Travel to Gabon

inventia's trips to Gabon focus on Loango National Park—a protected area where rainforests, lagoons, savannas, and beaches lie in close proximity to one another.

What Makes Our Trips to Gabon So Special

• Small tent camps located right next to the rainforest, lagoon, and Atlantic Ocean
• Private tours for up to eight guests
• Non-habituated great apes in the south, habituated gorillas in the north
• Safaris on foot, by kayak, boat, and vehicle
• Insights into great ape research in the Sette Cama and Yatouga regions

Experience Gabon Up Close: Traveling in Loango National Park

In the southern part of Loango National Park, Sette Cama lies between the 50,000-hectare Ndogo Lagoon—a labyrinth of mangroves and islands—and an uninhabited Atlantic coastline. Further north, around the Iguela Lagoon, the rainforest gives way to vast savannas. This allows you to experience a wide variety of landscapes within a single protected area. Instead of trying to visit as many destinations as possible across the country on a traditional Gabon tour, inventia trips focus on Loango National Park and its diverse habitats.

Early in the morning, as the first light breaks over the Atlantic, the hippos of Loango return from their nighttime grazing grounds—and wade right through the surf. It is one of those moments that travelers set out for specifically before sunrise.

You’ll experience Loango’s wildlife in a variety of ways. Depending on what the forest, coast, and lagoon have to offer that day, you’ll be exploring on foot, by kayak, by boat, or by vehicle:

On foot through the rainforest and along the coast: Guided hikes lasting several hours take you along forest trails and the uninhabited coastline. Together with the guide, you’ll learn to read tracks and feeding traces and keep an eye out for calls and other signs of wildlife.

Kayaking through mangroves and salt marshes: Without the noise of an engine, you’ll paddle where the rainforest meets the water. As you do, shy species like the African reed rail may make an appearance, while the calls of animals can be heard from the surrounding forest.

By boat across the lagoon and river: The Ndogo and Iguela lagoons are primarily accessible by water, supplemented by nighttime boat tours to observe nocturnal animals.

A Drive Through the Savannah: In the more open northern part of Loango, game drives take you through the grasslands surrounding Iguela Lagoon, where you’ll look for forest elephants and red buffalo, among other animals.

Gorilla Trekking: From Sette Cama to the North of Loango

Sette Cama serves as the starting point for explorations along the southern edge of Loango National Park. The 18-kilometer-long Sounga Trail leads on foot through the rainforest along routes connecting South and North Loango. After hours in the dense forest, there is no off-road vehicle waiting at the end of the trail, but rather a boat that takes you further north along the Akaka River—out into the open grasslands by the Iguela Lagoon.

The main difference between the south and the north is how you encounter the gorillas:

Unaccustomed to Humans – South, Sette Cama: Western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees live here in the wild and are not accustomed to humans; they generally avoid direct contact. On the hikes, you can observe their tracks, nests, and feeding traces, supplemented by camera traps that document which animals are moving through the region.

Habituation – North, Yatouga Project: Here, a research team from the Max Planck Institute accompanies a group of gorillas that has been gradually habituated to the presence of humans over an extended period of time. Early in the morning, the boat sets out for the Yatouga habituation project before the morning activities begin for this scientifically guided group—limited to four guests per day.

Those who combine both legs of the journey will experience two very different kinds of encounters: the search for unaccustomed great apes in the south and the scientifically guided visit in the north.

Best Time to Visit Gabon

The best time to visit Gabon also depends on what kinds of nature experiences interest you most. The highlights change throughout the year:

January through April – hippos surfing: During this time, hippos are most frequently seen on the beach as they return from their nighttime grazing grounds through the Atlantic surf at dawn.

May through September – Dry Season: The dry season brings firmer ground and makes hiking easier.

August through October – Humpback whales: During these months, humpback whales migrate past the coast of Loango.

September – Fruiting and Breeding Season: Toward the end of the dry season, the first trees in the coastal swamps begin to bear fruit, increasing the chances of spotting gorillas and chimpanzees around Sette Cama; at the same time, the breeding season begins for many bird species.

November through January – Leatherback Turtles: During these months, leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. The hatchling season begins in December.

The tour to northern Loango, which includes a visit to the habituated gorilla group, is offered from September through April.

Well Prepared for Your Vacation in Gabon

The trip begins in Libreville. From there, you’ll travel by charter flight to Gamba and then continue across the Ndogo Lagoon to Sette Cama. Once there, you’ll enjoy an active itinerary featuring long hikes, early starts, and frequent transitions between kayaking, boating, and rainforest trails—all led by English-speaking guides who know the area well. Our Gabon tours are private tours for a maximum of eight guests and are not traditional group tours. Details regarding visas, yellow fever vaccinations, and other requirements can be found on the respective tour page; current travel and safety advisories are provided by the German Foreign Office.