A TASTE OF GABON - BIRDS AND WILDLIFE

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

Dates : 02 to 12 July 2008
with Ian Davidson and local guides

 

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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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Briefly - 11 days - a taste of Gabon

 
July 02 (Wednesday) : Arrive Libreville and transfer to train station for journey to Lope. Overnight Lope Hotel. 
July 03 : Day in Lope National Park. Overnight Lope Hotel.
July 04 : Morning transfer to Mikongo Research Camp in Lope National Park. Overnight Mikongo Research Camp.
July 05 : Full day Mikongo in primary forest. Overnights Mikongo Research Camp.
July 06 : Day at Mikongo before our return to Lope in the late afternoon.  Day room Lope Hotel.
July 07 : Overnight train to Libreville. Day Libreville with local excursion. Overnight Tropicana Hotel.
July 08 : Flight to Gamba. Transfer to Sette Cama Lodge.
July 09 : Day Sette Cama area.
July 10 : Day Sette Cama area.
July 11 : Morning excursion before transfer to Omboue for flight to Libreville. Transfer to airport for check-in for outbound flight.
July 12 (Saturday) : Early AM departure (00h20) for Johannesburg.
 

Price (2008) [subject to availability and any ticketing surcharges]

2 persons : Euro5950 per person sharing ex Libreville.

4 persons : Euro4265 per person sharing ex Libreville.

6  persons : Euro3895 per person sharing ex Libreville.

Single Room Supplement – Euro 875 per person.

 

Includes
All accommodation; meals (except in Libreville and on train); transport; 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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FULL ITINERARY (subject to alteration & availability)

with Ian Davidson and local guides

July 02 (Wednesday): Arrive Libreville (from RSA) and transfer to Owendo train station for journey to Lope. Early AM arrival and rest of night at Lope Hotel (room only).

July 03 : 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. With time and patience we will see some of these. From the camp we will enter the forest using elephant trails and any old logging tracks. We spend time in two different parts of Lope National Park, two in the savannah edges in the area of the Lope Hotel from where we'll bird along the Ogooue River and inland looking for Yellow-throated Leaflove, Scarlet-spectacled Wattle-eye, Splendid Glossy Starling, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Compact Weaver and Long-legged Pipit, Yellow-mantled Whydah, Blue-throated Bee-eater, and various species of swallow including Square-tailed Saw-wing and Red-breasted Swallow. In the scrub and forest edge we should find Black Bee-eater, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Black-headed Batis, Naked-faced Barbet, Fiery-breasted Bush Shrike, Whistling Cisticola, Orange Weaver, Black-capped Illadopsis, Red-bellied Malimbe, Black-chinned Quail-finch, Forbes's Plovers and Green-headed, Tiny, Reichenbach's and Violet-tailed Sunbirds and in the evening perhaps Bates's and Swamp Nightjars. Overnight Lope Hotel.

July 04, 05 : We have two nights 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 we 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. Also in the forest we should encounter various species of hornbill including White-crested, African Pied, Piping, Red-billed Dwarf, the striking White-crested and the huge Black-casqued Wattled; also's to be seen include Snowy-headed Robin-chat, Great Blue Turaco, Guinea Turaco, Gabon Coucal, African Grey Parrot, various Gr eenbuls including Honeyguide, Golden, Red-tailed and if we are very lucky Lyre-tailed Honeyguide. Dja River Scrub-Warbler would be a very good find and Latham's Francolin, Black-bellied Seed-cracker, Vermiculated Fishing Owl and Red-chested Owlet could be encountered almost anywhere. Overnights Mikongo Research Camp.

July 06 : Today we return to Lope by late afternoon. Day rooms Lope Hotel before our train tonight which is an overnight journey to Libreville.

July 07 : We arrive in the early morning and will transfer to our hotel for the day. An excursion will be arranged. Overnight Tropicana  Hotel.

July 08, 09, 10 : 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. Sabine’s and Cassin’s Spinetails flit overhead, and we may also see Chocolate–backed and Blue-breasted Kingfisher. The prize here is Black-headed Bee-eater and this would be a good find indeed. 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.

 July 11 : Morning excursion before our boat transfer to Omboue for our flight to Libreville. Day room Libreville before transfer to airport for check-in for outbound flight.

 July 12 : Early AM departure (00h20) for outbound flight (to RSA).

Related News:

 Tropicana Hotel - 11-05-07 11:35

 Lope and Mikongo - 11-05-07 11:31