Mayumba National Park | Gabon safari | Gabon tortoise
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Your safari in Mayumba Park and Moukalaba Doudou Park

Discover the wildlife of Gabon, the landscapes, the mangroves, the beaches of Gabon by visiting two parks in southern Gabon.Moukalaba Doudou park where you will observe the accustomed gorillas, and Mayumba Marine Park depending on the season, you will have the opportunity to observe leatherback turtles or humpback whales,by canoe through the mangroves and a walk  vousdiscover the fauna of the park and in particular the hippopotamuses. You enjoy the beach in an idyllic setting and   you initiate the sport fishing at sea or in the lagoon. You can also appreciate the art and traditions of the Vili people.

Organization of your safari in Gabon

From Libreville,you have the choice of coming to Tchibanga in the south using the buses where you will be picked up or we pick you up in Libreville as part of individual transport. Depending on your choice, you can choose between being accompanied by a guide for the entire duration of your tour, or only during the excursions in the Doussala forest or in the Mayumba park.In each park you will be supervised by approved eco-guides who guarantee the smooth and safe progress of your safari in Gabon. 

The program of your trip to Gabon

Day 0

Your arrival in Gabon 

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We offer you a tailor-made circuit.This means thatyou control your day of arrival in Libreville. We will synchronize the program according to the date and time of arrival in Gabon and the duration of your stay.This is why the program may change depending on your dates of stay in Gabon.

You have the choice to book the hotel yourself, in this case the driver will pick you up at the hotel.We can, if you wish, take care of the reservation of your hotel in Librevillee and in this case the driver will pick you up at the airport.

As a reminder to enter Gabon:

  • You must have a visa which you can obtain online by clicking HERE, or apply to the consulate of your country.

  • You must present an international vaccination card which certifies that you are vaccinated against yellow fever, more information: click HERE .

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Day 1

Trip to Tchibanga and Moukalaba Doudou Park

Departure after breakfast around 7 am from your hotel or from the airport, if you arrive early in the morning. The journey is 600 km, it takes about  10 hours.

Your guide will meet you in Lambaréné. Along the way you will stop for lunch.

The service includes  :

  • Transport, (the type of vehicle will be defined according to the number of participants),

  • Accommodation

  • dinner.

Lunch en route will be at your expense.

Days 2 and 3

Tchibanga – Village of Doussala  in Moukalaba Douou National Park

Presentation of the village of Doussala and the plain of Porro

Doussala is a forest village established since the 1800s. It is located 2 hours by road from Tchibanga, it is surrounded by savannahs and secondary forests inhabited by a large population of great apes, elephants, Kobes Defassa, small monkeys and birds.

During your stay, meals will be prepared by the women of the village. You will have the opportunity to discover many variations of dishes of traditional agricultural and forest products of the region, including Niembwe, Odika, squash, cucumber, smoked products, etc. You will stay in a three-bedroom lodge called Case Madre with a total capacity of six people. The Lodge was renovated in 2016.

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Organization of your safari in Doussala

You will be picked up by local guides after breakfast at the hotel. The journey time to get to the village of  Doussala is 3 to 4 hours.   After your installation and civilities with the village chief, you can participate in your first gorilla tracking from 2:30 p.m. with the   trackers for 3 hours, the observation of habituated gorillas cannot exceed one hour, however the tracking can last several hours on foot.

The next day, you will have the opportunity to do two hikes in the forest to track the gorillas, in the morning from 7 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. and after from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. However, during your hikes, you will eventually be able to observeother species such as elephants, buffaloes, Defassa waterbucks, chimpanzees, gorillas, small monkeys and many other species.

The service includes :

  • Transport to Doussala,

  • Trackers: Observation :Tracking requires special supervision for your safety, this is established  as follows 1 to 4 people:2 guides, for 5 to 7 people:4 guidesand for  8 to 10  people:6 guides

  • Accommodation in the Doussala camp is full board, the food is prepared by the women of the village.

  • Entrance fees to the park.

  • As an option, you can participate in the activities of the villagers, harvesting honey, fishing in the river, attending traditional dances.

