IT01 - GABON – 10 DAYS - LOANGO & LOPE NATIONAL PARKS

Visiting the coastal National Park of Loango and the inland Lope National Park. Walking for the most part is relatively easy. Accommodation with private bathrooms facilities.

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Please note that any times given are scheduled times - these are here as a guide only. Please be prepared for delays and changes. The tourism structure is in its infancy.

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Dates: Wednesdays 2008 (subject to availability)
with local tour escort

Briefly – 10 days – Loango & Lope National Parks

Wednesday: Arrive Libreville and overnight Tropicana Hotel (B&B).
Thursday: Flight to Gamba. Transfer Sette Cama Lodge.  
Friday to Sunday: Days Sette Cama area.
Monday: Transfer to Gamba; flight to Libreville for overnight Tropicana Hotel.
Tuesday: Day train to Lope.  PM excursion to Lope National Park.  
Wednesday: Transfer to Mikongo Research Camp and overnight.  
Thursday: AM Mikongo area, before transfer to Lope station for train to Libreville. Overnight Tropicana Hotel (B&B).
Friday: Day Libreville. Transfer to airport for outbound flight.

PRICING 2008
2 persons travelling together: EURO3372 per person sharing from Libreville.
4 persons travelling together: EURO2865 per person sharing from Libreville.
6 persons travelling together: EURO2700 per person sharing from Libreville.
Single Room Supplement: EURO450 per person.

Includes
All accommodation; meals (except in Libreville and on train); transport; local guides and trackers; park entry fees.

Excludes
International air tickets; visas; meals in Libreville and on train; any airport departure taxes; any drinks; bottled mineral water; teas & coffees; travel insurance; any tips to hotel staff, local guides, etc.

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GABON - Central African Forest Birds & Primates

Lying on the west coast of Africa and straddling the equator, Gabon is about half the size of France with a small population of only 1.3 million. It has substantial oil and mineral reserves. These circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity. Astoundingly almost 75% of the country is cloaked in tropical rainforest and as the area is so sparsely populated, and the road infrastructure so limited because of difficult climatic conditions, there has been minimal pressure on the environment. Gabon's coastal strip rises to a series of plateaux until it reaches the interior where the mountains peak at over 1,500m. The major artery of Gabon, the Ogoouè River, almost cuts the country in half as it passes through Franceville and Lambarènè and languidly moves toward the Atlantic Ocean. At the mouth of the river is Port-Gentil, the heartbeat of Gabon's lucrative oil industry. Here it pans out into the finger-like coastline with its miles of breathtaking but almost inaccessible estuaries. The total area of Gabon protected by National Park legislation is almost 11%. Estimates suggest that Gabon's Lowland Gorilla population is about 20,000 and that it has around 35,000 Chimpanzees. Other animals like Mandrill, Forest Elephant and Buffalo are more often encountered. Lush rivers and lagoons bordered by papyrus or mangroves are characteristic of the country. Gabon has around 680 bird species with many of the central African forest species being more readily seen here.

FULL ITINERARY (10 DAYS)(subject to alteration & availability)

Wednesday: Arrive Libreville and transfer to Tropicana Hotel for overnight (B&B).

Thursday: Today we take the first flight to Gamba to the south. From here we travel by boat to our lodge at Sette Cama, set on the edge of a huge lagoon. Excursions here include travel by boat and on foot.  Flocks of African Grey Parrot are a sight to behold. The lodge itself is great for the endemic Loango Weaver and Red-tailed Palm-thrush. Mammals in this area include Forest Buffalo and Elephant, Hippopotamus and a good sighting would be Manatee.

Friday to Sunday: Days at Sette Cama exploring the Loango National Park and the associated lagoons and waterways. Overnights at Sette Cama Lodge.

Monday: Return transfer to Gamba for flight to Libreville. Overnight Tropicana Hotel (B&B).

Tuesday: Day train to Lope National Park. Afternoon excursion to Lope National Park. Lope National Park, lies in the centre of Gabon, and is composed of savannahs and primary forest. It is a reminder of what Central Africa was like during the Glacier Age. In this extremely rich habitat there are estimated populations of 4500 forest elephants, 2500 gorillas, 2000 chimpanzees, 50000 mandrills, 1000 leopard and large numbers of Red Forest Buffalo, Sitatunga, Yellow-backed Duiker, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Moustached Monkey, Red-river Hog and there are over 400 species of birds. Overnight Lope Hotel.

Wednesday: Morning transfer to Mikongo Research Station. You have one night here deep in the forest at Mikongo Camp, an hour and a half drive from the Lope Hotel. It is from the conservation centre at Mikongo where you will access this central African tropical forest and it is from here that we'll look for primates and for the enigmatic Grey-necked Rock-fowl. Black Colobus, Crowned and Putty-nosed Monkeys, Western Lowland Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Mandrills, forest Elephant, various species of forest duiker and Red River Hog are most likely. Overnight Mikongo Research Camp.

Thursday: Morning in the forest before an early lunch and then your transfer to Lope staion for the train to Libreville. Overnight Tropicana Hotel (B&B).

Friday: Day at leisure – Libreville. Transfer to airport for outbound flight.

Reading Material
1. Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe. The Bradt Travel Guide by Sophie Warne, 2003.
2. Under the Canopy - advancing conservation in Gabon - Robert J Ross. Africa Geographic magazine, August 2004: 34-49.
3. Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, a comprehensive field guide. Ian Sinclair and Peter Ryan, 2003.
4. Birds of western Africa. Nic Borrow & Ron Demey. Helm, 2001.
5. The Kingdon field guide to African Mammals - Jonathon Kingdom. Academic Press, first published 1997 with subsequent revisions.

Related News:

 Tropicana Hotel - 11-05-07 11:35

 Lope and Mikongo - 11-05-07 11:31