Gabon - Africa's Forest Wilderness
For the first time, we offer a superb opportunity to experience this country while there are still huge tracts of unspoiled wilderness, with excellent primates and the best lowland forest birdwatching in Africa!
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The price is per person and includes return flights from London to Libreville, accommodation as outlined, all meals, excursions as outlined above and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes holiday insurance, optional tips for the driver and local guide, drinks and other personal expenses. Leader: Callan Cohen |
The vast Congo Basin forests are Africa's answer to the Amazon. Boasting the best accessible lowland forest birding in Africa, Gabon offers a unique opportunity to get to grips with an array of alluring Congo forest species that are extremely difficult to see elsewhere.
Encompassing a rich diversity of habitats, this splendid tour will focus on three key sites: famous Lope National Park (with its fine mix of forests and grasslands); the Ivindo Basin near Makokou (for superb forest birding); and some fine coastal areas near the capital, Libreville. Latham's Francolin, Congo Serpent Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk and Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike are among a host of specialities. We might also see migrating flocks of the enigmatic African River Martin, as they congregate along the rivers at this time of year.
Straddling the Equator, Gabon's pristine forests - newly protected in thirteen national parks - abound with life of all kinds, including a riot of butterflies and some quite wonderful primates. In particular, we stand a chance of encountering Mandrill and - depending on the schedule of the researchers - we hope to be able track these rare primates. We might even be lucky to encounter a Western Lowland Gorilla, although sightings here are by no means as reliable as they are in Uganda.
We start by taking the Transgabonais train eastwards through the interior forests to Lope, dividing our time here between a hotel (set in open savanna near a river) and a camp deep within the equatorial forest. Birding is rewarding around the hotel, including Forbes's Plover and the local Violet-tailed Sunbird. The forest edge is alive with birds. Grey Parrots and Black Bee-eaters can be seen overhead, while our forays into the national park add chances of the elusive Black Guineafowl, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Fiery-breasted Bushshrike and, with luck, Grey-necked Picathartes, which inhabit a cave in the area.
Returning to Libreville, we explore the excellent coastal mudflats and mangroves for a wealth of species, from incongruous African Skimmers to flocks of gaudy Rosy Bee-eaters.
The forests of Ivindo National Park are rich in birds and make a fitting place to conclude our tour. Researchers have recorded over 400 species just around the forest station! Plumed Guineafowl, Olive Ibis, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and the localized Gosling's Apalis await our discovery here, as Crowned and De Brazza's Monkeys cavort in the huge riverside trees.
This will be Callan's third tour to Gabon and his tenth visit to the Central African region.
Itinerary
Day 1
Our tour begins with a morning flight from London to Paris and onward connection to Libreville, capital of Gabon. We shall be welcomed by Callan upon arrival here this afternoon and transfer directly to our first hotel for dinner and overnight.
Overnight Libreville
Day 2
Libreville lies virtually on the Equator and birds are numerous in the small patches of scrub and forest found around the edge of the town.
We'll spend a few hours on introductory birding, getting to grips with our first tropical African species such as Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Long-legged Pipit, Grey-headed Nigrita, African Pied Hornbill and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. Afterwards we'll board the Transgabonais*, a comfortable train that will carry us eastwards, away from the bustle of the city into the expansive forests of Gabon's interior. Monkeys (mainly colourful guenons of a number of species) can be seen leaping in the treetops as the train passes slowly by, while groups of hornbills - including the huge Black-casqued Hornbill - glide above.
Overnight Lope
* Note: Lope lies approximately 300 km to the east of Libreville. We'll plan to take the day train, although sometimes the rail schedule requires arriving at night. In this case we'll have extra time exploring the coasts and forests around Libreville before we leave.
Days 3 - 6
Over these four days we'll explore the renowned La Lope National Park, dividing our stay here between the Lope Hotel, set in open surroundings near a river, and Mikongo Camp, which lies deep within the forest. One of the reasons La Lope is such an exciting place to visit is that the patches of forest here are surrounded by a mosaic of open grassland habitats, making it the perfect place to see the park's larger mammals crossing in the open between the dense woodlands. The birding here is more rewarding, too! While there are some birds for which one must peer into the gloomy depths, we always try to bird where we can get a good view of the forest edge and more easily get to grips with the canopy species.
The list of possible bird is long; indeed, a whole book has been written (unfortunately, only available in French) on the birds of this park. The birding is excellent right at the Lope Hotel, where a diversity of sunbirds includes the rather local Violet-tailed. Forbes's Plover is sometimes present on the nearby grassy field. We'll enter the adjacent national park in an open-topped vehicle and begin our search for wildlife.