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Parc Doussala
Days 4, 5, 6

Doussala -towards the Mayumba park observation of all lutes or humpback whales at sea

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Your circuit will take you to Mayumba Park on the coast. You arrive around 11 am at the hotel. 

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Presentation of Mayumba Park 

The park protects a strip of beach and narrow coastal vegetation 1 km wide by 60 km long, representing approximately 970 km2. The coast of Mayumba is characterized by large sandy beaches and fresh or brackish water lagoons.
The beaches of the Mayumba Marine National Park are home to a variety of wildlife such as monitor lizards, genets, mongooses, sand crabs and coastal birds. You can meet buffaloes, elephants and other forest animals on the beaches. In the lagoons where large mangroves grow, there are hippos and crocodiles, as well as manatees. 


Your Program in Mayumba Park

We offer several discovery programs depending on the season.

  • Leatherback season from November to April:on this occasion you discover by canoe the Banio lagoon in the Mayumba National Park you can observe the turtles. It is estimated that 30% of the world population passes through Gabon, a large part of which in Mayumba. Leatherback turtles are the largest turtles in the world, sometimes measuring 2 meters in length. It is estimated that 40,000 females come to lay eggs each year on Gabonese beaches and in particular in Mayumba..

  • Humpback whale season from May to October,you will embark on a boat towards the open sea. It is an exciting experience to be on a small boat when a huge whale falls back into the water just a few meters away. Humpback whales travel along the coasts of Gabon to breed, give birth, and nurse their young. Active females and pups are close to shore and larger groups are found in deeper water

  • Take a full-day lagoon safari by canoe and on footto discover and observe the fauna inhabiting the mangroves, in particular hippopotamuses, crocodiles, manatees, etc.

  • Initiate or practice sport fishingin the Banio lagoon, at sea or on the beach day or night according to the different techniques (surf casting, callé, trolling) on the edge of the beach or by boat (A fishing trip by boat takes about 6 hours) .

  • Visit a traditional village of the Vili peoplewhich will make you discover art and traditions through dances and crafts

The service includes :

  • Accommodation with breakfast or full board,

  • Boat rental (canoe or sea boat),

  • Rental of fishing equipment,

  • guides, pilots

  • Entrance to Mayumba Park

Parc Mayumba
Day 7

Mayumba  return to Libreville

Departure will be after breakfast and the driver will drop you off at the initial pick-up location 

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The service includes  :

  • Full board accommodation,

  • canoe rental,

  • guidance,

  • the picnic,

  • Entrance fees to Loango Park

Votre équipement

In Gabon, below the equator the weather changes quickly and the sun can give way to rain in less than an hour, so you should consider equipment to deal with these climatic variations.

For the transport of your personal belongings , we recommend a backpack and for the steps a small dark backpack so as not to be visible to animals.

For the clothes

  • For safaris or trekking in the forest, avoid conspicuous clothing and prefer grey, green, khaki, beige, brown, black.

  • A good raincoat (+ possibly the waterproof pants)

  • Light clothes

  • Long-sleeved shirts or T-shirts (for cool evenings and insects)

  • Jersey

  • Fleece for the dry season by the beach (from June 15 to September 15)

  • Two pairs of walking shoes,

  • plastic sandals

  • Cap

For accessories

  • Sunglasses

  • Beach towel

  • Torch or headlamp (+ batteries): at least one per person

  • Your photo and/or video equipment

  • Waterproof bags or "freezer bag" type plastic zippered pouches to protect your photo and/or video equipment from humidity

  • Possibly, silicate balls to place in your waterproof bags to absorb humidity

For your health

  • Your antimalarial treatment

  • If you are undergoing medical treatment, plan your prescription and your treatment in sufficient quantity  for the duration of your stay

  • Your pharmacy: anti-diarrheal, anti-nausea, ointment against insect bites, antifungal ointment, biafine

  • Insect repellent

  • Solar cream

  • Possibly, antiseptic hand gel

What equipment for your safari in Gabon

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To learn more about the south of Gabon, see jeanlou's travel diary

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