Central African Republic Top Things To See & Do

• Discover the present-day capital, Bangui, which rests beside the River Ubangi. Built on a rock, Bangui is shaded by tropical greenery and features many modern buildings. Places of interest include the colourful Central Market (renowned for its malachite necklaces), the Boganda Museum, the Arts and Crafts School, the cathedral and the Saint Paul Mission, whose small brick church overlooks the river, and the Hausa quarter. The Grande Corniche leads to the banks of the Ubangi and provides a picturesque view of the fishermen’s round huts and canoes.

• See indigenous forest tribes living in encampments of small, low huts made of lianas and roofed with leaves in the Lobaye Region, 100km (60 miles) from the capital. There are coffee plantations on the fringe of the forest.

• Watch the flow of the Boali Waterfalls, near the charming and picturesque village of Boali. They are 250m (820ft) wide and 50m (165ft) high, with a stunning view from the restaurant at the top. The nearby hydroelectric power plant can also be visited.

• At Bouar, in the east of the country, see burial mounds thought to be thousands of years old, studded with upright megaliths (tanjunu).

• In Bangassou, near the Ubangi River on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, venture to the extraordinary Kembe Falls on the River Kotto.

• In the dry season, take a 4-wheel-drive vehicle and spot some wildlife in the Central African Republic's national parks. The three most important parks are Manovo-Gounda St Floris, known for its high concentration of hippos; Bamingui-Bangoran in the north; and Dzanga-Sangha in the southwest. The game population of these national parks is impressive, although the activities of poachers have led to a considerable decrease in recent years - elephants and rhinos being the worst affected species. It is also possible to view gorillas in Bayanga.

• Try shooting some hoops: basketball is Africa's most popular sport and a good way to forge connections with the people of the Central African Republic.

• See some rare examples of beautifully forged wooden houses in the town of Zinga on the Oubangui river.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.