Loango National Park

Introducing Loango National Park

Loango National Park very well may be the most varied and visually stunning of all of Gabon’s national parks. It’s known for its mythically surfing hippos, but you’ll also find the largest concentration and variety of whales and dolphins, elephants wandering white-sand beaches and an assortment of rare land mammals cavorting in the savannah.

Operation Loango (564100, 07399618; reservation-iguela@inet.ga; www.operation-loango.com), the only show in town to visit the northern end of the park, is Gabon’s premiere high-end ecotourist destination using tourist dollars to support conservation efforts. Whale, crocodile, and turtle studies and a gorilla habituation project are in progress, while the luxury ecolodge and satellite camps hosts tourists.

At Iguéla, the base camp, everything is regally appointed and finely delivered, with a grand price tag to match (prices start at US$375 per person without drinks). There are several equally stunning satellite camps in the varied environments: St Catherine’s on the beach; Akaka, where animals roam about; Evengue (‘gorilla island’), where gorilla rehabilitation is underway; and Tassi in the savannah and coastal grasslands. Activities include whale-watching trips, savannah and lagoon tours, some of the best sport-fishing in the world and visits to Mission Sainte Anne where Gustave Eiffel’s pre-fab iron church is still in use.

All logistics and travel arrangements are made through SCD (564100, 885666; scd-aviation@inet.ga, reservation-iguela@inet.ga) in Libreville.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009