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Dominated by Mount Brazza and bordered by the majestic Ogooue River, the Lopè Hotel is a tranquil place, its 15 bungalows with private bathrooms and air-conditioning are surrounded by pretty gardens. From your private terrace, from the bar, restaurant or swimming pool, the views are superb. Extensive lawns are home to the savannah Forbes's Plover and in thesavannahs around the hotel, Long-legged Pipit, Yellow-mantled Whydah,White-cheeked Bee-eater, and various species of swallow including Bate's Swift, Square-tailed Saw-wing and Red-breasted Swallow are to be found. Forest buffalo are like domestic cattle here - seen in and around camp and the nearby village.

Deep in the forest lies Mikongo Research Camp, an hour and a half's drive from the Lope Hotel by road. It is a rustic research camp made up of wooden bungalows, all with private bathrooms with showers (cold water) and toilets. It is from the conservation centre at Mikongo where visitors access this central African tropical forest and it is from here thatone looks for primates, especially Mandrill, Chimpanzee and Gorilla,and for the enigmatic Grey-necked Rock-fowl. Visitors explore the forest along a well-developed network of elephant paths, with the assistance of trackers and guides based at the research camp. The camp is currently under the auspices of the Zoological Society of London.

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