Gabon Travel Guide

The Gabonese Republic is located on the west coast of central Africa, straddling the equatorial line. Gabon is connected to Congo in the east and south, Cameroon in the north, Equatorial Guinea in the northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. It has a coastline of 800 kilometers and a national area of 267667 square kilometers. Gabon also has the world's second largest tropical rainforest after South America, and its virgin forests have important ecological diversity. The wide variety of animals and plants attracts tourists.

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Best time to travel due to the equatorial crossing, northern Gabon has a tropical rainforest climate. The weather is hot and humid, and the temperature difference throughout the year is small, with the average temperature of about 26 degrees Celsius. Gabon is divided into four seasons throughout the year. The rainy season is from mid-February to mid-May; the rainy season is from mid-May to mid-September; the rainy season is from mid-September to mid-December; and the rainy season is from mid-December to mid-February of the following year. It is a small dry season, with an annual rainfall of 1,500 - 3,000 mm. Southern Gabon has a tropical grassland climate, with two dry and dry seasons. The alternation of the dry and dry seasons is exactly the opposite of the tropical grassland climate in the northern hemisphere. Therefore, the best time to travel in Gabon is from December to February of the following year.

Visa Notes Chinese tourists applying for visas to Gabon must submit the following documents to the Gabonese Embassy in China: 1. A note or official letter stating the visitor's name, date of birth, purpose of visit, time of stay, and passport number; 2. Invitation letters from Gabon; 3. Valid Chinese passport; 4. Yellow Health Book; 5. Two visa application forms filled in English or French. The time of stay in Gabon must be written for 3 months. The date of birth and departure time should be filled in truthfully, and two photos consistent with those on the passport should be submitted.

The Gabonese Embassy in China generally issues sticker entry visas valid for more than 3 months, and the visa processing time is about one week.

visa fee visa application receipt time is: 9:00-11:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, please call the embassy phone number below) Fee: 715 RMB (expedited): 72 hours for visa issuance (3 working days, excluding the day of submission) 415 RMB (ordinary): 10 working days for multiple round-trip visas within half a year, the above price is +415 RMB. The above fees are only in cash, no credit card, and no change is set. Notice the time of signature collection by phone.

Customs stipulates that Gabon customs strictly prohibits the carrying of drugs. The items allowed duty-free by Gabon customs are 200 cigarettes, 4 pints of drinks, 50 grams of perfume and gifts not exceeding 5000 CFA francs. Passengers must open their luggage for inspection when entering the customs. Items beyond the scope of personal use are required to provide the original invoice of the item and pay customs duties based on the value of the item.​

Currency Gabon's currency is the Central African franc, which uses a fixed exchange rate with the euro. 1.52 euros can be exchanged for 1000 Central African francs.

Transportation Guide Gabon's aviation industry is relatively developed and has two international airports, Francville and Libreville International Airport. Every province in Gabon has domestic airports. Leon Mba Airport in Libreville, the capital, is the largest airport in Gabon and the main entrance to Gabon. Most international flights fly from Europe to Libreville, the capital of Gabon. These airlines are Air Gabon, Air France, Cameron Air, Sao Tome Airlines, Transair Airlines, Inter Air and Morocco Airlines.

The rich eating habits of mountains and seas make the daily diet of Gabonese residents appear colorful. Whether it is mushrooms, ferns, birds and beasts, even fish, turtles, shrimp and crabs, you can enter the kitchen. Bison, warthogs, antelopes, monkeys, and elephants can all become delicious delicacies in the mouth of the Gabonese people. The fried frog legs at Gabon's state banquet are a popular first-class dish.

What best reflects the characteristics of Gabon's cooking is the various soups. The taro soup stewed with Gombo leaves is sweet and delicious; the palm fruit core soup is refreshing and elegant, and it is heart-piercing; the Odica made of wild mango kernels looks like chocolate. Nani soup, which the Fang people like to eat, is made with minced meat, onions, and peppers. Its taste is beautiful enough to attract people to salivate and make the appetite open.​

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Shopping Tips Gabon's Independence Street is the commercial center of the capital. There are many shops here and it is the most concentrated place for selling Gabonese handicrafts. Ivory products, wood carvings, costumes, and ethnic musical instruments are dazzling. Gabon's most famous handicrafts are "nose bone paintings" and wooden stamps. The "nasal bone painting" is made of a nasal bone stone produced in the nasal bone area. First, the nose bone stone is carved into a character's head, dyed in various colors, and then the character's head is inlaid in the frame. The character's expression is vivid and the picture is colorful. It is an excellent souvenir for family decoration. Wooden stamps are printed on thin wood chips and then placed in a stamp album. They are unique souvenirs of Gabon.

Religious taboos The vast majority of Libreville residents believe in Catholic Church, while a small number believe in primitive religions. When interacting with them, you should first pay attention to their religious taboos. Generally speaking, guests, visits, banquets, etc. should not choose before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m., because that is the time when they are reunited with their families or used for prayer. They avoid 13th and Fridays. In areas inhabited by Muslims, the topic of pigs and pig skin products and items marked with pig patterns cannot be discussed.

Tips for

* The dry and wet seasons in southern Gabon are just opposite to those in Beijing.

* Gabon is classified as a middle-income country by international financial institutions, but the polarization is extremely serious, with many poor people and few rich people, and social security is poor.

:: Gabon has few asphalt roads, poor road conditions and many traffic accidents, making it very difficult to travel long distances.

* When China encounters difficulties in Gabon, they should immediately report the case to the police station where the incident occurred. It is recommended that they keep copies of passports and important certificates for use when reporting the case and applying for replacement certificates.

* Power outlet:C Voltage:220V Frequency:50Hz

* Gabon emergency calls: alarm calls: +241 - 01720951,+241 - 01721722; fire calls: +241 - 01740955,+241 - 01761520; medical emergency calls: +241 - 01760873.