Chutes de l'Impératrice
Wide falls on the Ngounié river near Fougamou, named after a French empress.
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The Ngounié river spreads across a rock shelf near Fougamou and drops in a broad set of falls, not high but wide, breaking into channels around islands of rock with forest along both banks. They were named for the Empress Eugénie in the nineteenth century by French explorers. A track leads down to the riverbank and there is a simple lodge above the water, but nothing else has been built at the site.
What you actually see
- The wide falls - the river breaking into channels across a broad rock shelf.
- The rock islands - the outcrops the water divides around.
- The riverbank forest - woodland running down to the water on both sides.
- The nineteenth-century naming - the French explorers who named the falls.
When to go
June to September is the drier season with easier access. The rains raise the river and increase the flow considerably. Tracks are difficult when wet.
Honest expectations
The falls are wide rather than high, which disappoints some. The track down is rough. Facilities are one small lodge and nothing more.
Nearby
Fougamou is nearby, and Waka National Park is east.
What to pack for Chutes de l'Impératrice
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
