Tapoa is the park headquarters on the Niger side, the only place inside the park with accommodation and ranger services. The camp is basic — bungalows, a small canteen, and no air conditioning — but it is well-positioned for early morning game drives and evening walks along the nearby watercourse.
Park entry fees and guide fees are paid here. Rangers must accompany all vehicle excursions, which is a firm rule and not worth arguing about: they know where the animals are and they know where the tracks become impassable after rain.
The camp itself sits at the edge of a grove of Acacia and Faidherbia trees, with warthogs and ground squirrels wandering the perimeter at dusk. It is a good place to sit quietly with a beer after a long day of driving and feel appropriately far from everywhere.