One of the most unique things Gabon has to offer is its tropical coastline with paradiscal sandy beaches marking the frontier of the magical rainforests behind it, guarding its secrets with many parts relatively unspoilt. Even though Gabon is an oil-country it has succeeded in preserving much of its nature and it has healthy wildlife populations. It is not uncommon to see large mammals such as buffaloes and elephants roaming the coast. Even better, Gabon is even famous for its surfing hippos which come all the way into the ocean, which is unique in the world. Though rare, it’s also not impossible to see leopards sneaking around in the sand, looking for easy prey. In the water we can find a large variety of species such as turtles, dolphins and even humpback whales (depending on the season).
On this budget tour you’ll get a really good introduction of what Gabon’s coast has to offer. We’ll go by boat to Port-Gentil, the second most important city in Gabon and the most important seaport. Even though it has a well developed oil and gas industry and a population of around 130.000 inhabitants, it feels more like a coastal town, really, with beautiful beaches and great sea food. Near Cap Lopez, the peninsula of Port Gentil is also the most western point in Gabon! It’s pretty quiet compared to the capital, but it’s still an important place for the petrol-industry, meaning the city attracts money and for its small size it has therefore a few spots where one can relax on unspoilt sandy beaches near the Atlantic Ocean watching the boats go by. The forest is never too far off and with a 4×4 or a boat you don’t have to go far to be in the rainforest abundant with wildlife. During the whale season you can spot whales not too far off the beach as well.
The morning after, we’ll continue towards Omboué by boat where we’ll follow the coastline and have beautiful views of the rainforest.
Omboué is a small, but charming town and we’ll visit a few interesting sites such as the Sainte-Anne Mission with the highlight being the church built by Gustave Eiffel in Paris and transported in pieces to St. Anne, where it was built in 1889. It’s nestled in between an oasis of green and provides an excellent photo opportunity. If open during that period, we’ll also have a stroll on Gorilla Island, which is a sanctuary for gorillas designed to reintegrate gorillas back into the wild. During our tour we’ll have the opportunity to watch the rainforest surrounding the river with its large variety of colorful birds and it’s not uncommon to see crocodiles or hippos on the way!
After two days in Omboué we’ll go into Loango National Park where we’ll stay at a basic, but charming bungalow on the beach. It doesn’t really get any better than this, the view of the ocean, the forest in the back and the opportunity to see plenty of animals such as elephants and buffaloes. During your stay you’ll be shown around the park on foot and also by 4×4! The Loango National Park is probably the most famous park in all of Gabon and is famous for its surfing hippos, which can be seen in David Attenborough’s ‘Africa’. With it’s 1.550 km² it also comprises the 220 km² lagoon of Iguela and offers pristine beaches, forest, savanna and mangroves. It’s not rare to see mammals such as hippos, buffaloes and elephants venturing on the white beaches and even leopards and gorillas sometimes dare to walk in the sand.
After South-Africa, Loango’s coast has the largest concentration and variety of whales and dolphins with over 100 kilometers of nearly untouched coastline. While the dolphins are permanent residents, humpback whales are migratory and visit the coast from June until November to breed, just like leatherback turtles which have found refuge on Loango’s beaches and come to lay their eggs.
Loango is definitely one of the most beautiful spots on the western coast of Africa and is a true paradise where forest, savanna, mangrove, wetlands, lagoon and ocean all come together. It’s also known for its large fish, especially tarpon, which are some of the biggest in Africa. Since 2003 the area has been a national park and has only few inhabitants inside and a few lodges receiving only a handful of tourists, which means the animals have a huge area for themselves where they can benefit from protection against poachers and other threats.
After two nights in this tropical paradise, it’s time to go back to Omboué for another night, where we’ll wait for the next boat to go back to Port Gentil. To gain time, we’ll take a flight back to Libreville.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Transport to Port Gentil by ferry. Exploring of town and hotel in town.
Day 2: Transport to Omboué by boat. During the afternoon we’ll discover the town.
Day 3: Further exploration of the lagoon surrounding Omboué, with a visit to Saint-Anne and Gorilla Island.
Day 4: Transfer to your accommodation in Loango National Park. Lunch and dinner included. Safari during the afternoon.
Day 5: Full day in Loango National Park with safari walk and safari by car. All meals included.
Day 6: After breakfast back to Omboué, where we’ll spend another night while waiting for the boat.
Day 7: Transfer to Port Gentil by boat and plane to Libreville in the afternoon. End of tour.
Based on tariffs using public boats. For private boat rental, the price has to be modified. Please, know that the ferry schedules have become irregular due to covid. It’s possible we’d have to alter the programme by changing one or two ways by plane. That would mean the price will go up. We hope soon there will be enough ferries again. Please, be sure to contact us to set up this trip. We do our best to offer you the best possible price, but it demands careful planning. The schedule does not include transport back to Libreville.
Includes:
– Transport during the whole trip: ferry, boat, car where needed, except plane to go back to Libreville not included!
– Professional guide during the whole trip who’ll make sure everything goes smooth.
– Accommodation on day 1 until day 6.
– Guided boat tour around the lagoon in Omboué.
– Stay in Loango National Park for two nights, full board with safari walks and drives included.
Does not include:
– All meals except the ones in Loango National park.
– Plane ticket from Port Gentil to Libreville.
– Drinks.
– Travel insurance.
– Tips.
– PCR-tests.
Please, allow yourself 1 or 2 buffer days in Libreville in case of any problems we might encounter on the road such as heavy rain, cancelled ferries and others.
Bring adequate clothing, good walking shoes, enough socks, swimming clothes, light rain jacket, backpack, sun cream, mosquito repellent, torch, plenty of water and medication. Be sure that you have good insurance as we’re not responsible for any accidents.
