Loango National Park

Loango National Park, on Gabon's wild Atlantic coast, is one of the most extraordinary wildlife destinations in Africa, sometimes called the Land of the Surfing Hippos and part of what has been dubbed Africa's last Eden. Here, uniquely, dense equatorial rainforest, lagoons and savanna meet long, pristine ocean beaches, and animals rarely seen on the coast, forest elephants, lowland gorillas, buffalo, and even hippos surfing in the waves, can be encountered against the backdrop of the sea. Whales and dolphins pass offshore, turtles nest on the sand, and the park's remote, unspoilt wilderness offers a genuinely unique African safari.

What you actually see

• The beach wildlife - the elephants, buffalo and hippos on the shore.
• The gorillas - the lowland gorillas of the forest.
• The whales and turtles - the migrating whales and nesting turtles.
• The forest, lagoon and ocean - the rare meeting of habitats.

When to go

May to September, the long dry season, is generally best for wildlife and travel, with calmer conditions; whales pass offshore around July to September, and turtle nesting has its own season. The park is remote, reached by air and boat, and visited on guided trips staying at a handful of lodges.

Honest expectations

Loango is deeply remote and reached only by air and boat on organised trips staying at a few expensive lodges, so it is a costly, logistically demanding destination rather than a casual safari, and Gabon's tourism infrastructure is limited; wildlife, especially the famous beach elephants and gorillas, is wild and takes patience and luck. For the truly unique experience of African wildlife against the ocean in pristine, crowd-free wilderness, though, Loango is extraordinary.

Nearby

The town of Port-Gentil and Gabon's other national parks are within reach.