Travel Itinerary of Equatorial Exploration
Travel Itinerary of Equatorial Exploration
*) We advise travellers from South Africa to fly with South African Airways from Johannesburg to Libreville, Gabon on Wednesday. Your first two nights will be in La Résidence Maïsha in Libreville. On Friday, you will catch the morning flight to Port Gentil and a boat ride to Omboué. The tour ends the same day.
**) Please note that all excursions on São Tome are not included in the package price of this programme.
Day 1: Thursday – Arrival in Libreville, Gabon
Upon arrival at Libreville International Airport, a representative of Africa’s Eden will meet you and bring you to your hotel. He or she will help you with customs procedures and collecting of your luggage. Please note that you will need to show your vaccination booklet. After that you will be taken to Hotel La Résidence Maïsha.
You can spend the evening as you like; there is no organised programme. If you would like to go out for dinner, the "Quartier Louis" is Libreville's most lively neighbourhood with many restaurants. In addition, Tropicana (near the airport) is also a good spot for a nice dinner or a relaxing drink by the sea.
Lodging: Hotel La Résidence Maïsha, Libreville
Day 2: Friday – Evengué Island & Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Sanctuary
In the morning, you will be picked up by a representative of Africa’s Eden and brought to the airport for the 08h30 flight to Port Gentil. The pick-up time from your hotel will be communicated upon arrival in Libreville. From Port Gentil you will go on a 3-hour boat ride to Omboué. Therefore it is recommended to bring along some snacks/drinks during the trip.
In Omboué, our Evengue Lodge staff will help with your luggage. In a 20-minute boat trip you will be 
taken to Evengué, a small island just outside Loango National Park where the Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Sanctuary is situated, which is sponsored by Africa’s Eden.
During your stay on Evengué Island, our experts of the Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Project will share their knowledge with you on the bush meat crisis and other reasons why gorillas are a critically endangered species, and they will give you information about the Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Sanctuary and Rehabilitation & Reintroduction Programme. Afterwards one of the guides will accompany you on a short bush walk leading to the gorilla family in the sanctuary.
Lodging: Evengué Lodge
D
ay 3 – Saturday: Boat trip on Mpivié River to Loango Lodge
After breakfast, you will start the boat trip up the dark waters of the Mpivié River to Loango Lodge. En route, there will be time to visit the small town of Ste. Anne, where Gustav Eiffel built an iron church in the late 1800s. After the visit to Ste. Anne, the trip will continue up the Mpivié River that from there runs through some very dense rainforest. This is a perfect opportunity to sit back and enjoy the breathtaking views. Monkeys, 
crocodiles and all kinds of birds (Hartlaub’s ducks, finfoots and fishing owls in particular) can be seen. After approximately 2 hours, the boat will be exchanged at the end of the river for a 4x4 jeep that will drive to the lodge within 45 minutes. Upon arrival at Loango Lodge you will be welcomed with refreshments and shown to your room. (A late) Lunch will ber served in the restaurant. Depending on the time of arrival, it might still be possible to make a first visit to Loango National Park by boat or by 4x4.
Lodging: Loango Lodge
Day 4 & 5: Sunday & Monday – Tassi / Akaka (depending on the season)
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Tassi region *
After breakfast, one of our 4x4 jeeps will take you south-west to the Tassi / Louri area (approx. 1.5 hours). During this drive, animals such as elephants, red river hogs, buffalos, birds and sitatunga (a swamp-dwelling antelope) can be seen. Tassi Camp is situated on the savannah, surrounded by primary and secondary forest.
Take the 4x4 and visit the research camp of the Max Planck Institute in Tassi Sud, 30 minutes from Tassi Camp. From here, the researchers go into the forest to carry out studies amongst the shy, elusive gorillas and chimpanzees. This also acclimatises the animals gradually to the presence of humans in the vicinity. In the future, this habituation programme will allow a controlled form of tourism to track and view the gorillas and chimpanzees, while at the same time allowing researchers to gather data
on all aspects of their behaviour and ecology.
From Tassi you can easily go on excursions to Louri, where there is a good chance of
seeing buffalos and elephants on the beach: a truly remarkable sight and characteristic
of Loango National Park. On rare occasions, even hippos can be seen.
