Loango National Park is assuredly one of the visually striking and most varied of all national parks of Gabon, known for its mythical surfing hippos. It protects miscellaneous coastal habitat, including part of 220 kilometers lguela Lagoon, one of the significant examples of usual Western African Lagoon system, which is protected within national park. Located among Ndogo and Nkomi Lagoons, it is a true jewel of western coast of Africa. The naturalist Mike Fay known as Loango Africa’s Last Eden and is where Michael Nichols from National Geographic took his well known images of surfing hippos.
People call Loango National Park as a Land of Surfing Hippos. The 1550 kilometers of the park of pristine beach, mangroves, savanna and forest are must see in Gabon. The Loango NP provides pioneering panoramas and exclusive opportunity for observing leopards, elephants, gorillas, buffaloes and hippos venturing onto white sand beaches. After South Africa, the biggest concentration of the world and plethora of dolphins and whales are found right off Loango coast. The region has more than 100km of unpopulated coastline with killer and humpback whales that are easy to observe in this park. It is questionably one of the most beautiful spots on the western coast of Africa, a place where ocean, forests, lagoons, savannas and wetlands all come together. The Loango is quite famous all over the world for tarpon site with other saltwater large fishes.
The International Union or World Conservation Union for Natural Resources and Conservation of Nature, a global firm dedicated to natural resources categorized Loango National Park as protected region and faunal reserve for conservation. The original faunal reserves were created in and around this park in the year 1956 for promoting sustainable use of wild lands and wildlife of the region. In the year 2002, Mr. Omar Bongo Ondimba, a President put Gabon strongly on map by producing thirteen new recreational parks in Gabon, which created 10 percent of Gabon’s landmass. A pioneering Dutch investor, Rombout Swanborn in Conservation Tourism urbanized Societe de Conservation de Developpement (SCD). Park management, educational activities and Research are performed in partnership with WCS. He also created Eden of Africa urbanizing logistics and infrastructure for providing high-end nature tourism experiences in remote areas of Gabon based on concept “Tourism pays for Conservation”.
Like other people all over the world, Loango National Park’s human inhabitants region remains dependent on natural resources, which surround them for their daily wants. At present, quite a few Gabonese citizens have taken up employment within contemporary industries and wandered toward urban centres; including timber and oil production and for the most part persons living in conventional villages still depend heavily on their natural surroundings for their everyday wants.
Village-dwelling individuals use agricultural, slash and burn technique and grow plenty of domesticated plant species such as peanuts, mustard greens and manioc. Women are responsible for gardening, clearing of brush and trees and save for introductory felling. Men make their living by hunting or fishing. Fishermen throw nets, long lines, gill nets, fish spears and traps, baited hooks and use long nets for catching shrimp and fish. Land crabs can be caught by hand. Conventional hunting gear like arrows and bows, deadfall and spring traps and spears have been replaced by high calibre shotguns and rifles. Abundant food products are harvested wild in the forest, from the beaches or savannah like turtle eggs.
Loango National Park is one of the most famous national parks for tourists in the entire Gabon. Wildlife admirers safari excursions always find this park pretty interesting with innumerable opportunities of spotting diverse concentrations of wild game, including dolphins and whale species. Travellers get terrific opportunities for observing hippos, buffalos, gorillas, leopards and elephants roaming along and around white sand beaches. It extends more than 100 kilometers of abandoned coastline and you can easily spot killer and humpback whales here.
Loango Lodge is set outside the Loango National Park on the lagoon and lies in serene environment perfect for Gabon holidays. The safari lodge is administered by Eden of Africa employs licensed Gabon Tour operators who systematize wildlife tours and itineraries the main lodge to other places. They also systematize camp in savannah jungle providing exclusive experiences to park visitors. Amongst good-looking amenities offered at this lodge include restaurant, comfortable lodging rooms and small pool. You will find outside deck right on lagoon, which overlooks the national park providing a marvellous view for watching animals on the other side.
