Ivindo National Park
A visit to Gabon and not to Langoue Bai in the Ivindo National Park is like visiting Paris without giving the Eiffel Tower a second glance.
It is the chance to see a truly remote and pristine area of beautiful forest and the best place to spot the western lowland gorilla.
The “Bia” is a marshland clearing to the centre of the forest, which also offers the opportunity to see elephant, buffalo and monkeys.
It is a place of striking beauty, but book well in advance because numbers are restricted for ecological purposes and the park is growing more and more popular.
Loango National Park
Grab the only opportunity in the world to surf with the park’s seawater hippopotami.
You will also find whales and dolphins in the waves and elephants, buffalo and red river hog wondering on the beach in search of a salt lick.
Turtles come onto the beaches to lay their eggs from October to January. The park also has a huge lagoon and forest savannah.
Lope National Park
Lope remains the most popular of Gabon’s national parks. It has dense rain forests, contrasted with open savannah plains and rolling hills. It is known for its colourful mandrill monkeys. Visit the park between June and September for the best opportunity to spot them with their colourful snouts.
Like in the rest of the parks, it also offers loads of bird species.
Of particular interest is the forest camp Mikongo were you can track animals under the guidance of local Pygmy trackers.
