu Hilton is just the beginning of your adventure, as tomorrow, you will board our private charter flight to Zakouma National Park.
From the moment you arrive in Ndjamena to the moment you step foot in Zakouma National Park, our team will carefully plan and execute every detail of your journey.
Tomorrow promises to be an adventure, and your stay at the Radisson Blu Hilton is the perfect start to your unforgettable journey into the heart of Africa.
Check-in to Radisson Blu Hotel, N'djamena
Expert tips:
Don't worry about your passport certification; our representative from African Parks will handle all the required documents. They will take your passport to register your presence with the authorities and your passport will be returned to you either at camp or when you return to N'Djamena.
Day notes
Your day will start with an early breakfast before heading to the airport for a two-hour charter flight in a Cessna Caravan to Zakouma National Park.
Once we land in Zakouma, we will take a short 45-minute drive to camp, and the safari adventure begins right from the airstrip, so keep your binoculars and cameras handy.
During your stay, you will have access to a range of activities, including game drives, bush walks, and night drives. Each day, Doug will plan activities that work best for the group and keep everything as flexible as possible to get the best experience.
We will usually start the day with an early breakfast and set off to explore the park as the sun rises. We will return to camp in time for lunch and take a siesta during the heat of the day before setting off again later in the afternoon. We will use spotlights to look for some fantastic nocturnal creatures in the park, such as pale foxes, aardvarks, servals, porcupines, and genets.
Zakouma National Park is home to many new species you may not have seen before, including Llewels Hartebeest, Tiang, Kordofan Giraffe, Red Fronted Gazelle, and Buffon's Kob. The Central African Savannah Buffalos here are a unique blend between the African Buffalo and Forest Buffalo, and Pale Foxes are also a special species to look out for.
Visiting the Cash casha Nomad market near one of the nearby villages is an interesting experience. These markets are a genuine representation of local trade and have been running for hundreds of years. Ladies should wear headscarves, long trousers, and sleeves to respect local cultures. Cameras are best not taken on this visit.
Birdwatching enthusiasts will have the time of their lives in Zakouma National Park. The volume of birds in the park is breathtaking, and there's always a chance of seeing a previously unrecorded species. The best bird book for this area is "Birds of Africa - South of the Sahara."
A part of our safari here will be to spend the day searching for the massive herd of elephants that roam the park. They move in mostly one huge herd that can number up towards 700 elephants.
During your stay, you will also have the opportunity to meet the people who make Zakouma National Park work and learn about what happens behind the scenes to keep the park safe. You will see how they work with local communities to ensure everyone benefits from the park.
Overall, your week at Tinga camp with Doug Macdonald Busanga Safaris in Zakouma National Park promises an unforgettable safari experience filled with exciting activities, incredible wildlife sightings, and opportunities to learn about the local culture and communities.
Transfer from Radisson Blu Hotel, N'djamena to N'Djamena International Airport [NDJ]
Busanga
Transfer
taxi
Radisson Blu Hotel, N'djamena
N'Djamena International Airport [NDJ]
Charter Flight from N'Djamena International Airport [NDJ] to Tinga Camp
African Parks / Busanga safaris
Charter Flight
N'Djamena International Airport [NDJ]
Tinga Camp
N/A
1 Hour 30 Minutes
Stay at Tinga Camp
Expert tips:
Most of Zakouma’s elephants move in one mega herd which they have evolved to do as means of self protection after years of poaching. Always cautious and approached with care (see more on that later) an encounter with these elephants has to be one of Africa’s great wildlife experiences.
Zakouma has at least 373 bird species recorded within its boundaries, including 40 raptor species. An Important Bird Area (IBA) survey was performed in Zakouma during 2001 by Birdlife International. Avian species of conservation priority occurring in Zakouma National Park include the Black-crowned Crane, the Lappet-faced Vulture and the Lesser Kestrel all of which are IUCN listed as vulnerable with populations of the Lesser Kestrel and the Lappet-faced Vulture recorded as decreasing. Species listed as Near Threatened include the Denham's Bustard and the Pallid Harrier of which populations of the latter have been recorded as decreasing. Northern Carmine Bee-eaters are abundant as well as the Red-billed Quelea. Zakouma is also home to the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill.
The vegetation of Zakouma is very diverse and forms part of the tropical Sudano-Sahelian vegetation zone. Mainly characterised by Combretum or Acacia Savannah and marshy grasslands which are important for the grazers as the rest of the habitats dry out. Sections of gallery forests and floodplain depressions or pans are also common in the East. Inselbergs (granite domes) are a characteristic feature of the south-western area. Prominent tree species in the Combretum Savannah include the paperbark thorn, the white thorn, the axlewood tree. The Acacia Savannah is characterised by species such as the red acacia, also known as the shittah tree
During the dry season the herds remain largely within the boundaries of the park with an estimated core dry season range of 850km2. The herds leave Zakouma during the wet season either moving northwards or westwards towards the Siniaka-Minia Reserve. During this wet season migration they cover distances of up to 170km, most of which are in unprotected countryside. Herds may remain outside of the protection of the Zakouma boundaries for as long as three months.
Apart from the wildlife experience and being this safari is about witnessing the front end of wildlife conservation where conservationist lead teams of dedicated bush-hardened rangers who risk everything to protect Zakouma’s wildlife heritage. Severe poaching of Zakouma's elephants over recent years had seen the population plummet from over 4,000 individuals in 2006 to a 2011 census count of 454. The evidence shows that by far the majority of elephant have been killed within the park boundary over the past 10 years. Since African Parks organisation assumed control of Zakouma in December 2010, few elephants have been poached in the park and many new elephant calves are now being seen, marking a turning point for Zakouma’s elephant population. You will meet the people who run the park and conditions permitting join them on survey flights across Zakouma to locate and monitor the movement of the mega herd. This unique experience will give you a great overview of the park and the memory will live with you for ever.
We will also take you outside of Zakouma to visit a neighbouring village market to experience somewhere only a very small number of Westerners have set foot, cameras are discouraged, true Nomads move through this region giving you a vision of life unchanged for centuries.
Day notes
Today it is time to pack and double check. There is time for breakfast and then a drive back to the airstrip to rendezvous with the charter flight we have arranged to take you back to Ndjamena.
Depending on your international flight (we can help you book them) you will either connect to your departing flight. Because of international flight times to Europe, some guests need an extra night in Ndjamena and fly home the following day.
Check-out from Tinga Camp
Charter Flight from Tinga Camp to N'Djamena International Airport [NDJ]
Charter Flight
Tinga Camp
N'Djamena International Airport [NDJ]
