13 DAYS TOUR
LEKEDI LOANGO LAMBARENE
DAY 1 SUNDAY
Arrival at Libreville
Transfer to Hotel
Overnight Sunset Beach
DAY 2 to 6 MONDAY to FRIDAY – LEKEDI PARK
In the morning, you will catch your flight to Franceville at 8 am. Upon your arrival, the driver of Lekedi Park will bring you to Bakumba. Situated south of Moanda and Franceville, Lékédi Park is the successful result of an astonishing conversion project. Bakoumba, the place with the longest mono-cable way in the world (76km), became in some years a “nature” town. On 14.000ha has been set up: fish culture, breading of wild animals, ecotourism, mushroom production, roof tiles, pottery, weaving of raffia. Platforms for observation of the animals (especially mandrills and chimps), the ties of the railway used as fence posts, and most spectacular, a 30m high bridge of 360m long overlooking the canopy where a colony of chimps is living. On a small island on the lake, a program to reinsert chimpanzees has been set up and can be visited. The excursions in the park allow you to approach animals at very close quarter.
Since September 2010, a gorillas’ island has been opened to public. A group a few male orphaned gorillas have been gathered onto an island located in the park and habituated to humans. They have arrived in the park when they were few months old and have been grown up by humans. They are now between two and four years old. Lekedi Park is one of the only places in Gabon where animal watching is guaranteed.
By Caroline Eggermann
Lekedi Lake
Available excursions in Lekedi Park (included in the package):
- Mandrills excursion
- Chimps excursion
- Gorillas excursion
- Sail on Lekedi Lake (crocodiles, varans, birds, antilops…)
- Forest hike til the Lekedi cascades
- Safari by 4×4 (river hogs, antilops, impalas, buffaloes…)
Excursions available from Lekedi Park:
- Liana bridge and waterfalls of Poubara (no extra cost)
- Leconi canyon (over two days with overnight spent at Leconi Hotel) (at extra cost)
- Savorgnan de Brazza descent by pirogue (historical circuit into Savorgnan de brazza’s step) (at extra cost)
Liana bridge by Jean-Louis Albert
Overnight Lekedi Park (full board accommodation)
On Friday afternoon, you will be driven back to the airport to catch your flight back to Libreville. Upon your arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel.
Overnight Bilboquet Hotel on Friday night
DAY 7-11 SATURDAY to WEDNESDAY – OMBOUE LOANGO
On Saturday morning, you will take your flight to Port-Gentil airport from where a taxi driver will pick you up to bring you to the landing stage for your boat shuttle to Omboué. The trip lasts 3h30 through a river system to reach Fernand Faz laguna where Olako Hotel is located. Each bedroom of this hotel is individually decorated in a traditional style and bears the name of the African wood from which it is fashioned. You will spend all your nights at Olako Hotel.
Over your time spent at Omboue, you will go to the following excursions :
Evengue Island: This site is a small gorilla sanctuary island aimed at reintroducing orphaned young gorillas found in the wild in their natural environment once adult. Consequently, this site is not aimed at habituating gorillas to human and most of the gorillas living on the island are not accessible to public in order to preserve their future freedom and life. Indeed, habituated gorillas get killed too easily by poachers once reintroduced into the jungle. Then, only a small group of male gorillas already too much habituated to human presence is accessible to watching. You will be explained the gorillas preservation program and told the story of all the orphaned gorillas living on the island.
Saint-Anne Mission:
Built in 1887, the Mission’s claim to fame is its association with architect Gustave Eiffel who designed the plans and arranged for the shipment of the necessary material to Gabon all the way from Paris.
A blend of colour and visual contrasts – the deep rusty red and simplistic frame of the church nestled amongst the greenery of palms and loosely tendered grounds makes a visit here worth it for the for the photo opportunity alone. Remotely situated on the edge of a lagoon, visitors approaching by water catch their first glimpse of the Mission’s steeple rising high alongside the canopy. One is immediately struck by the surrounding air of peace and tranquility attributable in part to its sheer isolation.
By David Hardwood
Mpivie River:
The Mpivié River meandering through the rainforest is amazingly green and luxuriant. During this excursion, you will try to spot crocodiles or more exactly the endangered false gavials.
By David Hardwood
Akaka in Loango National Park:
From 5.00 am til late in the afternoon, you will go for a full day guided excursion to spot animals in the reputed Loango National Park. This park is considered by many like the most beautiful spot on Africa’s West coast. Akaka is situated in inhabited tropical rainforest and wetlands, on the Rembo Ngowe River. The dark waters of the river containing manatees and hippos are lined by thick forest, inhabited by elephants, red mangabeys, buffalos and smaller mammals such as sitatunga (swamp-dwelling antelopes) and red river hogs. During the wet season, wildlife can be difficult to spot in the rain-filled swamps but in the dry season from May until September the concentrations of particularly forest buffalo and forest elephant that migrate into the area are easily seen. You also have a good chance all year round of spotting some smaller mammals like sitatunga, red river hogs, forest duikers, five species of monkey, or great apes who inhabit the area. Crocodiles and manatees are found here too, but tend to keep their distance. Bird life along the rivers is prolific. In the dry season, thousands of water birds – herons, storks, jacanas, pelicans, ibis and the rarely seen Hartlaub’s duck – love crowding together here in the drying pools. The forests of Akaka are full of different butterflies, and home to several rare bird species.
On Wednesday afternoon, you will take a boat shuttle back to Port-Gentil (arrival time around 5.30 pm) and your flight back to Libreville in the evening around 8pm.
Overnight day 11 at Bilboquet Hotel
DAY 12-13 THURSDAY- FRIDAY – Lambarene
In early morning, you will be transferred to Lambarene that you should reach around 1pm. You will land at Schweitzer’s hospital where you will spent the night. All the Schweitzer’s home, doctor’s room and theatre and personal belongings have been totally preserved to form a very interesting museum. Lambarene is also reputed for its numerous lakes which offer a wide range of excursions by pirogue. These excursions are all run by a professional and dynamic guide nicknamed “l’Italien”. In the afternoon of Thursday, you will go for a Lambarene guided city tour. On Friday morning, you will go for the Schweitzer’s Island excursion before coming back to Libreville in the afternoon.
Overnight Schweitzer’s hospital on Thursday
