Hippos Watching Tour

Summary: Our guide, Kanga, was friendly, attentive and informative. He spoke both English and French. The hike was short, but a bit of a scramble that left us breathless. What really left us breathless was seeing hippos in their natural habitat. We were in awe. We enjoyed all the Ivorian favorites: attieke, alloco, and piment, and pate de chouz; plus grilled chicken, potatoes, ignames, and fresh vegetables served with bissap and bottled waters. After lunch, we had some time to enjoy the scenery and relax in hammocks in a quiet grove of trees. A few things to note: 1) The experience may vary depending on how far down the river the hippos may be; 2) the drive is long; 3) I would recommend bringing extra water for the drive/hike; 4) “Bini” is a person, not one place. He set up several “wilderness retreats,” all called “Bini,” which can be confusing. I haven’t tried the other Bini experiences, but I can’t image anything better than seeing hippos; 4) We booked through Viator, but Train and Travel is the company who arranged the event; 5) We felt completely safe as there was a steep bank separating us from the hippos.

Summary: On other African animal tours, you spend a lot of time seeing nothing as you watch out for something elusive. On this tour, you're taken right to the hippos favourite spot. We saw a family group of about 13, all happily yo-yo-ing up and down in the shallow water, snorting and huffing, but looking playful and peaceful as we watched on. The food back at base camp was FANTASTIC - locally caught fish, grilled shrimp and tasty chicken wings, with salad sides, yams, potatoes and more! And there's a bit of a 'strong spirit ceremony' before such that you need to be strong for! Kanga was my tour guide and he was THE BEST - friendly, supportive and passionate about what he does. So, than you Train & Travel for a great experience!