Loango National Park - Ivindo and Lope - 16 days safari prices will start from 6750 USD pp based on two persons sharing. Ex international flights (prices can fluctuate due to seasonality and availability)

 

Day 1 Friday – Arrival in Libreville - transfer to Loango Lodge in Gabon

Upon arrival in Libreville, a representative of Africa’s Eden will meet you and take you to local

flights terminal to wait for your connecting flight to Port Gentil. After a short stop in Port Gentil for customs, you will arrive at Loango Lodge in the evening, where you will be welcomed with drinks and late dinner in Loango Lodge. Loango Lodge is the best lodge of Gabon, being situated on the river, overlooking Loango National Park. The lodge has a fabulous ambiance, adequate service but its famous for its location.

Accommodation: Loango Lodge is situated on the lagoon and offers uninterupted views over the national. The lodge has 10 bungalows and 3 suites with ensuite bathrooms, fan and airconditioning and is completed with a pool. The lodge has a large library on birds and mammal books of the Loango area.

 

Day 2 & 3 Saturday & Sunday - Tassi (oct- may) / Akaka (may - oct)

Tassi: A driver with a guide will take you south-west to the Tassi area. Preprare to see elephants, red river hogs, buffalos, birds and sitatunga under way. Tassi Camp is situated on the savannah, surrounded by primary and secondary forest. Tassi is a very basic camp nearby the research camp of the Max Planck Institute. The researchers carry out studies amongst the shy, elusive gorillas and chimpanzees in the area. From Tassi, Louri can easily be reached, where the rare phenomenon of buffalos and elephants on the beach can be seen.

Accommodation: Tassi savanna camp is a basic savanna camp with 5 meru tents under a palmleaf roof. Tents are placed widely from each other to ensure the maximum of privacy. The camp is situated in a gorilla and chimpanzee area with a view on the glittering ocean.

OR

Akaka: A 4-hour boat journey southwards will bring you to Akaka. This fabulous trip over large lagoons encounters birds, elephants, buffalos and sitatunga (swamp-dwelling antelopes), possibly even bathing in the river. Akaka is one of the most remote parts of the Park. The camp is situated on the riverbank in the heart of the tropical rainforest and the wetlands. At times, the wildlife, especially elephants, passes right through the camp. At night you will hear apes high in the canopy. This camp is fabulous for forest walks or trips by kayak or motorboat along the Rembo Ngowe and Rembo Echira rivers.

Accommodation: Akaka bush camp is situated 3 hours by boat from Loango Lodge in a very remote area of the park. The camp is rustic, very basic and has five tents that are pitched on a covered platform along a narrow forest clearing leading uphill from the river.

 

Day 4 Monday - Loango National Park

After returning from Tassi / Akaka around lunchtime, you can relax at Loango Lodge, dip into the

refreshing pool or lounge in the library for some relaxing time. The area behind the lodge are yours to discover. The palm fringed forest which leads to the village are truly worth spending an hour or two, or just relax and sip some ice chilled drinks at the paillotte in the river. Or you might be able to get some background information on scientific research done by Loangos own research teams.

Day 5 Tuesday - Pt. St. Catherine

In the afternoon, a 20-minute boat tour over the lagoon takes you to the

Pt St Cathérine Beach Camp. This basic camp is situated at a beautiful spot on the beach in the north of Loango National Park.Beach walks, collecting shells and fishing are amongst the possibilities. You can also simply relax here, with one of the most beautiful beaches on earth all to yourself. As the sun sets, dine in the restaurant, on the lounge deck, or enjoy a feet-in-the-sand beach barbeque affair.

Accommodation: Pt. St.Caterine beach camp has five thatched tents with classic wooden flooring and ensuite bathrooms with bucket showers and flushing toilets. The camp is very basic but the area is fantastic and cannot be found anywhere else.

 

Day 6 Wednesday – Evengue

Upon return from Pte. Ste. Cathérine, a 4x4 jeep will drive you within 45 minutes to the start

of the Mpivié River. From here, you will start the boat trip on the dark waters of the Mpivié to Evengué Island, a small island just outside Loango National Park where the Gorilla Project is situated. This tour over Gabons famous blackwater river shows monkeys, crocodiles and all kinds of birds such asHartlaub’s ducks, finfoots and fishing owls. After approximately 2 hours, you will arrive at the small town of Ste. Anne, where Gustav Eiffel built an iron church in the late 1800s.

Accommodation: Evengué Lodge is a sattelite camp of Loango Lodge. The island is a gorilla sanctuary and houses a family of 5. The island has 2 wooden bandas and 3 tents under canvas, one of them floating on the water. The island is a miniature version of Loango National Park with forest, savanna and, nearby, a beach.

