Gabon: The Last Eden

One of the most biodiverse nations on earth, and the most carbon positive, this central African state is a sanctuary for wildlife. With a coastline stretching for almost 1,000km, come and relax by the sea, live life in the forest - or dance the night away in Gabon's capital Libreville.

Gabon’s rainforest is its most valuable asset and contributes significantly to the balance of bio-diversity on which our world depends. It is part of the Congo Basin, the world's second-largest rainforest after the Amazon. The country lies on the equator, and around 88% of its land is covered with tropical forest.

Forest cover is the main ecosystem of the country, with a rich and varied fauna. Gabon’s forest elephant herd is the largest in the world, with an estimated 95,000 individuals of this critically endangered species. Gabon is also home to as many as 18,000 gorillas and chimpanzees. There are about 10,000 plant species recorded in Gabon. This is more than the total diversity of all countries in West Africa, with 15 percent of plants in the country unique to Gabon.

Gabon is also visited by the Southern Hemisphere’s largest population of humpback whales, who each year nurse their young there before migrating south. Overall Gabon’s marine waters host over 20 species of whales and dolphins, including the critically endangered Atlantic humpback. Each year the world’s largest populations of leatherback and olive-ridley turtles come to Gabon to nest.​

Gabon is a former French colony with a culture influenced not just by France but also by its ethnic background and proximity to other West African nations. Dancing, singing, mythology, and poetry are all important elements of life in Gabon. Traditional crafts are an ancient tradition and can be seen in the creation of masks, musical instruments and sculptures.

Gabon is composed of about fifty ethnic groups, each with its own language and beliefs. This cultural diversity makes Gabon a jewel of spirituality and tradition. Visitors can soak up this richness by attending customary rites, visiting traditional villages and letting yourself be guided by the warm welcome of the Gabonese.

Gabonese culture is traditionally highly spiritual, with a focus on worship and the afterlife. This traditional beliefs focus around the veneration of ancestors, based on the notion of a continuity between living and deceased relatives. Each of the country’s ethnic groups have their own ways of showing this veneration through ceremonies that, depending on the group, are known variously as bwiti, bwété or byeri.

Traditional Gabonese instruments like the balafon, harp, mouth bow, drums, rattles, and bells are believed to call on different spirits and each instrument plays a key role in different Gabonese worship rituals. Each of the Gabonese ethnic groups has its own specific traditions involving masks, sculptures, music, songs, and dances, or a combination of these elements.

Gabon was named by Condé Nast Traveler as one of "The 22 Best Places to Go", saying: « Adventure seekers, nature lovers, and environmental advocates who visit will find incredible biodiversity, and a country determined to put critical conservation and eco-tourism projects in place before the masses arrive. Find leatherback turtles nesting in sand dunes along the shores of Pongara National Park, spot whales spouting among crashing blue waves in Mayumba, climb verdant mountains and staggering cliffs in Bateke Plateau, explore historic caves and savanna in Birougou, and marvel over waterfalls plunging into the rapids of the blackwater rivers in Ivindo National Park.

Internationally recognised for its environmental and biodiversity preservation policies, Gabon has made the development of eco-tourism one of its national priorities. With high-level infrastructure that respect environmental standards, the Last Eden offers tourists a setting as wild as it is comfortable.

Entirely made with local materials, and respectful of the surrounding eco-systems, these structures offer an extraordinary immersion in contact with the endemic fauna and flora of the Gabonese equatorial rainforest for a unique and eco-responsible experience.

With its museums, historical centers, craft workshops and popular bars and nightclubs, Gabon's capital Libreville is the country's cultural heart. Here you will find world-class hotels, gastronomic restaurants blending African and French cuisine, and bars offering a welcoming beer after your visit to the rainforest.

Port-Gentil is the economic capital of Gabon, standing on Mandji Island as part of a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean. The city is lined by white sandy beaches and offers luxury hotel facilities, such as La Baie des Coquillages. Port-Gentil also can serve as a jumping off point to visit surrounding nature spot.

Lambaréné is a small historical town located 250km southeast of Libreville on the Ogooué River. It is particularly known for the Albert-Schweitzer Hospital, created in 1913 by the doctor of the same name, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. Today, the hospital has a museum retracing the history of the doctor.

In Gabon ceremonial masks build a bridge between the living and the dead. They serve as mediators between the visible and sacred worlds. Masks have multiple appearances and are believed to be the visible expression of the spirits with their shape and appearance to the dictated by spirit beings. The design is often inspired by dreams or appear during trances, which can be provoked by the absorption of local hallucinogenic plants. Their role is to coax the spirits so as to appease them in order to prevent them from spreading misfortune. 

The bwiti rite is an initiation ceremony deeply rooted in Gabonese culture. Practiced by a large part of the Gabonese population, it allows the initiates to connect spiritually with their ancestors and to enlighten them on the path that they should follow in life. Between traditional dances, songs, body paintings and experimentation with Iboga, a locally growing hallucinogenic plant, the Bwiti initiation rite allows the initiate to undergo the oldest traditions of Gabon.