Gabon - by Sean Connolly (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The thoroughly updated third edition of Bradt's Gabon remains the only English-language guidebook dedicated exclusively to what is considered by many to be 'Africa's last Eden', thanks to its sparse population in one of the world's most densely forested countries. From the impenetrable jungles of the interior via the grassy plateaus of Haut-Ogooué to the Atlantic coast's windblown white-sand beaches of the coast, visitors to this small Central African country come face-to-face with nature in its rawest, wildest, most untouched form. Gabon is an adventurous ecotourist's paradise. It harbours the continent's largest population of forest elephants, hosts 'surfing' hippos (uniquely) and breeding humpback whales, has the world's highest nesting density of leatherback turtle (at Pongara Point) and is one of the only places where large gatherings of mandrills can be witnessed up close (in Lope National Park), and also offers gorilla-tracking (in Loango National Park). Gabon is about more than just nature, however: visitors will be taken with one of the region's finest carving traditions (in both wood and soapstone), floored by the furious tempos played on the moungongo mouth-harp and transported to another place entirely by the all-night drums, dance, fire and faith of the traditional Bwiti spiritual rites. All this in a politically stable country that returned to civilian rule in 2025, with the new government prioritising infrastructural projects, such as improving the road and air network, and strengthening its ecotourism offer (under the strapline 'Discover Gabon, the last Eden'). Bradt's Gabon offers the most thorough and up-to-date information available and is an ideal companion for wildlife enthusiasts, Africa aficionados and completists and overlanders travelling along Africa's west coast. Full background, natural history, conservation, practical and health information are accompanied by a nine-chapter regional breakdown of the country, covering each of Gabon's provinces: Libreville and Estuaire, Moyen-Ogooué, Ngounié, Ogooué-Maritime, Nyanga, Woleu-Ntem, Ogooué-Ivindo, Haut-Ogooué and Ogooué-Lolo. New elements of this expanded edition include the opening of Libreville's Réserve de Wonga-Wongué (a park previously exclusively used by the president), a richer wildlife section, coverage of recent political changes and more background information on ethnic groups.

About the Author

Raised in Chicago and educated in New York, Sean Connolly (seanconnolly.me) was poring over maps since before he could read. He first travelled to Africa as a student in 2008 and has been returning to the continent regularly ever since, whether to research, teach English or simply soak up the ambience in its countless little-visited corners (of which Gabon has many). Since 2011, he has authored Bradt's Senegal, Mauritania and Gabon guidebooks, and also updated or contributed to eight of Bradt's African and South American titles. When he's not discussing verb tenses, African politics or the merits of camel meat, you may find him hitching a lift atop a truckload of plantains, sampling questionable local delicacies (though he's recently had to draw a few lines, as Gabon truly excels when it comes to hair-raising foods!) or seeking out a country's funkiest records.