Lope National Park covers an area of 5,360 square kilometres. The landscape is a striking patchwork of dense forest and contrasting open savannah plains. One of Lope’s highlights is its mandrill population, which are particularly visible from July to August when they congregate in groups of a hundred or more. There are an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 lowland gorillas in the national park, again most often sighted in the dry season. Visitors are also likely to see elephant, buffalo, sitatunga and other primates such as mangebeys, putty-nosed monkeys and moustached monkeys. Accommodation options are scarce in Lope and visitors will usually stay at Mikongo Camp, a basic research station. From Mikongo, guests can join researchers on forest walks to search for the primates, forest elephants and birds.