Congo Basin Camps & Lodges
Wali Baï Platform
A Budget Camp in Congo Basin
Camp Details
Perched several metres above a shallow, 1.2-hectare forest clearing lake almost on the border between the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, the Wali Baï platform is one of Nouabalé-Ndoki’s great wildlife-watching secrets. A stream feeding into the Sangha River keeps the baï’s waters clear, drawing forest elephants and forest buffalo on most visits, and – for the patient and fortunate – the elusive bongo.
From the elevated, secure viewing deck, guests watch animals come to feed on minerals, socialise, cool off and rest, while fishing eagles, finfoot and Hartlaub’s duck work the margins of the clearing. The platform sits roughly an hour’s walk from Bomassa, through forest informally protected by the Bomassa community, who avoid hunting near the baï to keep it undisturbed.
Wali Baï can be visited for a few hours by day, or as an overnight sleepout on the platform itself – waking to mist rising off the water at dawn, or watching the clearing settle into evening quiet, are among the most memorable ways to experience it.
Visiting Wali Bai
What comes to the clearing?
The platform overlooks a shallow 1.2-hectare forest clearing lake, kept clear by a stream feeding into the Sangha River. Forest elephants and forest buffalo appear on most visits, and the patient and fortunate may see bongo. Fishing eagles, finfoot and Hartlaub's duck work the margins while animals feed on minerals, socialise and rest.
Can you stay overnight on the platform?
You can. Wali Bai can be visited for a few hours during the day, or as an overnight sleepout on the elevated deck itself. Waking to mist rising off the water at dawn, or watching the clearing settle into quiet in the evening, are the two most memorable ways to see it.
How do you get there?
It is roughly an hour's walk from Bomassa, through forest informally protected by the Bomassa community, who avoid hunting near the clearing to keep it undisturbed. WCS completed a full rebuild of the platform in 2026, days before our own Chalo group arrived. No rates are published online, so do ask us.
Activities
Our Thoughts on
WCS completed a full rebuild of the Wali Baï platform just days before our Chalo group arrived in 2026 – we were among the very first guests to experience it. It’s this kind of access, alongside WCS’s research-led approach to Nouabalé-Ndoki, that makes a visit here feel genuinely different from anywhere else in the Congo Basin.
Visiting Wali Bai
What comes to the clearing?
The platform overlooks a shallow 1.2-hectare forest clearing lake, kept clear by a stream feeding into the Sangha River. Forest elephants and forest buffalo appear on most visits, and the patient and fortunate may see bongo. Fishing eagles, finfoot and Hartlaub's duck work the margins while animals feed on minerals, socialise and rest.
Can you stay overnight on the platform?
You can. Wali Bai can be visited for a few hours during the day, or as an overnight sleepout on the elevated deck itself. Waking to mist rising off the water at dawn, or watching the clearing settle into quiet in the evening, are the two most memorable ways to see it.
How do you get there?
It is roughly an hour's walk from Bomassa, through forest informally protected by the Bomassa community, who avoid hunting near the clearing to keep it undisturbed. WCS completed a full rebuild of the platform in 2026, days before our own Chalo group arrived. No rates are published online, so do ask us.
Activities
Rates
No rates available online at the moment. Please contact us for further information.
Gallery
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