Gabon travel guide

‘Africa’s last Eden’ is covered in dense rainforest and filled with a wonderland of wildlife, from gorillas and chimps to elephants and sea turtles. Our Gabon travel guide explores how to travel in and around this virtually unknown country, where hippos wander along beaches, local communities still practice traditional hunting and spiritual ceremonies, and rare birds inhabit vast wetlands.

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Gabon travel guide

Abundant wildlife may not be a unique attribute for an African country, but how about the opportunity to encounter gorillas and chimpanzees in the same stretch of forest, or elephants and hippos strolling along a beach? How about witnessing leatherback turtles nesting on that same stretch of sand, or humpback whales breaching offshore? And what about rare manatees, bobbing around in networks of lagoons? This is certainly no Big-Five-from-a-jeep-type encounter.

Gabon woke up to its own astonishing natural wealth in 2002, when it created all 13 of its national parks. The rest of the world continues to slumber, however, in peaceful oblivion.

Gabon confounds expectations in other ways, too. It is peaceful and conflict free, despite its 40 ethnic groups, many of whom still lead traditional lifestyles: subsistence farming, fishing and hunting. Oil has made Gabon rich, as can be seen in its contemporary coastal capital, Libreville, with its high end restaurants and chic seafront. Tours of Gabon will immerse you in both its nature and its fascinating culture, both wonderfully preserved and largely unknown to the outside world. Find out more in our Gabon travel guide.

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Gabon is…

one of the most forested countries in the world, with almost 80 percent of its land covered in jungle.

Gabon isn’t…

English speaking. French is the official language here and it is widely spoken alongside local languages.

Things to do in Gabon…

Over three quarters of Gabon is forested, and around 10 percent of its land is protected by 13 national parks. This has led to an astonishing proliferation of wildlife – from forest elephants and buffalos, to hippos which wander down to the beachfront. Chimpanzees inhabit these tropical forests, too, as well as lowland gorillas, which can be tracked with local guides. Loango National Park is your best bet for seeing a variety of jungle and ocean dwelling species, including turtles and humpbacks, when in season. Gabon’s little known culture is pretty awesome too. There are around 40 ethnic groups here, including the Baka pygmies, who are the oldest tribe in the region. Visiting a Baka village introduces you to their hunter gatherer traditions, their beliefs and their music. Another tribe you may meet is the Mitshogo, who have an animistic belief system called Bwiti. Jim O’Brien, from our supplier Native Eye Travel, says witnessing a Bwiti ceremony was one of his favourite experiences in Gabon: “Bwiti is a religion that originated with the pygmies in the forest but has become more popular in mainstream Gabonese society. It’s centred around the use of the psychoactive root iboga and participants drum, dance and chant all night to summon spirits and engage in healing processes, while covered in white make up and sporting traditional costumes. It’s quite a powerful experience.”

Things not to do in Gabon…

Buy anything made from wildlife. Central Africa is immensely biodiverse. Unfortunately, it also has a terrible record when it comes to poaching. It goes without saying that you should never buy souvenirs made from wildlife – including teeth, bones, skins and tortoiseshell, which in fact is made from endangered sea turtle shells. Avoid bushmeat, which is widely sold here, including antelope, porcupine and monkey. It contributes to the decimation of species, and can transmit nasty diseases, too. Turtle eggs should also be off the menu. Expect an established tourism destination. Accommodation may be ‘rustic’, service may not be quite what you anticipate, guides may still be learning the ropes, roads get washed away and English is barely spoken. But this is all part of being a pioneering traveller to a still developing tourism destination; embrace it as part of the experience of Gabon. Travel on a budget. It’s costly just to reach Gabon, and once here, you’ll realise shoestring travel is definitely not an option. Independent travel is extremely difficult, you’ll need 4x4s to tackle the rough roads, guides are needed for exploring the national parks and increasing chances of wildlife sightings, and you can’t really just wander into a village by yourself, either. Small group tours reduce costs a little, but ultimately you need to accept that this is a unique and incredibly rewarding holiday in a rarely visited country – you will definitely get what you pay for.