The forest edge is alive with birds. Black Bee-eaters, Grey Parrots and Cassin's Spinetails can be seen overhead, whilst feeding flocks host numerous species of greenbuls, sunbirds, bushshrikes and gorgeous malimbes, those brightly coloured weavers of the forest. One of the more bizarre birds that we might well see (and hear) is the near-mythical Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, whose whinnying display sound is a source of some debate (does that lyre-shaped tail make the sound, or is it the wings?). Fiery-breasted Bushshrike, Great Blue Turaco, Blue-breasted Kingfisher and Piping and Black-casqued Hornbills are also to be found and we might even encounter the localised Dja River Scrub Warbler creeping about in its marshy habitat. Raptors to watch for include Crowned Hawk-eagle, African Goshawk and Long-tailed Hawk. Butterflies, including impressive swallowtails and emperors, are numerous.
Forest Elephants and the rusty-coloured forest form of African Buffalo (sometimes with accompanying Yellow-billed Oxpeckers) often appear at the edge of the glades. Another mammal that we will make a special effort to try and see is the Mandrill, whose males famously have bright blue and red facial markings. The population in this park is not known for sure but estimated at tens of thousands of individuals, making this the best place on earth to look for them - though that doesn't mean we are guaranteed to see one! The troops of Mandrill are equally happy on the ground as in the trees and so they can be tough to see. Depending on the schedules of the local primate researchers, we'll hope to spend a morning tracking a troop of these iconic animals. Jet-black Black Colobus will glare at us from the tree-tops and a host of other brightly-coloured monkeys occur in the forest canopy. We'll look out for the very rare Sun-tailed Monkey, while Chimpanzee is also possible at Lope - but they are extremely shy.
We'll also spend some time at Mikongo, where we'll stay in raised wooden bungalows set within a forest clearing. The birding here is superb and it's possible to see more than fifty species in just a few hours from the camp itself. From Mikongo, we'll also take walks deep into the forest. With much luck, we could encounter Lope's resident Gorillas; even though we'll find signs of their presence everywhere, like the Mandrills, these magnificent creatures are very hard to see.
Unsurprisingly, the birding is also more tricky on the forest trails - but the rewards can be great! We'll search for the elusive Black Guineafowl and might also come across Grey-necked Picathartes, which have a breeding cave in the area. These primitive and enigmatic birds are notoriously shy and secretive, but are most often seen near their mud nests which they plaster in rocky overhangs in the forest. We'll keep a look out in the woodland canopy for Lemon-bellied Crombec and Black Bee-eater, while Brown Illadopsis skulks in the understorey.
Two nights Lope Hotel, two nights Mikongo Camp.
Days 7 - 8
We plan to catch the day train from Lope back to Libreville today, for a two-night stay in the capital. The following day, we'll have a further opportunity to explore the splendid forests and coastal habitats that lie within an easy drive of the city. Here we'll look for a host of species including the gaudy Rosy Bee-eater, which often congregate in large flocks. The coastal mudflats and mangroves hold a fascinating selection of birds (including African Skimmers) and we'll take in another good area of forest to the north of the city where numerous coastal forest species, such as Western Bluebill, may be found.
Two nights Libreville.
Days 9 - 11
On Day 9 we'll take a morning flight from Libreville to Makokou, where we shall spend the next three nights on the edge of wonderful Ivindo National Park.
Perhaps the most diverse lowland forests in all Africa lie in the Ivindo River Basin, where we'll explore Ivindo National Park and the surrounding areas. Researchers have recorded more than 400 species of birds in the vicinity of the forest station alone! Here we'll be on the look out for such goodies as Plumed Guineafowl, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Olive Ibis and Congo Serpent Eagle, to name just a few. Spot-breasted Ibis fly over in the early morning and late evening, while primates such as Crowned and De Brazza's Monkeys frequent the huge riverside trees, which also host the local Gosling's Apalis.
