10 day Safari visiting Lambarené, Lope and Loango National Parks
Gabon is a natural paradise little known by the Western traveller. The ‘jewel in the crown’ of Gabon’s natural park’s is Loango National Park, where there’s almost no humans living around the park and wild animals live protected by the rivers surrounding this natural part of Central Africa. You can easily spot big mammals such as the forest elephant, red forest buffalo, red river hogs with furry ears, sitatunga, duikers, a variety of monkeys, a huge array of birds, western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees. You will also visit Lope National Park with the most beautiful landscape of Gabon and look for Mandrils troops, and will navigate in the Ogooue and Akaka River and in the lagoons Fernan Vaz and Iguela.
Day 1 – Libreville, Gabon
You will be met on arrival in Libreville airport and transferred to your hotel for overnight.
- Hotel Residence Oceane Hotel / Onomo Hotel or similar
Days 2 – Libreville / Night train to Lope village
Enjoy a free morning for independent activity, perhaps visit the nearby beach for a swim. At 16h:00 you will be transferred to the railway station for the train departing for Lope at 18h:50. You arrive in Lope around 01h00 and are transferred to your hotel for overnight.
- Included Meals: B
- LOPE HOTEL or similar
Days 3 & 4 – Lope National Park
Spend two days exploring Lope National Park with amazing landscapes and a mosaic of savannas and forests and mountains. Many species of wildlife make their home here and you have the possibility to observe forest elephants, buffaloes, mandrils (June-July).
- Included Meals: B
- LOPE HOTEL or similar
Days 5 – Lope National Park
More time game viewing in the Lope National Park and also to do a trek to the Mount Brazza. In the evening return to the train station to board the train to Ndjole.
- Included Meals: B
Day 6 – Ndjole / Lambarené
You arrive in Ndjole at 04h00 and got to the Hotel Papaye or similar for a short rest until 08h00 when you have breakfast before continuing your trip.
The journey today is to the colonial town of Lambarené, a river island town famous for its many natural lakes with several endemic bird and fish species and the Albert Schweitzer Hospital and Museum. This unique hospital was established in 1913 by Doctor Albert Schweitzer. Its Medical Research Unit is one of the leading scientific institutions in Africa working to end the scourge of malaria, and also serves as a highly regarded training site for African physicians and scientists. Visit the hospital, the house (now museum) of Albert Schweitzer and its beautiful natural surroundings.
- Included Meals: B,L,D
- Albert Schweitzer Hospital Guestrooms
Day 7 – Lambarené / Lakes / Ogooué River / Omboué / Loango
In the morning travel by motor boat to Omboué town along the Ogooué River. The trip lasts around 5 hours and it is just amazing. You get a real feeling of how the first explorers felt navigating along the Africa tropical rivers. Your journey from Omboué continues by 4×4 vehicle to the Iguela Lagoon in the Loango National Park, beautifully situated between the forest (with parts of savanna) and the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy walks on the beautiful beach.
- Included Meals: B,L,D
- Loango Lodge
Days 8 – Loango National Park (Gorillas and Akaka River)
Time is spent exploring the Park by pirogue and foot. The eco-system at Loango is one of the richest and most complex in Central Africa: here, we find mangroves, beaches, river forest, Congolese forest and inland forest with huge trees, and even tropical meadows. A true mosaic of landscapes with breathtaking vegetation and wildlife. The traveler can easily spot big mammals such as the forest elephant, red forest buffalo, red river hogs with furry ears, hippos, etc. Inside the park’s lagoons it is possible to observe the slender snouted crocodiles, sitatunga, duikers, a variety of monkeys, a huge array of birds, western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees.
Today you visit the recently opened habituated Gorillas project of Loango and continue to the Akaka River for wildlife game viewing.
- Included Meals: B,L,D
- Akaka Camp
Day 9 – Loango National Park (Akaka / Iguela Lagoon)
Spend time exploring in Akaka and enjoying the wild beaches of the area. Return to the Iguela lagoon for overnight.
- Included Meals: B,L,D
- Loango Lodge
Day 10 – Loango / Port Gentil / Libreville
Depart after breakfast for the return to Omboue by 4 x 4 vehicle then on by boat to Port Gentil, Gabon’s economic capital, a journey of about 3-4 hrs through interesting rivers and lagoons. On arrival in Port Gentil, transfer to the airport for your 30 minute flight to Libreville departing at 17h20 and arriving in time for your international flight departure.
- Included Meals: B, Picnic Lunch