A small, sparsely populated country straddling the equator, Gabon has many resources: oil, minerals, woods, etc. Its vast forests, wild coast, spectacular landscapes and wildlife also offer enormous tourist potential. Still not very popular with international visitors, Gabon offers a unique experience to those who venture there. Pongara, Loango, Lopé, Ivindo, the Batéké plateaus... the network of its national parks impresses by its diversity and is enriched by the creation of marine protected areas. Gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants and forest buffaloes, humpback whales, leatherback turtles, waterfalls, bay ("clearing" in the Pygmy language), forest and savannah mosaics, mangroves, lagoons... the natural heritage of Gabon is enough to delight the most blasé ecotourists. The country will also satisfy lovers of sport fishing, but also ethnology (with about fifty ethnic groups, many ceremonies...), history (with great names: Savorgnan of Brazza, Schweitzer...), even prehistory (fossils of more than 2 billion years, Neolithic settlement along the Ogooué...). While traveling to Gabon remains quite expensive, the country enjoys a certain stability and gives the traveller a security that is quite unique in Central Africa. It is a land of adventures, of promises, a country that is still authentic, a delight for those seeking "green and blue" gold..

What to see, what to do Gabon?

When to go Gabon ?

To know when to go to Gabon, you must first know that the price of tickets increases during the Christmas vacations and the summer vacations (especially in August).

The year sees a succession of dry and rainy seasons. The long dry season (June to November) is followed by a short rainy season from October to December. A small dry season (from January to March) precedes a large rainy season from February to May. At any time of the year, and regardless of the season, Gabon has a particular appeal. However, it is advisable to visit the country in the dry season to be able to move more easily by the land routes of the interior. This is also an opportunity for those who fear the high humid heat to enjoy the country without suffering too much.

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Practical information for travel Gabon

Entre ses fabuleux parcs, ses magnifiques paysages et ses plages sauvages au bord de l'Atlantique, le Gabon offre une multitude d'itinéraires et de possibilités d'excursions. Toutefois, le pays étant recouvert en grande partie par la forêt équatoriale, certains sites sont difficiles d'accès. Pour les coins les plus reculés, il faut compter un mois de voyage pour tenter de les découvrir. Il faut faire preuve de débrouillardise et de beaucoup de patience, car les aléas climatiques, routiers et politiques restent aussi innombrables qu'imprévisibles. Les parcs de l'Ivindo ou de Moukalaba-Doudou ne seront connus que des plus téméraires voyageurs. Il est possible de s'aventurer en autonomie dans les villes et leurs alentours, et sur les grands axes routiers du pays. Cependant, pour s'orienter vers les sentiers moins battus, il est indispensable de se tourner vers une agence qui obtiendra diverses permissions et des guides expérimentés.

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How to go Gabon

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How to go alone

Going alone is possible. You can, from home, organize the broad outlines of your trip: duration, what you want to do, take your plane ticket and imagine a tour. However, you will not be able to finalize the details easily: frequent changes of days and hours of domestic flights, train schedules, changes of management on site.

How to go on a tour

The offers for Gabon are mainly focused on the natural aspect of the country: vision of fauna, flora and fishing activities. Among the many animal species to observe, a few stars: gorillas, mandrill, humpback whales, leatherback turtles. You will find safaris, hikes, ecotourism trips or fishing trips.

How to get around

It is very difficult to get around in Gabon; even Gabonese rarely know more than three cities in the country. As a general rule, transportation (planes, trains, river connections) in Gabon can be surprising and delayed. The road network, even if it is beginning to develop, is often impassable during the rainy season, while the main roads are much safer.

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Discover Gabon

Despite its wild territory, Gabon has been inhabited since prehistoric times by various indigenous peoples of the African continent. From the Pygmies to the Bantu ethnic groups, they arrived in migratory waves and sometimes mixed, dividing themselves into sub-groups. As in many African countries, Europeans, notably the French, colonized the territory and a slave trade developed along the coast. On independence, Gabon became a democratic country, with political elections. However, one-party rule was soon established. Omar Bongo remained in power for 42 years. This was followed by his son, Ali Bongo, until the coup d'état of August 2023. A predominantly Christian country, Gabon remains very attached to its traditions, particularly as regards ancestor worship. With a mainly utilitarian function, decorative crafts are not very well developed in the country.