Sifting through a plethora of greenbuls will be challenging, but species may include Spotted, Sjostedt's and Yellow-necked. Yellow-capped and Preuss's Weavers plus a variety of striking malimbes join the mixed species flocks, together with more common species such as Shining Drongo, Fraser's Sunbird, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Green Hylia, White-breasted Nigrita, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Rufous-crowned Eremomela and Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill. We should hear the distinctive calls of Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Rufous-sided Broadbill and Bare-cheeked Trogon - and hope to see them all, too. Understorey skulkers include Forest Robin, Fire-crested Alethe, Blackcap Illadopsis and Blue-headed Wood Dove, while large fruiting trees may draw a wealth of colourful birds, such as Chestnut-winged Starling, Yellow-billed and Yellow-spotted Barbets, and Yellow-billed Turaco. Among other possible highlights at Ivindo are White-crested Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike, Blue Cuckooshrike, Sabine's Puffback and Tit-hylia. With some fortune we may even encounter Latham's Francolin, or the rarely observed Nkulengu Rail.
Three nights Makokou
Days 12 - 13
If we have time, we'll do some final birding at Makokou before we catch our mid-morning flight back to Libreville and the coast. If time permits, there may be an opportunity to take one last look at some of the productive forest patches around the capital and savour some last-minute tropical African species.
Early evening transfer to Libreville airport for our overnight flight back to Paris and onward connection to London, where our tour concludes on Day 13.
Please note:
As tourism in Gabon is only just starting to take off, a certain degree of flexibility is sometimes required to meet our objectives. In particular, domestic transport arrangements can change (local flights and railways don't always run according to schedule!). With this in mind, we've designed our tour using Libreville as a base in order to accommodate small changes in schedules and to ensure we are best placed to maximise our time in the field.
Meals All included in the price. Food is good with most main meals taken at our lodgings and lunches either as picnics or at the lodges.
Walking The walking effort is easy (though the heat can be tiring); numerous walks at birding pace will be taken in the forests. Sturdy walking shoes with rugged soles and good grip advised.
Weather Gabon has a hot Equatorial climate. Our tour is timed to run during the middle of the country's 'dry season' (June-August). Though some rainfall is possible at any season, July is the driest month. Even at this time, the climate is often humid (sticky), with heavy clouds obscuring the sun. July temperatures in the range of about 15-30oC as the entire country is low-lying.
Flights We use the scheduled services of Air France (via Paris) or similar, from London-Libreville. A domestic flight carries us from Libreville to Ivindo National Park (Makokou) and back again.
Ground Transport By train, and minibus or four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Insects Mosquitoes are present throughout the tropics. Bring repellent and dress accordingly, covering up with long sleeves and long trousers. Many of the accommodations we use do supply mosquito nets - but if you want to be guaranteed of one, then Callan recommends purchasing your own travel net for all travel in the Afrotropics.
Photos Good to excellent photographic opportunities for birds and large mammals on this tour.
Numbers: Max. 10 clients
Encompassing a rich diversity of habitats, this splendid tour will focus on three key sites: famous Lope National Park (with its fine mix of forests and grasslands); the Ivindo Basin near Makokou (for superb forest birding); and some fine coastal areas near the capital, Libreville. Latham's Francolin, Congo Serpent Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk and Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike are among a host of specialities. We might also see migrating flocks of the enigmatic African River Martin, as they congregate along the rivers at this time of year.
Straddling the Equator, Gabon's pristine forests - newly protected in thirteen national parks - abound with life of all kinds, including a riot of butterflies and some quite wonderful primates. In particular, we stand a chance of encountering Mandrill and - depending on the schedule of the researchers - we hope to be able track these rare primates. We might even be lucky to encounter a Western Lowland Gorilla, although sightings here are by no means as reliable as they are in Uganda.
We start by taking the Transgabonais train eastwards through the interior forests to Lope, dividing our time here between a hotel (set in open savanna near a river) and a camp deep within the equatorial forest. Birding is rewarding around the hotel, including Forbes's Plover and the local Violet-tailed Sunbird. The forest edge is alive with birds. Grey Parrots and Black Bee-eaters can be seen overhead, while our forays into the national park add chances of the elusive Black Guineafowl, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Fiery-breasted Bushshrike and, with luck, Grey-necked Picathartes, which inhabit a cave in the area.
Returning to Libreville, we explore the excellent coastal mudflats and mangroves for a wealth of species, from incongruous African Skimmers to flocks of gaudy Rosy Bee-eaters.
The forests of Ivindo National Park are rich in birds and make a fitting place to conclude our tour. Researchers have recorded over 400 species just around the forest station! Plumed Guineafowl, Olive Ibis, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and the localized Gosling's Apalis await our discovery here, as Crowned and De Brazza's Monkeys cavort in the huge riverside trees.
This will be Callan's third tour to Gabon and his tenth visit to the Central African region.