Lodging: Tassi Savannah Camp
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Akaka region *
After an early breakfast, the boat departs for a 4-hour journey south to Akaka. After
crossing some large lagoons, you will arrive at the Rembo Ngowe River, where you will
spend the last 1.5 hours. During the trip you might encounter birds, elephants, buffalos and sitatunga (swamp-dwelling antelopes), possibly even bathing in the river.
Akaka is one of the most remote parts of Loango National Park. The Akaka forests thrive with butterflies and are home to a number of rare bird species. The bush camp is situated on the riverbank in the heart of the tropical rainforest and the wetlands. At times, the wildlife, especially elephants, passes right through the camp.
Akaka is a good starting point for excursions like forest walks, or trips by kayak or motorboat along the Rembo Ngowe and Rembo Echira rivers. In the dry season, the concentrations of particularly forest buffalo and forest elephant that migrate into the area are easily seen. Smaller mammals like sitatunga, red river hogs, forest duikers, five species of monkey and great apes inhabit the area all year round.
Lodging: Akaka Bush Camp
Day 6: W
ednesday – Pte. Ste. Cathérine
This morning, you will have time to discover some other parts of Loango National Park; by car into the savannah, on foot into the mangroves, or by ‘houseboat’ along the shore.
In the afternoon, a short boat tour over the lagoon takes you to the Pointe Sainte Cathérine Beach Camp. This basic camp is situated at a beautiful spot on the beach in the north of Loango National Park.
Beach walks, collecting shells and fishing are amongst the possibilities. You can also simply relax here, with one of the most beautiful beaches on earth all to yourself.
As the sun sets, dine in the restaurant, on the lounge deck, or enjoy a feet-in-the-sand beach barbeque affair. During the rainy season, from November to April, Pte. Ste. Cathérine sunsets are even better than usual.
Lodging: Pte. Ste. Cathérine Beach Camp
Day 7: Thursday - Return to Loango Lodge
Today, you can relax at Loango Lodge or discover more of Loango National Park. Some of the possibilities include:
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Game drives
Game drives in a 4x4 jeep are an easy and comfortable way to view the park and see wildlife such as buffalo, elephant, red river hogs and sitatunga. In the rainy season from November to April, you can find large mammals roaming freely on the beach. -
Walking Safaris
You can venture out with one of our eco-guides into the forest. On foot is one of the best ways to learn more about the diversity of the park. You can encounter wildlife such as elephants and buffalo, but even more so, discover the more inconspicuous forest animals and birds. -
Cultural Walks
From the lodge, you can go on a cultural walk to the nearby village or the “Operation Loango” school, which is sponsored by Africa’s Eden’s sister company “Société de Conservation et Développement” -
Whale Watching*)
From mid-July to mid-September, humpback whales visit the coastline of Loango National Park. Go out on a boat with our skipper to look for these impressive, playful mammals.
*) Please note that sightings cannot be guaranteed and this excusion is not included in the cost of this programme.
- Fishing *)
The point where the lagoon empties into the ocean contains some of the largest game fish in the world, making it an ideal spot for fishing - and only 10 minutes by boat from Loango Lodge!
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Presentation / Dinner with the Wildlife Conservation Society researchers
Loango Lodge is base camp for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). WCS is engaged in a collaborative venture with SCD (Societé de Conservation et Développement) in Loango National Park, a unique effort to bring the private sector and an international NGO together to achieve a series of key conservation activities. WCS is partly funded by Africa's Eden tourism revenues and is active in conservation, monitoring, surveillance, and research activities in the park, all aimed at maintaining the long-term integrity of this ‘window into the past’. The researchers are happy to give a presentation about their activities in Gabon, and/or simply to chat about what they do over drinks / dinner.
Day 8: Thursday - Return to Libreville
In the morning, approximately at 10h00, you will depart to Omboué, where you will go on a boat ride to Port Gentil. During the boat trip, you will be provided a lunch package from Loango Lodge. Upon your arrival in Port Gentil, you will be prepared to take the connecting flight to Libreville, where you will arrive in time (approximately at 18h30) for your connecting international flight. Please check in at least two hours in advance for your international flight.Lodging: Hotel La Résidence Maïsha – breakfast included
Day 9: Friday – Flight to São Tomé
In the morning, you have time to relax or go on a last safari in the park. In the afternoon, a charter plane will fly you to São Tomé via Libreville, where the Omali Lodge staff will be waiting to meet you. You will arrive in São Tomé
The Omali Lodge Luxury Hotel is only a 5 minute drive from the airport. Before dinner time, you will have some time to settle into your room, to take a swim in the pool or to enjoy a drink at the pool side bar.
