PARK OF NIOKOLO BADIAR

Inaugurated in April 1996, the Niokolo Badiar ecological complex straddles Senegal and Guinea, and forms a vast expanse of more than 1.5 million hectares. The central core is the transboundary park of Niokolo-Badiar (950,000 ha) and the classified forests of N'Ddama and South Badiar. Here, more than 80 species of mammals have been identified, including chimpanzees, wild dogs, lions and Derby elk. So far, the Guinean side, the Badiar, is not very rich in animals. It must be said that the cattle of the breeders graze there, the fishermen and the hunters frequently stay there, and the amateurs of palm wine extract from the reeds the sap necessary to the creation of their beverage. With all this, the animals are rare and wary and therefore very difficult to observe. However, the park has an interesting tourist circuit of about 2 hours. This circuit passes by the mountain of Sow, from where one has a beautiful point of view, goes along the Koulountou River (which marks the border with Senegal) and crosses a beautiful roasting ground. But the best circuit is certainly the one that reaches Simenti in 3 hours, in the heart of the Niokolo-Koba park (the Senegalese part). This park offers the best sample of the western fauna of the whole region. In addition, its quiet and family atmosphere makes it a still preserved site, far from the crowds of the parks of East Africa. It is recommended to visit the Senegalese side, because on the Guinean side there is no road or accommodation, especially since there is no need for a visa to go from Guinea to Senegal. However, an authorization from the Guinean curator of the park will be required on the Senegalese side. This authorization is issued at the entrance of Badiar, 3 km after Sambaïlo. It is not free.

To foresee: if you intend to spend a night or to eat at the Simenti hotel, or at the camp "le Camp du Lion", you will have to bring either CFA francs, or cash in euros or dollars, because Guinean francs are not accepted on the Senegalese side. Inside the park, there are no gas stations, so plan accordingly. The last "gas stations" are in Koundara, for the Guinean side, and in Dar Salam, for the Senegalese side. Always bring some provisions and a quantity of drinking water for more than one day. Concerning the internal regulations of the park, it is advisable to comply with them. Drive at a maximum speed of 30 km/h (20 km/h is the ideal speed for wildlife observation), do not drive at night, do not drive downhill outside of the designated areas, hunting is prohibited, as well as anything that might frighten the animals (horns, headlights, etc.). Before each excursion, check the condition of your vehicle and make sure you have a spare tire with the necessary material to change it and a sufficient supply of fuel. Inform the hotel or the guard post of the route you have chosen and especially of the time you are expected to return. This will allow them to look for you if you are late. Final recommendations: food and water attract insects. Always check the inside of your shoes in the morning - scorpions or snakes may have slipped in. It is respect for nature and ecological behavior that are, in any case, the best. Remember that nature is in a state of "self-defense". Observe, calmly. Sudden movements are always frightening. Turning off the engine sometimes scares animals away. Be extremely careful with fire. You are asked not to throw garbage, not to take anything, neither flora, nor fauna remains, nor mineral samples. Take a picture instead.

The park is officially open all year round. But the dry season is the best time to discover the fauna, which gathers around the water holes and pools. Your guide will know how to lead you to the right places at the right time, especially to the observation towers that have been installed at different "strategic" locations in the park. During the rest of the year, you can also go there, but the tracks are bad, the quagmires frequent and the animals more scattered. A little advice to better appreciate the wildlife: don't forget your binoculars.

Given the size of the park and the vagaries of the animals, it is better to plan a minimum of two days to fully enjoy the wildlife. If you just want to walk in the Badiar, you can contact Mr. Boiro, a guide living in Koundara, at 622 78 52 28, who will help you organize your excursion according to your wishes, and in the respect of the surrounding nature.

To reach directly the Niokolo from the Badiar, you will cross the Koulountou by ford. Observe, take the time to stop and look around you. At the edge of the gallery forests, you will not fail to see or see shy duiker, impressive helmeted hornbills of Abyssinia, and hordes of barking dogfish! About ten kilometers further, you will arrive at Dalaba, where a plaque commemorates the inauguration of the Niokolo-Badiar. Then, after a few detours by ponds or observation points (the different sites are signposted at the intersection points), you will arrive at Simenti.

From Senegal, the main entry point is Dar Salam in the north of the park, but access is also possible through the posts of Mako (coming from Kédougou in the southeast), Koulountou, Tiankoumbani or the ford of Medina Gounass, in the west. From Senegal, the entrance to the park is not free. It is necessary to pay an entry fee per person and per day (about 5 000 CFA) and per vehicle (about 10 000 CFA). The Senegalese guide is also mandatory. Count about 10 000 CFA for the day.

There are four different ecosystems in the park:

- that of the ponds and shallows, such as the Simenti pond, the Damiel pond or the Nétéboulou pond. The animals gather in these green spaces during the dry season;

- the Gambia and Koulountou river banks. Numerous birds frequent it, as well as hippopotamuses, crocodiles and antelopes under the gallery forests of the banks;

- the Niokolo Koba River, which hardly resembles anything more than a few water holes at the end of the dry season. Its banks are lined with cliffs;

- Finally, Mount Assirik, which has forests inhabited by chimpanzees and plateaus frequented by one of the largest antelopes in the world: the Derby eland.

To visit the park, it is mandatory to take a guide. The guide has the great advantage of knowing where the animals are hiding, depending on the time of year you are there. Ask at the hotel for the exact schedule. The visits are planned early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

There is even the possibility of taking a Zodiac safari on the Gambia River and its tributaries, or visiting the Coniagui and Bassari villages in northern Guinea. The most interesting sites, apart from Simenti and its surroundings (Badi), are the suspension bridge and the hippopotamus pond, near the camp at Lion, Niokolo, and Mount Assirik, which, at 300 m, is the highest point in Senegal and is home to chimpanzee families in its forests.

To spend a night on the Guinean side, a camp has been set up at the top of Sow Mountain. But the lack of visitors has turned it into a ghost camp. Prefer to bivouac in tents, while waiting for better days.

Otherwise, several receptives exist in the heart of the park, on the Senegalese side. Let's mention, among others, the Simenti Hotel built in a small paradise, nestled above a pond, where animals come to quench their thirst in the dry season, or the Lion Camp, made of a few huts with basic comfort installed on the edge of the river, and finally the Nioko Lodge, placed on a bank overlooking the Gambia, a luxury accommodation where you will be welcomed in tents with all the comforts to enable you to spend a pleasant stay in communion with nature.