A little more
Gabon.
A lot less roaming.

Travelling to Gabon: what to know before you go

Gabon is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, straddling the equator and largely covered by rainforest. It has set aside a network of national parks where forest elephants walk on beaches, hippos wade into the surf and huge troops of mandrills roam the forest. Tourism is small-scale and trips usually need organising in advance, but it rewards wildlife lovers and adventurous travellers looking for untouched nature.

Where to go

• Loango National Park. A park of lagoons, savannah, forest and beaches where forest elephants, buffalo and hippos are sometimes seen on the sand.
• Lopé National Park. A UNESCO World Heritage site where savannah meets rainforest, known for gatherings of hundreds of mandrills, among the largest groups of primates in the world.
• Ivindo National Park. Remote rainforest in the north-east with the Kongou Falls, a series of thundering waterfalls on the Ivindo River, and the Langoué Bai, a forest clearing where elephants and gorillas come to feed.
• Pongara National Park. Across the estuary from Libreville, reached by boat, with beaches where leatherback turtles nest from around November to February, along with mangroves and coastal forest.

Best time to visit

The long dry season, from roughly June to September, is the best time to visit, with cooler temperatures and easier travel, and it is the season for whale watching off the coast. There is also a short dry season around December to February.

Staying online in Gabon

Mobile coverage is reasonable in Libreville, Port-Gentil, Franceville and other towns, and along some main roads, though speeds vary. In the rainforest, national parks and coastal lagoons there is often little or no signal; some lodges provide limited Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi in city hotels is common. Download offline maps and translation packs, carry a power bank, install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.