Travel Guide Makokou

The town of Makokou, capital of the Ogooué-Ivindo province, is located in the northeast of Gabon. Built near the confluence of the Liboumba and Ivindo rivers, Makokou was founded in 1912 to serve as a military post at a strategic point in the village. Makokou, which means "pebbles", is linked to the presence of the rocks at the origin of a series of falls and rapids in the bed of the Ivindo river bordering the town. Makokou is an administrative city of 15,000 inhabitants, located in the heart of a beautiful forest, which earned it the name of "city of the forest". This modest regional capital could experience significant development in the future. The surrounding area is rich in iron and gold ores and a mining license was granted in 2015 to an Australian company. The city is accessible by train or road. By train, it is possible to take the Transgabonais to Boué to reach Makokou. From Libreville or Franceville, arrivals are by night and you will need to book a bush taxi, as it is difficult to find one locally. By car, it takes about 4 hours to drive from Boué to Makokou. Bush taxis serve Makokou every day. Count around 12 hours of journey from Libreville. By bus, several companies serve Makokou from Libreville every day, such as the Société gabonaise de Transport or JC Transport. Count about 20 000 FCFA one way and 12 hours of travel on average.