Itinerary
Day 1
Our tour begins with a morning flight from London to Paris and onward connection to Libreville, capital of Gabon. We shall be welcomed by Callan upon arrival here this afternoon and transfer directly to our first hotel for dinner and overnight.
Overnight Libreville
Day 2
Libreville lies virtually on the Equator and birds are numerous in the small patches of scrub and forest found around the edge of the town.
We'll spend a few hours on introductory birding, getting to grips with our first tropical African species such as Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Long-legged Pipit, Grey-headed Nigrita, African Pied Hornbill and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. Afterwards we'll board the Transgabonais*, a comfortable train that will carry us eastwards, away from the bustle of the city into the expansive forests of Gabon's interior. Monkeys (mainly colourful guenons of a number of species) can be seen leaping in the treetops as the train passes slowly by, while groups of hornbills - including the huge Black-casqued Hornbill - glide above.
Overnight Lope
* Note: Lope lies approximately 300 km to the east of Libreville. We'll plan to take the day train, although sometimes the rail schedule requires arriving at night. In this case we'll have extra time exploring the coasts and forests around Libreville before we leave.
Days 3 - 6
Over these four days we'll explore the renowned La Lope National Park, dividing our stay here between the Lope Hotel, set in open surroundings near a river, and Mikongo Camp, which lies deep within the forest. One of the reasons La Lope is such an exciting place to visit is that the patches of forest here are surrounded by a mosaic of open grassland habitats, making it the perfect place to see the park's larger mammals crossing in the open between the dense woodlands. The birding here is more rewarding, too! While there are some birds for which one must peer into the gloomy depths, we always try to bird where we can get a good view of the forest edge and more easily get to grips with the canopy species.
The list of possible bird is long; indeed, a whole book has been written (unfortunately, only available in French) on the birds of this park. The birding is excellent right at the Lope Hotel, where a diversity of sunbirds includes the rather local Violet-tailed. Forbes's Plover is sometimes present on the nearby grassy field. We'll enter the adjacent national park in an open-topped vehicle and begin our search for wildlife.
The forest edge is alive with birds. Black Bee-eaters, Grey Parrots and Cassin's Spinetails can be seen overhead, whilst feeding flocks host numerous species of greenbuls, sunbirds, bushshrikes and gorgeous malimbes, those brightly coloured weavers of the forest. One of the more bizarre birds that we might well see (and hear) is the near-mythical Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, whose whinnying display sound is a source of some debate (does that lyre-shaped tail make the sound, or is it the wings?). Fiery-breasted Bushshrike, Great Blue Turaco, Blue-breasted Kingfisher and Piping and Black-casqued Hornbills are also to be found and we might even encounter the localised Dja River Scrub Warbler creeping about in its marshy habitat. Raptors to watch for include Crowned Hawk-eagle, African Goshawk and Long-tailed Hawk. Butterflies, including impressive swallowtails and emperors, are numerous.
Forest Elephants and the rusty-coloured forest form of African Buffalo (sometimes with accompanying Yellow-billed Oxpeckers) often appear at the edge of the glades. Another mammal that we will make a special effort to try and see is the Mandrill, whose males famously have bright blue and red facial markings. The population in this park is not known for sure but estimated at tens of thousands of individuals, making this the best place on earth to look for them - though that doesn't mean we are guaranteed to see one! The troops of Mandrill are equally happy on the ground as in the trees and so they can be tough to see. Depending on the schedules of the local primate researchers, we'll hope to spend a morning tracking a troop of these iconic animals. Jet-black Black Colobus will glare at us from the tree-tops and a host of other brightly-coloured monkeys occur in the forest canopy. We'll look out for the very rare Sun-tailed Monkey, while Chimpanzee is also possible at Lope - but they are extremely shy.
We'll also spend some time at Mikongo, where we'll stay in raised wooden bungalows set within a forest clearing. The birding here is superb and it's possible to see more than fifty species in just a few hours from the camp itself. From Mikongo, we'll also take walks deep into the forest. With much luck, we could encounter Lope's resident Gorillas; even though we'll find signs of their presence everywhere, like the Mandrills, these magnificent creatures are very hard to see.
Unsurprisingly, the birding is also more tricky on the forest trails - but the rewards can be great! We'll search for the elusive Black Guineafowl and might also come across Grey-necked Picathartes, which have a breeding cave in the area. These primitive and enigmatic birds are notoriously shy and secretive, but are most often seen near their mud nests which they plaster in rocky overhangs in the forest. We'll keep a look out in the woodland canopy for Lemon-bellied Crombec and Black Bee-eater, while Brown Illadopsis skulks in the understorey.
