Coming to Gabon · The country
85% equatorial forest, thirteen national parks, 1.3 million inhabitants on a land area roughly half the size of France. Gabon is not a tourist destination like any other. Here is what you should understand before you come.
Gabon is the Tibet of Africa.
— Prince Birinda de Boudiéguy, « La Bible secrète des Noirs selon le Bouity », 1952
Prince Birinda de Boudiéguy set it down in writing at the turn of the 1950s, fixing a tradition until then oral; his book appeared in 1952. He was speaking of the country's richly diverse spiritual character. Gabon is indeed the country of biodiversity — natural as much as cultural and spiritual. The country of unusual ecotourism for enthusiasts of every kind. The country of place spirits and key people who open the way to all sorts of fundamental discoveries.
The green lung of Central Africa
A land covered by forest at 85 %, thirteen national parks, a biodiversity unique in the world.
The country
Across a land area roughly half the size of France live about 1.3 million inhabitants. Equatorial forest covers nearly 85% of the territory and shelters thirteen national parks. Tourism here is still very little developed.
The village of Ebando sits on the outskirts of Libreville, by the sea, a 15-minute drive from the airport and about a 10-minute walk from a small market. The dirt track, the village, daily life: all of this may not match the image a Westerner holds of Africa.
Practical information
Required equipment
For the full, tailored list, see What to bring.
The right posture
Coming to Gabon means accepting that you are the guest. Here humility opens more doors than self-assurance.
A few links
Preparing your trip
For the full preparation — visa, vaccines, paperwork, equipment — see the dedicated pages in the Coming to Gabon section.
