Getting Around Gabon

My colleague Lothar made build a raft to cross over a small river. I could put this in the warning and dangers as he almost lost his vehicle when we began to pull the raft over the water.We finally decided to repai a bridge nearby. Well this is only for the picture of this guy dreaming to cross the river with his car on the raft. . . .

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The forestry people have cut many roads into the forest to reach the places where they could exploit the forest; when they have finished after a few years they leave the area and nobody maintains the roads. The bridges are sometimes the only trace after a few years and the forest comes back and covers quickly the roads where some foot paths may be kept.

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In the beginning 80's the Trans-Gabon railway was under construction and I could only see the portion between Libreville and Njole. This train now links Libreville with Franceville (420km). it is mainly used for goods (wood, ore, ) transportation,and there is a passenger service which seems irregular.
With colleagues from the ministry of mines we had a tailored trip to look at the outcrops along the railway before the vegetation came back .

Beside the boats on rivers the taxi brousse is the usual transport mean in Gabon, when people need to go far distances. These vehicles are generally cheap and in Gabon I never have seen a European in this kind of vehicle. The drivers as I could see them on the road are very fast but they stop at every settlement and it may take one day to travel 300 km. . . Ah, and a good driver is the one who has no casualties when there is an accident; accident is not important, the important is that there are no casualties. . . that the driver has the good and strong gri-gri (magic protection). Or is it the name or the decoration which are important?

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For short distances on rivers you may use the pirogue, but for longer distances you can use bigger boats like the one here in Lambarene which made the trip between Lambarene and Port Gentil on the coast.
Tugboats like the one on the other picture are sometimes used by locals when by chance it goes the way they want and the captain is in good mood to stop to pick them up; I never used a tugboat.

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In the rain forest there is rain, >>>>>>> which means lots of water >>>>>>>rivers and lakes. The small dugout canoes (pirogue) are the most efficient means of transport, specially in small rivers. These can be found and hired in most of villages. Probably the same applies today;the prices certainly changed, but negociation skills for for discussing the price help a lot.

You can buy cheaper plane tickets in Gabon from Libreville to Port Gentil on airlines that aren't in the travel agents computer. It costs jsut GBP 23 for a one way ticket locally; so if you add on ticket from libreville is more than this don't buy it.

The better to get to Gabon is by plane. I went there via Paris with Air France.

Plane tickets are VERY expansive. Gabon isn't a touristic neither a business place. As an exemple: Montreal-Paris-Libreville and Libreville-Paris-Montreal = 2500 CAN$
The best way to travel accross Libreville (and the cheapest) is taxi. You can have a 'course' (the driver take you where you want without stopping) for 1000 CFA (2 CAN$). You can have a ride to main point for 100 CFA (0.25 CAN$). A ride for the aerport to the downtown cost 3000 CFA (6$ CAN), cause it's a long way from main attractions.
You have to deal a little bit with drivers.

If you want to go off the beaten path you will need to take the boat or the train. Boat cruise to Nyonié are available at Michele Marine for 200 CAN$ (2 days, 1 night with meals, drinks, lodging and tours). Ask the owner of Aubergine restaurant for tickets. You can go to Franceville or La Lopé by train.

Note: Road are in very bad conditions (large holes), mostly when you are far from the president !