TRAVEL AFRICA
QUICK FACTS ON LIBREVILLE:
• St. Michael’ s Church, distinguished by large wooden columns that were carved by a blind Gabonese craftman, is an amazing sight that should not be missed.
• Bwiti is a spiritual tradition in Gabon, mainly practised by the Fang, Mitsogo, and Apindji people, centred on the sacred iboga plant. Bwiti ceremonies blend ancestor veneration and animist beliefs with intense night rituals of music, dance, and iboga for healing and spiritual transformation.
• Pointe Denis is a tranquil beach only accessible by a mandatory boat transport from Libreville and is known for its white beaches and turtles.
• Libreville’ s beaches feel like the edge of the world, where lush green rainforest spills down to soft sand, and the Atlantic keeps rolling in.
LAMBARÉNÉ: THE RIVER TOWN
Lambaréné is a town in central Gabon, located on a large island in the Ogooué River. It is best known for the historic hospital founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Albert Schweitzer in 1913.
The town is surrounded by rainforest and is a popular spot for eco-tourism. Its name is said to come from the Galoa dialect and roughly translates as“ we want to try it” or“ let’ s try”, a phrase rooted in local language that reflects the grit and resolve needed to live in a place shaped by dense forest and river life.
QUICK FACTS ON LAMBARÉNÉ:
• Situated 75km south of the equator in the Central African rainforest.
• Getting around is fairly easy, with bush taxis and minibuses linking you to Libreville, but services are informal, so timings can be unpredictable.
• You can still visit the so-called“ Jungle” Nobel Hospital, including the original chapel, to see medical instruments that were used more than 100 years ago.
• Lambaréné is famous for its carp and lively fish market.
80 INBOUND SA / MARCH 2026