Bongolo Caves and Falls

At Bongolo near Lébamba the Louetsi river drops over rock and the limestone alongside it is cut through by caves that can be entered with a guide and a torch: chambers with formations, passages running back into the hill and bats overhead. A hospital founded by missionaries operates at Bongolo and is the best known institution in the area. The falls and the caves are visited together on the same track. The Louetsi is a tributary of the Ngounié, and the whole area sits on the same limestone band that produces the caves at Lastoursville further east.

What you'll find

• The falls - the Louetsi dropping over rock beside the caves.
• The limestone caves - chambers and passages entered with torches and a guide.
• The bat colonies - the roosts in the deeper sections.
• The river setting - the forested banks around the site.

When to go

June to September is the drier season and the caves are safest. Rain floods the lower passages. Guides are arranged locally.

Good to know

There is no lighting or path in the caves and a guide with torches is essential. The passages flood after rain. Roads in the Ngounié are poor.

Nearby

Lébamba is nearby, and Mouila is north.