Day 7 Thursday - Flight to Libreville

In the afternoon, the Africa’s Eden private charter plane will fly you to Port Gentil. From Port Gentil, your connecting flight to Libreville is waiting for your overnight stay. In the evening,

there is time to explore the vibrant city of Libreville with its nightlife, bars and a selection of good- but expensive - restaurants.

Lodging: Intercontinental Hotel l is perfectly placed base for the exploration of Libreville and the fascinating countryside of Gabon. The hotel has everything necessary in-house to ensure visitors are nice stay. Informal and formal restaurants serve local and international cuisine. Swimming pool, basic gym, shop and tennis are all available.

Day 8 Friday - Evening departure by Transgabonais Expresse

You have the full day to yourself to stroll around Libreville and see the streets full of little stalls with all

the colorfull fabric and spices or you could have a relaxing day on the beach. Your overnight train to Ivindo departs at 09h00 pm and will not give you much of sleap before you arrive around 06h00 am. Please remember that boarding the train is by passport and dont forget your fleecesweater or shawl as it can be very cold in the train.

 

Day 9- 11 Saturday- Monday- Langoue Baie

A member of Wildlife Conservation Society will pick you up from the station and  A 4x4 jeep will drive you from Ivindo station to the end of the road in Langoué (2/3 hours). First you will pass the logging activities near Ivindo. After 30 minutes the gravel road turns into a dirt road and you will cross three small bridges. You will drive through lush green surroundings with an abundance of overhanging plants. When the car cannot take you any further, you will start the 3-hour hike to the WCS research camp, where you will spend the coming nights. There is a steep hill at the beginning of the path that takes about 30 minutes to climb. From there, the path is flat. If you still have energy left upon arrival, it is possible to visit Langoué Bai in the afternoon.

The following days you will spend at Langoue Baie itself. The baie will be reached after a one hour's walk from the camp. Be careful as it will have a steep hill at the end. Three platforms in the trees along the edge of the bai provide an ideal location for wildlife viewing. Guides are available to accompany you to the bai and on forest walks. The paths around Langoué pass through spectacular tropical forest with impressively large trees and high biodiversity. Animals such as red river hogs, monkeys, birds and occasionally gorillas and chimpanzees can sometimes be seen while walking through the forest. Elephants and gorillas are seasonal visitors to the bai. The best time to see elephants is usually during the rainy season (April-June and November-January), whereas gorilla visits peak in April, June and July. On an annual basis gorillas frequent the Bai 59.5% of the year and elephants frequent it 91% of the year.

Accommodation: Langoue Baie research camp A fairly rustic camp consisting of tents on wooden platforms set amidst the second largest rainforest in the world. Facilities are basic with bucket showers (hot water can be prepared upon request). In the evenings sit around with the researchers and learn about the forest, the Bai and the surrounding area.

Day 12 Tuesday - Departure to Lope

In the morning you start your trip back to Ivindo station, where your train will leave at 1.20 a.m. for Lopé Hotel and Lopé National Park. You can wait at the WCS office, where you will have dinner too. You will arrive at Lopé station at 2.50 a.m, where a staff member of Lopé Hotel will pick you up and will take you to Lope hotel. This short ride of approximately 5 minutes show you already the wonderful environment of Lope National Park and Lope Hotel.

Accommodation: Lope Hotel is a nice hotel in Lope National Park. Wooden bungalows with ensuite facilities and air conditioning provide a perfect place to explore the surrounding savannah and forests. The swimming pool located on the banks of the dramatic Offoue River offers the opportunity to cool off at the end of the day

 

Days 13 - 14 - Wednesday - Thursday - Lope

Lope National Park is a world heritage site and its one of the largest and most beautiful national parks

in Central Africa. Guides in 4-wheel drive vehicles will take you on game drives to marvel at the wide variety of wildlife: red buffalo, elephant herds,antelopes, wild boars, varieties of birds and more. Lope National Park has world biggest mandrill population and if you are lucky you might encounter them. Footpaths are also available for hikers to take a closer and more intimate look at monkeys and the smaller mammals. It is also possible to organise madrill tracking here in the correct season.

Day 15 Drive back to Libreville

A 4x4 jeep will bring you back to Lopé Hotel. Here you will be picked up for your flight to Port Gentil around noon. This approximately 2-hour flight will give you fantastic views of the vast forests below. In Port Gentil you will stay at a hotel of your choice.

 

Day 16 Departure

Depending on your flights you will either depart for Europe from Libreville or you will fly towards Douala Cameroon and then onwards. Our representatives will take you to the airport and assist you with formalities.