Not to miss

Sibut

Sibut is where the paved road peels east to Bambari and Bangassou and north to Kaga Bandoro. This makes it a major crossroads and an active town, with most of the action along the northern fork of the road, where the market, the gare routière and most of the hotels, restaurants and food stalls are.

Bangassou

One of the CAR's bigger towns, Bangassou rarely sees travellers today and its population is slowly diminishing. A major transit point into the Democratic Republic of the Congo until the mid-80s, people now prefer Mobaye. The government's recent closure of land borders to foreigners hasn't helped.

The ferry operator was difficult to find even when the ferry was working. If you do make it this far, don't miss the market, with all kinds of bush meat including anteater, buffalo, bush pig, gazelle, monkey and warthog. Leopards, lions and elephants sometimes come close to town.

Dzanga-Sangha National Park

This national park, wedged into the triangle of southwestern CAR Cameroon from Congo, is probably the one corner of the country still attracting visitors. Gorillas, elephants and the Baka people are all found in this remote corner of Africa.

Bayanga is the main village near the park, on the banks of the Sangha River. Although a handful of intrepid visitors may come to Bayanga by road, most visitors probably arrive in chartered aircraft. Bayanga has a number of small guesthouses offering simple accommodation, but the fly-in groups will probably stay at the riverside Dolicom Lodge, which has rooms with luxuries like attached bathrooms and running water. The lodge is only open when a group turns up, usually bringing their own supplies with them.

Chutes de Boali

These waterfalls tumble 50m (164ft), which is just a whisker more than Niagara can manage. Although no more than a trickle when its dry, they are dramatic during the rainy season. A small entry fee applies. The water is controlled by a huge Chinese-built dam upriver, but they usually release some water on Sunday for the tourists.

M'Baïki

Southwest of Bangui and surrounded by rainforest, M'Baïki is in a timber, coffee and tobacco growing area. It's also the stopping-off point for visiting nearby Baka encampments. One bus and several pick-ups leave Bangui each day from K-Cinq. About 10km (6.2mi) northeast of M'Baïki is the village of Sabe, worth visiting for its ebony sculptures.