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Gabon: A West
Central African Profile
by
Muguette Goufrani
.
As
part of my decade living on Africa's West Coast,
our family spent a memorable year in the Republic
of Gabon, which hugs the Atlantic, straddles the
equator and is roughly the size of France. Being
health fanatics and outdoor types, my mother
Suzanne, brother Jean Pierre and I thrived in the
hot, humid climate - and in 12 months, managed to
visit much of the countryside. This gave us an
intimate connection with the Gabonaise culture and
was valuable in my future career in tourism. We
enjoyed a laid back, tropical lifestyle; food was
delicious and varied, the shops and stalls were
full of interesting items and tempting snacks.
What's more, to our delight, the traditional West
African culture had in no way disappeared with the
oil boom."
Thanks
to mineral wealth and a relatively low population
growth, Gabon is better off financially than most
of Africa. This fact is reflected in their care and
attention to basic ecological concerns. For
example, the vast coastal wetlands and marshes, are
still largely intact. This is something with which
ATA members will heartily agree, the Association
being a strong advocate of ecotourism. Gabon, which
hosted the Africa Travel Association (ATA)
International Congress in 1980, is easily
accessible from the USA and Canada.
West
Africa's Freedom
City:
Libreville, our home at the time, began as a
settlement for freed slaves on the site of a naval
fortress. How did it get its name? In 1849, our
French ancestors captured a slave ship, releasing
all of the passengers at the mouth of the Komo
River. In joyous response and gratitude, the newly
freed slaves named their settlement Libreville
(Free Town). A lively and charming capital,
Libreville reminds me of a quieter, more laid back
50s version of Miami Beach, with its large
ocean-view hotels. To name a few, there's the Hotel
Mont-Bouet, the Ebene, Rendema Meridien, Novotel's
Rapontchombo, Hotel Okoume Palace
Inter-Continental, Hotel Mont de Crystal and Hotel
Gamba.
Libreville's
chalk white buildings contrast dramatically with
the dappled green shades of the nearby equatorial
forest. It's a city of modern office buildings,
fancy shops, supermarkets and white, sandy beaches
inside city limits. Not far away (140 km) on the
south coast is Port -Gentil on Ile de Mandji, a
coastal island to the south. Fueled by oil funds
and relatively high wages, the town has dozens of
restaurants, night clubs and unique
shops.
Getting
around in Gabon:
The country's national carrier, Air Gabon, has
regular flights from Libreville International
Airport to Paris, Rome and London as well as
several cities in Africa. Air Gabon is one of the
three or four best African airlines serving Central
and West Africa. If you are arranging a bus tour,
or taking a rental vehicle, there are over 5,000
miles of good road. A Land Rover or other 4-wheel
drive vehicle is recommended in much of the
forested areas.
I
-
- Mr.
Hagos Legesse, Director
- GABON
TOURIST INFORMATION/AIR GABON
- 347
Fifth Avenue, # 810
- New
York, NY 10016
- Tel:
(212) 447-6700
Fax: (212) 447-1532
Muguette
Goufrani,
Africa Travel Magazine's Associate Editor/
Pubisher, covers West African destinations and
events. Her native language is French and she has
lived in five West African countries, working for
Air Afrique, Royal Air Maroc and Citroen. As a
Travel Agent, she worked in North Africa, where her
family operates an inbound tour company, and later
in Tahiti and Cambodia. Muguette has been a partner
in the magazine since it was founded in
1995.
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Gabon:
Hotel Mots de
Crystal
Pl. de L'Independance, PO Box 544,
Libreville. Gabon
Tel No: 76-25-20, 76-25-23, Fax No: 74 65
01
Number of Rooms: 49, Single from: 64. US
Dollars. A small hotel located in the
centre of town, not far from the shore.
Pleasant rooms with bath, air
conditioning, radio and TV. 2 small
suites. Bar, restaurant and garden.
Limited meeting facilities and small pool.
Wheelchair access. Rooms for non smokers.
Free parking. Renovated in 1992.
Facilities: Air Conditioning, Sandy Beach,
Conference Facilities, Disabled
Facilities, Swimming Pool
Airport: Libreville Leon M'ba 3
kms.
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Credits:
Legesse Travel and Tourism, New York, NY,
USA
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