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Gabon - Africa's Last Eden
Tour Code: GAB02An exhilarating 15-day pioneering holiday to the little-visited country of Gabon in search of Western Lowland Gorilla, Mandrill and Chimpanzee, plus a wealth of birds, including the spectacular African River Martin, and a touch of culture too.
£11,995 (Inc flights)
£11,095
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Summary
Gabon, also known as 'Africa's Last Eden', comprises an incredible 13 national parks which cover 11% of the country's land surface. It is perhaps no surprise that such an expanse of habitat supports a mouth-watering number of seldom-seen species, whether these are mammals or birds. On this pioneering 15-day holiday, we will be hoping to find such highlights as the Western Lowland Gorilla, Mandrill, Chimpanzee, Forest Buffalo and Forest Elephant, while birds will include surely one of Africa's most striking hirundines - the African River Martin, along with Rosy Bee-eater, Pel's Fishing Owl and the range-restricted Loango Weaver. Gabon is a country steeped in history and we will not ignore its culture, visiting the Albert Schweitzer Museum and enjoying fully-guided city tours of both Lambarene and Libreville. With so much on offer, we will not fail to be captivated by this little-visited west African country!
- Tracking Western Lowland Gorillas at Loango National Park & possibly Mandrills at Lope National Park
- A possibility of Chimpanzee too along with other seldom-seen primates
- View nesting African River Martins - surely Africa's most striking hirundine!
- An incredible array of West African birds
- Visit the Albert Schweitzer Museum in Lambarene
- Sail down the mighty Ogooue River
- Forest Elephant, Forest Buffalo and Red River Hogs
- A superb opportunity to visit this little-visited country, most of which is covered in unspoilt forest
- Led by Gabonese wildlife experts and a Naturetrek tour leader
Grading
Grade B - There is little strenuous walking on this tour, however, when tracking for mammals or ascending Mont Brazza, these may prove difficult. The local climate, being hot and stuffy, can be exhausting too.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
Please note in Loango National Park there is no single occupancy, only sharing available due to the limited availability of tented accommodation.
Dates & Prices
2024
Tour Leader: Matt Eade
Matt was first introduced into natural history by his father, who regularly took him to observe the badgers only a few miles from home in Seaford, East Sussex. At the age of seven, Matt then took a keen interest in birds, where regular weekend trips to famous RSPB reserves in the south-east were a common theme, and gave rise to a life-long interest in natural history.
Before the age of 30, Matt was proud to have landed on all seven continents, the last of these being Australasia, where a month-long trip to Papua New Guinea in 2019 just so happened to be one of Matt’s ornithological highlights to date – perhaps even surpassing laying eyes on seven species of penguin on an Antarctic adventure back in 2016.
Although birds are the main cause of Matt’s travelling, it is often the case that mammals and other wildlife steal the show. Superb, and at times, personal encounters with Africa’s big five are high on his list, and being bitten on the boot by a Fer-de-lance snake in the Guyanan rainforest was perhaps one of his most adrenaline-fuelled occasions. Travelling has taken Matt to some very remote regions in search of the globally threatened species. This has included searching for Hooded Grebes on a remote Patagonian plateau and venturing to the seldom-visited Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea for the Emperor Bird-of-paradise!
Having only joined Naturetrek in 2020, Matt has already led tours to Jamaica, Somerset, Dorset, The Highlands, South France and Shetland, as well as a number of Day Trips in his home county of Sussex, where his passion for all aspects of natural history shone through! Matt also completed a successful ‘recce’ trip to southern Nepal. Past tour leading has included private trips to several regions within Papua New Guinea, which isn't the easiest location in which to operate a holiday!
2025
Tour Leader: Rob Mileto
Rob puts his interest in wildlife and nature conservation down to being brought up in a 'new town' where fields, ponds and hedgerows were constantly being turned into houses and roads. After graduating in Ecology and Nature Conservation he worked for the Shropshire Wildlife Trust and RSPB, and spent two years wardening Aride Island Nature Reserve in the Seychelles. He has also travelled extensively in east and southern Africa and undertaken voluntary conservation work and research in Tanzania, Namibia and Zimbabwe. He now runs a wildlife consultancy in Shropshire but disappears off on long holidays and advisory projects abroad whenever he can.
2026
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
EnquireWhy Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!