Surrounded by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Congo, Gabon is a state of Equatorial Africa that will enchant nature and tourism lovers off the beaten track. It is above all a country that we discover for the immensity of its forest which covers approximately 80% of its territory. Not surprisingly, the equatorial climate of Gabon, characterized by high heat and high humidity, is conducive to this type of vegetation marked by the presence of very large trees and various species such as mahogany and okoumé. Under the impetus of its president Omar Bongo, the country created a network of 13 national parks in September 2002 to protect the various natural systems of these parks: there are gorillas, chimpanzees, mandrills but also hippos. The Lopé reserve, located in the centre of Gabon and occupying an area of 500,000 hectares, can thus give a very exhaustive overview of various species, including endangered mammals. It is also a country that one visits because of its lakes: located near Lambaréné, the region of the lakes of Gabon, is delimited between the lakes of the north and the lakes of the south. During your stay, you will need between half a day and a day excursion to overcome all these lakes, accessible with motor canoes. Among those of the north, you will visit the DéguéUé, decorated with fishing camps during the dry season. There is also Lake Azingo, located on the border of the Wonga-Wongué nature reserve without forgetting Lake Gomé. On the south side, the lakes are immense in the image of Lake Evaro, home to populations dominated by Myene and where you will be able to appreciate the traditional music and dances of these peoples. And if your journey gives you the time and opportunity, you can discover the Protestant mission of Ngomo on your way back from Lake Evaro. Created more than 100 years ago, this mission was abandoned by the missionaries during Gabon's independence, but remains a place of unforgettable memories where you will be able to observe five one-storey buildings, each bearing the name of one of the five continents. During your stay in Gabon, you can also visit the main cities of the country, starting with Libreville, its capital. Libreville is both modern and very expensive. It boasts some attractive monuments: the columns of the Saint-Michel Church in N'kembo, like the building of the Musée national des arts et traditions, located on the boulevard du bord de mer and which covers the traditional masks of Gabon, deserve to appear in your travel book. The Gabonese capital also inherited a presidential palace with a very pompous architecture judging by its Greek columns, its marble straight from Italy and... its exorbitant cost of 800 million dollars!!! One can nevertheless be comforted on its beaches which border particularly the residential districts of Tahiti and La Sablière. Lovers of urban tourism will also be able to make a jump to Port-Gentil, the country's second largest city and home to many expatriates. Festive, this city, which is located on the island Mandji, some 144 km southwest of the Gabonese capital, offers first of all magnificent beaches as those of Cap Lopez and Sogara Port-Gentil sector testify. It is also a place with few distractions: there are many clubs, restaurants, bars and cafés. If you need to get there from Libreville, Port-Gentil is only accessible by air or sea. There are no roads linking the country's two main cities, which speaks volumes about the state of the destination's road infrastructure. This is one of Gabon's negative points. So you just need to know before you take the road. If you are interested in Gabonese crafts, you can bring home a number of traditional masks from the country but also pottery and stone sculptures. All these objects will be accessible on the markets of the big cities as in the souvenir shops of the main Gabonese agglomerations. Art and culture in Gabon
During your holidays in Gabon, you will not fail to notice the importance of masks in the culture of the country. Used for different ceremonies or events in life, masks are specific to each ethnic group. For example, Okuyi masks, completely white, are used in the Myenee tribe for funerals. For its part, the Bodi mask, comes from the Pové ethnic group located in the Ogooué-Lolo region and is worn by men, most often in the evening, and when visiting important personalities.

What to visit in Gabon
The Lopé reserve has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1962 and has also been a protected area since the early 20th century.