"I hope that our next journey together may not be over a country that seems to have been laid down as an obstacle race track, and to have fallen into bad repair." Mary Kingsley, 1897
Taken from The Traveller's Handbook.
Gabon holiday experts at WEXAS will tailor-make all aspects of your itinerary to create a Gabon holiday, personal to you.
Gabon tailor-made holiday highlights
LambareneThe famous and still functioning Schweitzer Hospital, founded in 1924 by the great missionay doctor Albert Schweitzer, can be visited in the heart of the pretty lakes region. A motorised pirogue will take you out into the lakes, where hippos and other wildlife can be sighted.
LibrevilleGabon's bustling modern capital, is characterised by big ocean-view hotels, modern offices and fancy shops - the product of the country's oil boom in the 1970s - and noted for the interesting National Museum and a buzzing nightlife.
Lope National ParkHome to lowland gorillas, mandrills and elephants, alongside other wildlife, in the savannah and rainforests of this abundant game reserve. White-water rafting is available.
Cirque de LeconiSpectacular red-rock canyons, a favourite area for camping and off-road driving, and noted for their diverse wildlife and beautiful scenery. The red rocks turn a golden colour at sunset.
MayumbaOne day Mayumba will have become the major beach destination for tourists in Gabon. At the moment though it remains difficult to reach, yet is deserted and enchanting.
Port GentilThis town boomed during the discovery and mining of oil in the 1970s. Modern luxury hotels are located at one end of town, poorer, cheaper quarters, the locals' area, at the other. The town has a community of expatriates and good beaches, and claims to have more evening entertainment by way of bars and restaurants than any other African city.
People & place
Gabon facts
Capital: Libreville
Language: French.
People: Fang, Eshira and other Bantu.
Religion:
Size (sq km): 267,667.
Population: 1,454,867.
Population density/sq km: 5.4.
Etiquette
Never photograph military installations.
Shopping
Stone carvings, masks, figurines, clay pots, traditional musical instruments.
Food & drink
Many restaurants serve Cameroonian, Congolese, French and Senegalese food. Bush meats such as wild boar, antelope, porcupine, monkey and crocodile often form part of Gabonese cuisine. French baguettes are one of the Gabonese staples, along with smoked or salted fish, fish stew, manioc, plantain and rice.
International Airports
Libreville (LBV) 12 km from the city.
Internal travel
Air Gabon flies between major towns and cities. The Transgabonais train runs between Qwendo (a few kilometres south of Libreville) and Franceville. Minibuses and bush taxis are popular transport but bush taxi. Road travel during the rainy season is inadvisable. There are boats between Libreville and Port-Gentill and less regularly onto Lambaréné and Ndjolé. Car hire available at main hotels and airports.
Red tape
Visas
(UK/US) Required.
Vaccinations
required BCG, Cholera, Diphtheria, Hep. A, Hep. B, Malaria, Rabies, Typhoid, Y. Fever1
Driving requirements
International Driving Permit and international insurance.
Reps in UK/US
UK: 27 Elvaston Place, London SW7 5NL, tel (020) 7823 9986, fax (020) 7584 0047. US: 2034 20th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, tel (202) 797 1000, fax (202) 332 0668.
UK/US reps in Gabon
UK: PO Box 486, Libreville, tel 762 200, fax 765 789. US: BP 4000, Boulevard Bord de la Mer, Libreville, tel 762 003/4, fax 745 507.
Currency
Communauté Financiaire Africaine franc (CFA) = 100 centimes.
Finance
Relatively limited acceptance of credit cards, limited acceptance of traveller's cheques.
Business hours
0800-1200, 1500-1900 Monday-Saturday. Some shops close Monday.
Safety & life expectancy
Safety information
Generally stable.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy: M 52.85, F 55.17.
Useful websites for travel
http://gabon.embassyhomepage.com, www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/gabon/, www.legabon.org/uk/invest
Local media
No English-language newspapers
Tourist boards
n/a.
Gabon tailor-made holiday ideas
Lambarene
The famous and still functioning Schweitzer Hospital, founded in 1924 by the great missionay doctor Albert Schweitzer, can be visited in the heart of the pretty lakes region. A motorised pirogue will take you out into the lakes, where hippos and other wildlife can be sighted.
Libreville
Gabon's bustling modern capital, is characterised by big ocean-view hotels, modern offices and fancy shops - the product of the country's oil boom in the 1970s - and noted for the interesting National Museum and a buzzing nightlife.
Lope National Park
Home to lowland gorillas, mandrills and elephants, alongside other wildlife, in the savannah and rainforests of this abundant game reserve. White-water rafting is available.
Cirque de Leconi
Spectacular red-rock canyons, a favourite area for camping and off-road driving, and noted for their diverse wildlife and beautiful scenery. The red rocks turn a golden colour at sunset.
Mayumba
One day Mayumba will have become the major beach destination for tourists in Gabon. At the moment though it remains difficult to reach, yet is deserted and enchanting.
Port Gentil
This town boomed during the discovery and mining of oil in the 1970s. Modern luxury hotels are located at one end of town, poorer, cheaper quarters, the locals' area, at the other. The town has a community of expatriates and good beaches, and claims to have more evening entertainment by way of bars and restaurants than any other African city.