Lodging: Omali Lodge Luxury Hotel
Day 10 - 15: São Tomé
São Tomé offers many possible itineraries, such as a visit to see the volcanic crater deep in the forest of Ôbo National Park. Some other possibilities are:
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São Tomé City Tour
Visit the old city centre and get a feel of what São Tomé was like during the colonial era. At the lively Mercado Central, you will discover the islands products and the Calilu’s secret ingredients. With a visit to the National Museum, our guide will tell you about the life on the plantations and São Tomé’s tormented pre-independence history. -
Visit to Bom Sucesso Botanical Garden
São Tomé’s native flora (700 species including a hundred orchids) and fauna (birds and marine turtles) are of particular interest, as many of its species are endemic. Indeed, it is possible to see more than 100 different orchids from the island at the Bom Sucesso Botanical Garden. -
Day Trip by Car - Wild South São Tomé
This full day trip will take you to the heart of the Caué district at the southern tip of the island, where the road ends and adventure begins. After a stop for coffee at the Roça São João, you will head to Malanza, a small village near to São Tomé’s largest mangrove area, protected by the Obô National Park.
Here, local fishermen will take you on their traditional dug out canoes into the mangrove to discover its peculiar biodiversity. You will then have lunch at the community-run Jalé Ecolodge and visit the beautiful Roça Porto Alegre and its breathtaking views on the Iogo-Iogo bay. On your way back, you will stop to take a swim in one of Caué’s most secret beaches… -
Day Trip by Car – East Coast São Tomé
Your first stop is the Roça Agua Izê, a working cocoa plantation, with its colonial buildings and warehouses. You will then continue along the coast, passing typical fishermen villages and admiring some of the best views of the island. Roça São João is your final destination, where you can relax and enjoy São Tomé’s best-kept culinary secrets for lunch. Famous cook and artist João Carlos Silva welcomes guests to visit his plantation and colorful guesthouse, an eclectic blend of modern art, colonial patrimony and rural Santomean craftwork. On your way back to the capital, you can stop for a swim in any of the numerous secluded beaches found on the East Coast. -
Day Trip by Car - Country Side São Tomé
Once one of the world’s top exporters, São Tomé is famous for the quality of its cocoa. Conducted by an agronomist, this tour will allow you to discover how cocoa is harvested and transformed on the island by small planters. But there’s more to São Tomé than cocoa nowadays! It is also possible to visit a coffee estate, a pepper and vanilla plantation and a garden specialized in the export of ornamental tropical flowers. -
Hiking in Ôbo National Park
Ôbo Natural Park has only recently been created and helps protect the unique natural heritage of the island. The old cocoa plantation “Roça Bombaim” is a major point of entry to the Ôbo National Park. Surrounded by mountains and waterfalls, this old estate has been rehabilitated into a charming small hostel. One of the eco-guides will take you through the plantations and into the park to discover the secrets of the Santomean rainforest. After a refreshing bath and picnic at the waterfall “Formoso Cascade”, you will head back to the roça for a well-deserved locally brewed cup of coffee. -
Hiking along the Tunnels of the Rio Contador
This adventurous hike takes you to the limits of the National Park to discover São Tomé’s unique water adduction system, an impressive heritage of Portuguese colonial engineering. Kilometers of tunnels have been dug into the slopes and cliffs to canalize water from the Contador River. The walk along the old water canal will take you through the forest and abandoned cocoa plantations to the great Contador waterfall. -
Sea Turtle Night Patrol
Marine turtles have been coming to São Tomé for millions of years. Between October and April, five species can be seen on the island: the green turtle, the leatherback, the olive riddley, the hawksbill and the caouanne. We invite you to accompany our eco-guides on their nightly patrols of the beach to supervise and protect the sea turtles as they crawl ashore to nest. -
Bird-watching Expeditions
São Tomé is also an ornithologist’s paradise: 143 bird species have been identified here and rare endemic species like the São Tomé short tail, São Tomé giant sun bird, and São Tomé fiscal shrike may sometimes be spotted.
Day 16: Friday – Excursion possibilities & flight back to Libreville
Today, you have until the late afternoon to relax or explore the island before you will be brought to São Tomé airport for your flight back to Libreville and your connecting international flight to Europe / US / South Africa.
Tour on the map
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Travel itinerary in PDF format
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