FALLS OF THE EMPRESS

About 5 kilometres from Fougamou are the Empress Falls, which are in fact rapids of the Ngounié with a rather impressive flow. They were so named because Du Chaillu was the first to reach this tributary of the Ogooué at Fougamou thanks to funding from Napoleon and Eugenie the Empress. Ask a young villager from Kessi 2 (a village just before Fougamou) to take you there, as it is not easy to find alone. It is possible to take a dip there, especially in the dry season when the flow is less strong.