5-Day Niger River Cruise and W National Park Tour with Touagan Bauche

• Arrive in Niamey in the evening and transfer to the hotel for an overnight stay.

• After breakfast, depart on the majestic Niger River toward W National Park by motorized boat. Have a picnic lunch and continue in a motorized dugout canoe as you explore the bird island.
• Stop at small villages to enjoy their lively and colourful markets, and watch zebus cross the river with their herdsmen swimming in their wake.
• Depart Niamey from Kennedy Bridge and greet fishers in their small canoes.
• Spend the night on islands filled with migratory birds amid typical savanna vegetation. Enjoy unforgettable hours under the sky, followed by an evening meal of fish bought by the cook directly from nearby fishers and barbecued over the campfire.

Spend the night in a bivouac on the Island of Touagan Bauche.

• After breakfast, take a 2 km trek around the island and visit the village.
• Then, board a pinnace to explore the village of Touagan Bauche.
• Go down the river to Djeme and its fabulous market. See the yellow and brown market, ocher cliffs, and dunes all the way to the gate of W Park.

Dinner and overnight in camp.

We will spend the rest of the trip discovering the rich fauna and splendid landscapes of the Réserve du W.

SAVANA LODGE

• Savana Lodge offers a unique and authentic African savannah experience for watching wild animals. It is built on the banks of the Mekrou River, a tributary of the Niger, in the middle of Park W. It offers comfortable bungalows, a restaurant-bar, and a BBQ area. Solar energy is used in the lodge for perfect harmony with nature.

EXTENDED STAYS AND EXCURSIONS

• Savana Lodge also offers excursions and stays by choice. The fishing and photograph safari on days 4 and 5 are free and included. However, you may choose to extend your stay and add activities ahead of time or on the spot.

PICTURE SAFARI

• Discover Park W with a ranger who will take you on a patrol day. Learn to recognize animals and their tracks. A special certificate is given to children at the end of the safari.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SAFARI

• The area of the park, and the Mekrou River in particular, contains many archaeological sites, including the oldest, characterized by carved stone tools from the age of -200,000 years. Discover numerous metallurgical sites that show an ancient tradition of iron production.

SAFARI SPORTFISHING

• The fresh waters of the Mekrou River are rich in several fish species, including the legendary freshwater captain fish and catfish. Come and enjoy your stay fishing at the lodge.

• Enjoy a breakfast safari along with fishing on the Niger River, then transfer back to Niamey.