On this trip we will visit the essential northern parks of the country. While Gabon is such an amazing country with a huge offer of unique landscapes, an abundance of wildlife and massive potential for tourism and fishing, it is still a very wild place with little infrastructure and few visitors. This means that tourism is little developed with mosty basic accommodation at high prices. We will cut as many expenses as we can by using public transport. This is a BUDGET trip, meaning we will take a taxi-brousse or train whenever we can. Busses have no air conditioning and will be bumpy at times, although that would also be the case in a 4×4. It is however possible to go by 4 x 4, please contact us if you want to upgrade this tour and know it will alter the price drastically.
Please know that this is Central Africa and allow yourself always one or two buffer days in Libreville in case of transport delays caused by rainfall and make sure you have enough time to get your PCR-results. We are not responsible for anyone missing their flight because of this.
First on the menu is Lopé National Park, which is Gabon’s oldest national park totalling 485.000 ha, bordered by the Ogooué River and around 400 km from Libreville. The majority of the park consists of monsoon forest, but it also has some grass savanna. During the end of the Ice Age the forest started dominating the open savannah, but there are some areas of savannah which have survived as the average annual rainfall is not enough for the forest to grow there as the area is one of the driest in the country. There have also been remnants from the Stone Age and Iron Age found, meaning that there have been people in the region for 400.000 years. These inhabitants most likely tried to control their environment by burning the savannah to clear the area and therefore helped pushing back the forest. In 2007 Lopé NP was added to the world heritage list by UNESCO. There is a small research station and an abandoned forest camp inside.
This beautiful park is home to more than 400 bird species, which is more than the half of species recorded in all of Gabon. Besides birds, there are plenty of mammals living in the forest and it’s known for its primates. Lopé is particularly known for its large mandrill groups. It’s not uncommon to see groups up to a few hundred mandrills. The largest gathering ever recorded of any primate species in the world, was a mandrill group of 1.350 individuals! If you want to see mandrills, it is best to come during the dry season, which is from July until mid September. Although sightings are never guaranteed, it’s common to see mandrills while visiting the park. We also offer mandrill excursions with tracked mandrills with the help from the local research team, but as this a specialised tour by itself, it’s best to contact us. Besides mandrills, we also find healthy populations of lowland gorillas as well as chimpanzees. It’s also possible to spot several monkeys such white-nosed monkeys and black colobus.
We start our budget tour using the jungle train which runs from Libreville all the way to Lopé National Park! Once we arrive we’ll be using simple local accommodation for our first night. During the next two days we’ll explore the park on foot, camping in the forest, while cooking ourselves and going deep into the park. As the forest is really dense, it’s not easy to see animals. As we’ll be with trained guides and eco-guards, we’ll have several eyes on us, which will help us to look around. Be sure to bring a good torch with you, so we can look for more elusive night animals. After our jungle trek, we’ll have a drive in a safari vehicle to cover some more ground in order to see more of the park and in the end we’ll have a hike up on Mount Brazza. Hiking to the mountain takes around half a day and will help you see how enormous the forest really is. It also offers breathtaking views on the valley and is a great photo opportunity. After one last night at the local hotel we’ll take a rented 4 x 4 all the way to Ivindo National Park, which will take all day and we’ll most likely arrive late at night.
Ivindo National Park comprises 3.000 km2 and was created in 2002 by President Bongo, and is currently managed by the WCS and the ANPN. Since 2021 it has been listed as a world heritage site. The park is famous for the spectacular Kongou and Mingouli waterfalls of the Ivindo River. The Kongou Falls are over 3 kilometers wide and up to 56 meters high and are one of the most spectacular sites in the country. We go visit the falls by taking a pirogue, which takes a few hours to get there. The park also includes the Ipassa Makokou Biosphere Reserve and Langoué Baï, which is a forest clearing. The baï is around one kilometer by 300 meters wide and has a small camp used by the WCS to monitor wildlife in the park. The mineral-rich soil attracts several animals, especially forest elephants who come to feed on the saline soil. The frequent visits of the elephants helps the survival of the baï as they’re constantly digging in the dirt and making it impossible for new trees to grow. Buffaloes also roam the clearance, often accompanied by sitatungas, red river hogs, mangabeys, several bird species and even gorillas. You can watch the show from the platform which is located next to the baï.
With its 300.000 ha the park offers both Atlantic coastal forest and semi-deciduous forest. It’s a haven for wildlife and has healthy populations of lowland gorillas and chimpanzees. We also find mandrills, monkeys, leopards, African golden cats, three different species of pangolins, buffalos, red river hogs, hippos, bongos, sitatungas and large groups of forest elephants. The park also is home to tons of bird species (over 430) and it’s not uncommon to see African grey parrots. During your visit you will also see a large variety of colorful butterflies.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Jungle train leaving from Libreville in the late afternoon. Arrival at night, local hotel. Meals not included. Accommodation included.
Day 2: Meeting up with the team and the first day of your jungle trek. We’ll be on the lookout for mandrills, monkeys, chimpanzees, duikers, red river hogs, pangolins, elephants, buffaloes and gorillas. Camping at the forest, simple meals prepared at campsite.
Day 3: More forest exploration on foot. Camping in the forest and simple meals prepared at the campsite.
Day 4: Safari by 4 x 4 and hike to Mount Brazza summit. Night at a local hotel. Dinner not included.
Day 5: Today we will go in a 4×4 to go to a village near Ivindo National Park. You will sleep in Makokou or Loaloa, depending on availability.
Day 6: Today we will go to the Kongou Falls, which will take us three to four hours to get there and provide us opportunities to see the forest and its inhabitants from your canoe. In the afternoon we’ll go for a hike in the afternoon and will then return back to our camp.
Day 7: Visit to the Bouila N’a Ngondé Falls by combination of hiking and taking a canoe and explore the area around. Sleeping at the camp.
Day 8: Half day march in the forest with opportunities to see animals and get to know more about the area. Return to the village.
Day 9: The long way back to Libreville by public bus!
Included:
– Transport by train/bus from Libreville to Lopé National Park.
– Transport in between Lopé National Park and Ivindo National Park
– Accommodation during the whole trip in basic accommodation and tents.
– Meals during camping, not in hotels.
– Camping in Ivindo National Park with meals included.
– Camping in Lopé National Park with meals included.
– Safari-activities, guided walks, boat tours in both National Parks.
– National Park entries for Lopé National Park, not Ivindo National Park.
– Guidance by a professional local guide and team
– Visit to the waterfalls in Ivindo National Park .
Not included:
– Taxi-Brousse from Ivindo National Park to Libreville. We can arrange a car for you to pick you up, please contact.
– Park entry fees in Ivindo (around 5.000 xaf/person/day)
– Meals at the hotel/village near Ivindo NP and Lopé NP when not camping/in the park.
– Meals and drinks in Libreville.
– Meals and drinks on the bus and train.
– Alcoholic beverages and sodas.
– Tips.
– Insurance.
Please, allow yourself 2 or 3 buffer days in Libreville in case of any problems we might encounter on the road such as heavy rain and massive potholes. You need to be fit enough to walk in the forest and up the mountain. Please, bring a lightweight tent, adequate clothing, mosquito repellent, extra water and energy bars/quick sugars and good shoes. It’s also best to bring your own sleeping mat and sheets. Do not forget your passport and yellow fever vaccination proof. Be sure to have your PCR-tests in order for domestic traveling. It’s best to contact us before booking this trip so we can discuss the details with you.
