Gabon, São Tome & Principe; The Bradt Travel Guide

by Sophie Warne

• ISBN13: 9781841620732
• ISBN10: 1841620734
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-11-01
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Summary

History, geography and culture underpin a practical guide that covers everything a visitor might need to know: planning and preparation, where to stay, where to eat and what to see. Gabon boasts some of the most unspoilt rainforests in Africa, home to chimpanzees, gorillas and many other primates; it is also one of the continent's best places for birdwatching. As yet almost unknown, its attractions range from idyllic sandy beaches along its 855km coastline to an interior made up of sugarloaf peaks, dense rainforests and savannah.

Author Biography

Sophie Warne is a freelance travel writer who has traveled extensively in Africa. She has worked on children's natural history books and was shortlisted for The Times Young Travel Writers' 2000 competition.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. viii
Introduction	p. x
Gabon: General Information	p. 1
Background and History	p. 3
Facts and figures	p. 3
History	p. 6
Natural History and Conservation	p. 17
Habitats and vegetation	p. 17
Wildlife	p. 19
Conservation	p. 32
Planning Your Trip	p. 37
Tourist information	p. 37
Getting there	p. 37
Entry requirements	p. 40
When to visit	p. 42
What to take	p. 43
Photography	p. 45
Money	p. 45
Suggested itineraries	p. 48
Travelling Around	p. 49
Getting around	p. 49
Public holidays	p. 53
Accommodation	p. 53
Eating and drinking	p. 54
Souvenir shopping	p. 55
Media and communications	p. 56
Tourism and the Gabonese	p. 58
Crime and security	p. 58
Embassies and diplomatic missions	p. 59
Local NGOs	p. 59
Health	p. 61
Preparations	p. 61
Major hazards	p. 67
Common medical problems	p. 67
Other medical issues	p. 74
Gabon: The Guide	p. 79
Libreville and the Estuary	p. 81
Libreville	p. 81
The estuary	p. 99
The Middle Ogooue	p. 105
Lambarene	p. 105
Ndjole	p. 111
The Ngounie	p. 113
From Lambarene to Ndende	p. 113
The Massif du Chaillu	p. 117
Coastal Ogooue	p. 119
Port Gentil	p. 119
Loango National Park	p. 128
Gamba	p. 132
Moukalaba-Doudou National Park	p. 133
The Nyanga	p. 135
Tchibanga	p. 135
Mayumba	p. 137
Woleu-Ntem	p. 139
Oyem	p. 140
Bitam	p. 142
Mitzic	p. 144
The Ogooue-Ivindo	p. 147
Lope National Park	p. 147
Makokou	p. 160
Ivindo National Park	p. 161
Minkebe National Park	p. 162
The High Ogooue	p. 163
Franceville	p. 163
Poubara	p. 169
Moanda	p. 170
Lekedi Park	p. 172
The Bateke Plateau	p. 176
The Ogooue-Lolo	p. 181
Koulamoutou	p. 181
Lastoursville	p. 183
Sao Tome and Principe	p. 185
Background and History	p. 187
Facts and figures	p. 187
Natural history and conservation	p. 191
History	p. 194
Useful information	p. 196
Sao Tome Island	p. 205
Orientation	p. 205
Getting there and away	p. 205
Getting around	p. 206
Sao Tome town	p. 206
The north	p. 213
The island's interior	p. 214
Rolas Island	p. 219
Principe	p. 223
Orientation	p. 223
Getting there and away	p. 224
Getting around	p. 224
Where to stay and eat	p. 225
Santo Antonio	p. 226
What to see and do	p. 228
Plantation houses	p. 232
Language	p. 235
Further Reading	p. 237
Index	p. 241
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Central Africa has over 80% of the total rain forests on the African continent and 25% of the world's rain forests in a region often referred to as the Congo Basin. This Basin extends into Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. Over 80% of Gabon is covered in dense rain forest, and the remaining 20% is savannah and coastline, and for each of these habitats Gabon has the wildlife to match. This is a country where gorillas and elephants can be caught on camera on the same stretch of beach.

Just before this guide went to press, President Bongo announced the creation of a national park network in Gabon, so now 10% of the country is protected. This is fantastic news, not just for the future of Central Africa but for the future of tourism. With national parks in place, tourist infrastructures will follow, enabling visitors to reach places of enormous environmental value that were previously virtually inaccessible. The involvement of environmental organisations WCS, ECOFAC and WWF means that wildlife tourism -- from gorilla and elephant trekking to whale watching and turtle observation -- will be conducted alongside precious research. The money generated by tourism will feed back into conservation and research. It's the same story in STP, where ECOFAC are equally active in clearing trekking trails in the forest interior and promoting turtle tourism on its beaches.

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Excerpted from Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe by Sophie Warne
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.