Roughly the size of France, the CAR is surrounded on all sides by other nations, which, in a clockwise direction from the south, read: Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaïre, capital: Kinshasa), Republic of the Congo (capital: Brazzaville), Cameroon, Chad and Sudan. The country is mostly undulating land or flat plateau at around 600m (1968ft) above sea level. Dense tropical forests grow in the south, but that gradually thins as you move north and withers into Sahelian scrub in the northeast corner. The Bongo Massif near the border with Sudan rises to 1330m (4362ft) and the Yadé Massif along the Cameroon border rises to 1420m (4576ft). The Oubangui River forms the southern boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Those with the big bucks get to shoot the big bucks. Hunting safaris are still a huge business in the CAR, and have been ever since the French arrived a century ago and began parcelling up the land into hunting estates. If you've got US$30,000 to spare you can get your kicks shooting giant elands and bongos (types of spiral-horned antelopes), lions and leopards dead in their tracks. Until recently you could even contribute to the destruction of the elephant population. If you don't have the cash, or have a more live-and-let-live attitude to wildlife, there's always your camera, and the photo opportunities are dauntingly large. The CAR is renowned for its population of forest elephants, slightly smaller and with straighter tusks than their plains cousins. Parks include the Bamingui-Bangoran National Park in the northeast, the smaller St Floris National Park farther east and the recently created Dzanga-Ndoki Park and the surrounding Dzanga-Sangha Reserve in the south.

The rainy season lasts six months in the south of the country (May to October), diminishing progressively to four months (June to September) as you head north. The mercury can climb to 40°C (104°F) in the north between February and May, and the humidity can be oppressive.

The CAR will put a happy grin on the face of most budget travellers. It's cheap, and if you're careful, eat in the markets or on street stalls and stay in the cheapest accommodation (or camp in the bush for free) you could get by easily on US$15-20 a day. But if you're used to a few more creature comforts and like to splurge occasionally, expect to pay around US$50 a day, which will get you more restaurant meals and more of a choice with accommodation. It would be difficult to spend a lot more than US$100 a day, unless you are mugged often or constantly stay in the best hotels, eat out at the best restaurants and go drinking and dancing every night.

The exchange rate for cash is much lower than for travellers' cheques, but the two banks that change cheques charge commissions. The Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidental (BIAO) charges about US$4.50 whatever the size of the transaction, and the Union Bancaire en Afrique Centrale charges a 1% commission. Bangui and Berbérati are the only places where you can change money, so you'll have to organise your trip and your finances around the banks there.

Tipping is a problem because there are few clear rules that can be applied to everyone. Africans generally don't tip, but a small amount is expected from wealthier Africans. It is related to the idea of a

Bargaining, on the other hand, is normal. Most travellers should expect the initial price to be three or more times the 'real' price. This is not always true; with African cloth sold by the metre and with gold and silver, don't expect to bargain. If you try, the seller is likely to refuse to deal with you any more.

Rain is the most important point to consider when planning a trip to the CAR, because a wet season downpour can strand you for days. In most of the CAR the best time to travel is from November to April, but the rains come by late February in the south and around Bangui. Most of the national parks are open year-round, but St Floris in the northeast is open only from 1 December to 15 May.