Two nights Lope Hotel, two nights Mikongo Camp.
Days 7 - 8
We plan to catch the day train from Lope back to Libreville today, for a two-night stay in the capital. The following day, we'll have a further opportunity to explore the splendid forests and coastal habitats that lie within an easy drive of the city. Here we'll look for a host of species including the gaudy Rosy Bee-eater, which often congregate in large flocks. The coastal mudflats and mangroves hold a fascinating selection of birds (including African Skimmers) and we'll take in another good area of forest to the north of the city where numerous coastal forest species, such as Western Bluebill, may be found.
Two nights Libreville.
Days 9 - 11
On Day 9 we'll take a morning flight from Libreville to Makokou, where we shall spend the next three nights on the edge of wonderful Ivindo National Park.
Perhaps the most diverse lowland forests in all Africa lie in the Ivindo River Basin, where we'll explore Ivindo National Park and the surrounding areas. Researchers have recorded more than 400 species of birds in the vicinity of the forest station alone! Here we'll be on the look out for such goodies as Plumed Guineafowl, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Olive Ibis and Congo Serpent Eagle, to name just a few. Spot-breasted Ibis fly over in the early morning and late evening, while primates such as Crowned and De Brazza's Monkeys frequent the huge riverside trees, which also host the local Gosling's Apalis.
Sifting through a plethora of greenbuls will be challenging, but species may include Spotted, Sjostedt's and Yellow-necked. Yellow-capped and Preuss's Weavers plus a variety of striking malimbes join the mixed species flocks, together with more common species such as Shining Drongo, Fraser's Sunbird, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Green Hylia, White-breasted Nigrita, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Rufous-crowned Eremomela and Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill. We should hear the distinctive calls of Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Rufous-sided Broadbill and Bare-cheeked Trogon - and hope to see them all, too. Understorey skulkers include Forest Robin, Fire-crested Alethe, Blackcap Illadopsis and Blue-headed Wood Dove, while large fruiting trees may draw a wealth of colourful birds, such as Chestnut-winged Starling, Yellow-billed and Yellow-spotted Barbets, and Yellow-billed Turaco. Among other possible highlights at Ivindo are White-crested Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike, Blue Cuckooshrike, Sabine's Puffback and Tit-hylia. With some fortune we may even encounter Latham's Francolin, or the rarely observed Nkulengu Rail.
Three nights Makokou
Days 12 - 13
If we have time, we'll do some final birding at Makokou before we catch our mid-morning flight back to Libreville and the coast. If time permits, there may be an opportunity to take one last look at some of the productive forest patches around the capital and savour some last-minute tropical African species.
Early evening transfer to Libreville airport for our overnight flight back to Paris and onward connection to London, where our tour concludes on Day 13.
Please note:
As tourism in Gabon is only just starting to take off, a certain degree of flexibility is sometimes required to meet our objectives. In particular, domestic transport arrangements can change (local flights and railways don't always run according to schedule!). With this in mind, we've designed our tour using Libreville as a base in order to accommodate small changes in schedules and to ensure we are best placed to maximise our time in the field.
Meals All included in the price. Food is good with most main meals taken at our lodgings and lunches either as picnics or at the lodges.
Walking The walking effort is easy (though the heat can be tiring); numerous walks at birding pace will be taken in the forests. Sturdy walking shoes with rugged soles and good grip advised.
Weather Gabon has a hot Equatorial climate. Our tour is timed to run during the middle of the country's 'dry season' (June-August). Though some rainfall is possible at any season, July is the driest month. Even at this time, the climate is often humid (sticky), with heavy clouds obscuring the sun. July temperatures in the range of about 15-30oC as the entire country is low-lying.
Flights We use the scheduled services of Air France (via Paris) or similar, from London-Libreville. A domestic flight carries us from Libreville to Ivindo National Park (Makokou) and back again.
Ground Transport By train, and minibus or four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Insects Mosquitoes are present throughout the tropics. Bring repellent and dress accordingly, covering up with long sleeves and long trousers. Many of the accommodations we use do supply mosquito nets - but if you want to be guaranteed of one, then Callan recommends purchasing your own travel net for all travel in the Afrotropics.
Photos Good to excellent photographic opportunities for birds and large mammals on this tour.
Numbers: Max. 10 clients
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