Explore Gabon and the beautiful Lopé and Loango National Parks.
Join us on an incredible journey exploring remote and beautiful Gabon. Our nine-night safari focuses on the Lopé and Loango National Parks. We will hike, kayak, and boat our way through some of the region’s most beautiful and biologically diverse landscapes. Wildlife highlights include a wilderness coastline visited by forest mammals, hippos surfing in the waves, gallery forests home to rare and endemic primates, abundant birdlife, gorilla tracking, and the chance of encountering some of the continent’s most enigmatic species.
| Starts in Libreville | Ends in Libreville | Duration: 10 days | Accommodation: Mid-range to Luxury |
** ALL OUR SAFARIS ARE FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE TO FIT YOUR REQUIREMENTS AND SUIT YOUR TRAVEL DATES
Highlights:
• Lopé National Park–
First protected area in Gabon – UNESCO World Heritage Site. Important refuge to over 1400 endangered Mandrills
• Loango National Park–
Most unique wildlife watching spots on the planet
• Mandrill Expedition
Summary:
| Day 1 | Libreville |
| Day 2 | Libreville to Lopé National Park |
| Day 3-4 | Lopé National Park |
| Day 5 | Lopé National Park to Lambaréné |
| Day 6 | Lambaréné to Loango National Park |
| Day 7-9 | Loango National Park |
| Day 10 | Loango National Park – Port Gentil – Libreville – Departure |
Day to Day Itinerary
DAY 1:
Libreville – Upon arrival at the Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. You will be welcomed by our ground personnel and transferred to your hotel for your night’s accommodation. With some time to relax and get use to the tropical climate of Gabon you can enjoy a late afternoon stroll on the beach or a sundowner on the hotel’s terrace. Libreville is set along the coast of the Central African country of Gabon, Libreville is the largest city and capital of the nation. This laid back yet vibrant and bustling port city features a palm-lined sea front boulevard dotted with parks and 20-foot Gabonese sculptures overlooking the gleaming coastline.
DAY 2:
Libreville – Lopé National Park – After a lovely morning at leisure, you will depart in the afternoon to Owendo Station (Setrag) – Boarding at 17h00pm on the train Omnibus or Express on route to Lope National Park. We will arrival in Lope around 01h30am. You will be picked up from the train station and transferred to Lope Hotel where you will overnight.
DAY 3-4:
Lopé National Park – This morning after breakfast we will enjoy doing some hikes in the area and visit some of the archaeological sites while exploring Lopé National Park. Lopé National Park’s vast wilderness covers 5,360km2 of virgin forest and intersects pockets of misty savannahs in its northern boundary. The first protected area in Gabon which was established in 1946, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed Park nurtures one of Africa’s most important prehistoric sites and ecologically significant reserves for primates.
Keeping company with large herds of Forest Elephants, Forest Buffalo and a variety of smaller mammals are Leopard, Golden Cat, Red River Hog, Sitatunga, Yellow Backed Duiker and various species of monkeys and apes — 4000 Western Lowland Gorillas, Chimpanzee and Sun-Tailed Guenon. An endemic species to Gabon, this long tailed monkey was only discovered just over three decades ago and lives within the hidden forests of the northern end of the park. On our next day you will get the opportunity to go on a tracking expedition in search of the Mandrills. Although some individuals are fitted with radio and GPS collars, it may still require a bit of a hike. Depending on their location, the visit should last about 3 – 4 hours. You will be back to Lope for lunch after this extraordinary experience. In the afternoon, you will enjoy kayaking on the Ogooué river. You will be back at the hotel around 17h30pm. Where you will enjoy your last dinner in Lopé.
DAY 5:
Lope National Park – Lambaréné – After breakfast we will make our way to Lambaréné town. The drive to Lambaréné through Lope’s beautiful scenery takes up to 5 hours. You will stop for lunch in the colourful meal market of Ndjole town before continuing towards Lambaréné. At Lambaréné you will visit the Albert Schweitzer Hospital Museum and overnight in the town. The Albert Schweitzer Hospital, situated on the bank of the Ogoouée River in a tropical rain forest in Western Gabon, has served as the primary source of healthcare for the surrounding region since Doctor Schweitzer founded it in 1913. Today, an international staff of Gabonese and expatriate professionals provide skilled care for over 35,000 outpatient visits and more than 6,000 hospitalisations annually for patients from all parts of Gabon. Two surgeons and their teams carry out close to 2,200 operations annually. Most of the 160 members of the staff live in the hospital compound, which gives the hospital the feel of a village. Through support from the Gabonese government and Schweitzer organizations around the world, patients today find a modern medical facility that includes two operating rooms, a dental clinic, an inpatient ward for paediatric, adult medicine, surgical, and obstetrical patients.
DAY 6:
Lambaréné – Loango National Park – After breakfast this morning, you will travel down the mighty Ogooué river to the lagoon village of Omboué. This boat ride will last around 6 hours. Once we reach Omboué, you will be transferred in a 4×4 vehicle for the last 50 km leading to Loango National Park on a laterite road for 40 km, before joining a small bush track for the last 10 km to “Loango’s park board offices”. This drive takes up to 1hr30 minutes. After registering at the parks board offices, you will start your journey by crossing the Iguela lagoon by boat to Loango Camps, where you can settle in your tent and enjoy the camp hospitality. After lunch you will go on your safari adventure inside the park then back to the camp in time to freshen up and be ready for dinner.
Loango National Park is the jewel in the crown of Gabon’s 13 parks and offers one the world’s most exhilarating safari experiences: thanks to its combination of scenery and wildlife. It is indeed magical Forest Elephants can be seen on the beach during the rainy season from November to April each year. If lucky during safari activities, you stand a chance to see Forest Elephants as mentioned above, surfing Hippos; Buffalos, Red River hog Monkeys, Chimpanzees, Gorillas, the three types of Crocodiles (Nile, Slender-snouted and Dwarf) and many rare bird species such as Rosy Bee-eaters and the River Martin while enjoying a sunset game drive or walking safaris along the beach.
DAY 7-9:
Loango National Park – Today you will be up early enjoying breakfast at 06h00am and departure at 07h00am to Yatouga by boat Via Point Sitatunga. You will visit the Gorilla de Loango project. This project is the result of years and years of investment and hard work, which resulted in the first, properly habituated, lowland gorilla group in Gabon which first opened to tourist in 2016. You will meet up with the research team and be given a briefing about the visit. After the briefing you will depart by boat and then enter the forest on foot following a team of Pygmy master trackers whose daily task it is to track Kamaya, the western lowland gorilla silverback, and his family, including two youngsters.
Once contact is made with the gorilla group, you will have the chance to observe them from close-up (often 10 – 15 meters). It is an incredible experience watching these great apes in their natural habitat doing what gorillas do for a living. You will enjoy lunch at Yatouga, and then an afternoon safari activity on your way back to the camp. This morning after breakfast you will get the opportunity to discover another part of Africa’s last great coastal wilderness. During your days in Loango National Park, you shall experience a combination of morning and afternoon 4×4, boat and walking safaris. In addition, a night safari is sometimes offered depending on the season. Every day, you will return to the camp just before sunset to be able to freshen up before dinner and a night under canvas in a true nature paradise.
DAY 10:
Loango National Park – Port Gentil – Libreville – Departure – Your last morning you will have a choice to either rest in camp or enjoy a safari of your choice. After lunch you will depart at 12h30pm for Port Gentil International Airport arriving in time for your domestic flight to Libreville and then onwards for your international flight back home. Depending on flight times we can arrange an extra night’s accommodation in Libreville if needed.