Pictures and images Gabon

Vannerie de Libreville. cribea - iStockphoto.com
Vue aérienne de la Lopé. GABONTOUR
Plaine de Véra. Bernadette VOISIN
Parc national de la Lopé. Bernadette VOISIN

The 12 keywords Gabon

1. Assala

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Also known as the forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis), it is the emblematic animal of Gabon. This endemic species of the Congo Basin has the particularity of being small, not more than 3 m at the withers. It sneaks in the forests with more or less discretion. Its existence is endangered by intense poaching.

2. Bantu

Although the official language is French, a large number of ethnic groups in Central Africa are linked by their belonging to a common linguistic background, the Bantu language. In Gabon, we can mention some peoples, represented in number, such as the Fang, the Myéné, the Punu, the Mpongwè, the Eshira, the Nzebi or the Bakota.

3. Bwiti

Practiced by the ethnic groups of central Gabon, the bwiti cult, which mainly invokes deceased relatives, appears to be one of the most important esoteric traditions of the country. More than a religion, bwiti is considered a social structure representing local societies in terms of worship, teaching and therapy

4. Cut and cut

It is a popular dish that is eaten at any time of the day. In the street, vendors grill the meat, usually beef or mutton, over charcoal. It is then cut into small pieces, which are served in bread, with mustard, chilli, onions, "maggi sauce" and ketchup, or in a sheet of paper, to take away

5. Kongossa

Kongossa is such a common activity in Gabon that one would almost forget that the word originated in Cameroon! It could be translated as "gossip", but it also includes judgement, criticism and often affabulations. A kongossa can quickly make - or break - your reputation, so stay alert!

6. Mandrill

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This very aesthetic monkey is one of the stars of the Gabonese forest. The male has bright shades of red and blue on his face, buttocks and testicles. The tribes can group up to 500 individuals! Unlike Rafiki in the Disney animation The Lion King, the mandrill in real life does not have a tail.

7. Cassava

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It is the basis of the Gabonese diet, impossible to escape it! Well washed, the tubers are cooked, dried in the sun then crushed. The flour is then mixed with boiling water to obtain cassava cobblestones, served as a side dish. The leaves are also eaten: they can be found in broths and fish dishes.

8. Maquis

You can stop at a maquis to enjoy fish or meat brochettes or other typical dishes for a small fee. There is a wide range of maquis. In the "dos-tournés", you eat standing at the stall, with your back to the road. In an "improved maquis", you sit on a plastic chair and the kitchen is located in a basic building

9. Mapane

The term mapane is used to refer to Gabon's working-class neighbourhoods, which are similar to shanty towns. The whole area is made up of small shanties made of sheet metal, planks and concrete, built very close to each other and without building permits. Sometimes, to reach one's house, one has to pass through those of several neighbours.

10. Mvett

An instrument of traditional Fang music, the mvett is also the art of speech, the tale in the oral tradition of Gabon. In Fang, the term mvett represents the set of string instruments, zither or mouth harp, accompanying the storyteller of an epic from the founding myths of the Fang people, the largest ethnic group in Gabon

11. Nyembwe

A rather fatty sauce made from palm nut juice, often used to accompany smoked fish, meat and poultry, including the famous nyembwe chicken, Gabon's national dish. The palm nuts, once boiled, are usually pounded by women but sometimes men do it. This recipe can be found in local restaurants.

12. Palm wine

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It is the typical alcoholic drink of Gabon. There are two ways of making it: either the tree is cut and the sap is recovered, or the tree is cut while still alive. The sap is left to ferment for a few days, with the addition of a "bitter wood" root, which gives it more alcohol. The capital of palm wine is Moabi, in the province of Nyanga.

You are from here, if...

At the slightest glance or word, you distinguish a person of Fang origin from a Myéné, a Tsogo from a Bakota or even an Eshira from a Bapounou, but it doesn't matter, you may belong to the same lineage!

At the aperitif time, you meet your friends around a fresh Régab and very quickly, you let yourself be carried away by the intense rhythms of the ndombolo until you lose the notion of time

After a week of hard work in the administrative offices of the capital, you return to your native village, in the heart of lush nature. It's priceless!

In your spare time, you discover the natural wealth of your country, on foot, in a dugout or in a 4x4. Moreover, seeing elephants walking on the beaches or hippos bathing in the ocean is a common sight for you!

You are caught in the street by the good smell of grilled meat and then order in the maquis a coupe-coupé. It will calm down a little hunger on the way!

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