The Dja River
Around the reserve.
C. Hance — CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · C. Hance — CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Amcaja — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Amcaja — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mbollo Mbollo — CC BY-SA 4.0
Dja Faunal Reserve is a vast reserve in south-east Cameroon, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The Dja River surrounds it almost completely, forming a natural boundary around some 5,260 square kilometres. It is part of the dense rainforest of the Congo Basin. It was created in 1950 and is one of the largest and best-protected rainforest reserves in Africa, with about 90 per cent of it left undisturbed. It was listed for its diversity of species and its five threatened mammals, among them gorillas, chimpanzees and forest elephants. You see a wide, calm brown river reflecting walls of tall, dense trees. Long wooden canoes rest on the bank, and people cross the river on simple ferries. Inside the forest are bare, smooth black granite outcrops with scattered trees around them. It is about 39 km from the town of Somalomo in a straight line. Access is hard, roads are dirt and services are very few. Arrange the trip in advance with a specialist operator and local guides, and carry what you need.
Around the reserve.
Dense and tall.
Smooth granite.
South-east Cameroon
For its species diversity and threatened mammals.
No, roads are dirt and services few, so plan ahead.