Surviving Gabon
By Anouk Zijlma, About.com Guide to Africa Travel since 2005
The popular US TV Show Survivor is being filmed right now in the Central African country of Gabon. Apparently the host Jeff Probst had to look at the map to figure out where it was. Given the fact that he’s quite a well-traveled individual, I thought it would be timely to provide some information about Gabon and what the Survivor cast and crew can expect to find there.
Gabon has only just started to develop its tourist potential. Previously it was too busy logging, mining and drilling its natural resources. Since 2002, Gabon’s President Bongo decided it might be a good idea to protect 10% of his country by establishing National Parks and Reserves with the idea of building up Gabon’s tourism infrastructure. Gabon now markets itself as “Africa’s Eden” and it is indeed a beautiful place. Wildlife abounds in this steamy tropical country. Thousands of lowland gorillas, unused to ever seeing humans, live in the rain forests along with chimpanzees, mandrills, buffalo, elephant and leopard. Whales and dolphins frolic in the Atlantic ocean while hippos surf the waves closer to shore.
All these animals are wonderful for Eco-tourists visiting the country, but the Survivors may find them a tad dangerous. Couple the wildlife of Gabon with the insects and bugs that carry all kinds of tropical diseases, and you’ve got yourself a real adventure
The US reality TV show Survivor will take place in Gabon for its 2008 Season. Where on earth is Gabon? Where will the Survivors be during their stay? Find out all about Africa’s “Garden of Eden” and how you can more than survive a visit there.
Where is Gabon?
Gabon is a small west African country situated on the Atlantic Coast in the central part of the continent on the equator. Gabon’s neighbors include the Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
Where in Gabon Will Survivor Take Place?
In 2002, Gabon’s President Bongo (yes, that’s his actual name) declared he would set aside 10% of his country as nature preserves and national parks. To this day several national parks have indeed been set up to protect the vast natural rain forests from further logging as they are home to unique wildlife including lowland gorillas, forest elephants, chimpanzees, and hippos.
Survivor Gabon is being filmed in The Wonga-Wongue Presidential Reserve which is home to elephants, chimpanzees, buffalo, lowland gorillas and antelopes. An adjacent park along the Atlantic shore, the Pongara National Park, has some beautiful beaches where thousands of turtles nest every year and you can also see whales as well as hippos. An educated guess about the exact location of the Survivor set can be seen here.
The Survivor crew has apparently set up base camp at Nyonie Camp, just near the Wonga-Wongue Reserve.
What Dangers will Survivors Face in Gabon?
The last time Survivor took place in Africa, the crew and cast were in Kenya where they enjoyed armed guards day and night. Gabon is a little different.
The Wildlife
The most dangerous element for Survivors in Gabon is probably the wildlife including numerous bugs, spiders and poisonous snakes. Gabon does not have a very established tourist economy and the wildlife is unused to humans. This is a real advantage for those interested in wildlife, but it’s also dangerous because the animal populations are an unknown entity. If you’re anywhere near buffalo or hippo you really have to know what you’re doing because they are extremely dangerous animals. Hippos kill more humans than any other animal in Africa (besides the mosquito of course).
The gorilla populations in Gabon are not habituated to humans at all yet. So they might be too shy to ever be seen, or not fearing humans, they could get much too close for comfort. The area of Gabon that Survivor is being filmed in, is famous for its Langoue Bai. Langoue Bai is a forest clearing, basically a beautiful natural grassy amphitheater in the middle of dense forest; ideal for animal watching. It’s likely that some of the Survivor Gabon season will be filmed in these clearings.
Diseases
Diseases are plentiful in Gabon. After all, it’s a tropical country in the middle of Africa, so trying to stay healthy will be a challenge for the Survivor cast and crew. You may be familiar with the Nobel Peace Prize winning Austrian Doctor, Albert Schweitzer. Dr Schweitzer set up his famous hospital in Gabon during the first World War (1913) and was known for treating the local people as human beings at a time when that wasn’t a given. His hospital is still going strong and is considered to be a leader in the treatment of highly prevalent infectious diseases and how they affect the body and mind.
Survivors will be trying to avoid malaria, sleeping sickness, filaria, leprosy, tropical sores, insect bites which could lead to onchocerciasis (transmitted by bloodsucking black flies, which infect the victim with parasitic filarial worms). And did I mention that Gabon also had several cases of Ebola seven years ago?
Putting The Survivors Experience in Perspective
Gabon is one of the most affluent countries in sub-Saharan Africa thanks to healthy oil, logging and uranium revenues. This doesn’t mean everyone is living in a brick house, there’s still poverty. But it does mean that if something happens on the Survivor set, help is not too far off. Gabon’s medical infrastructure is considered one of the best in the region.
Gabon is also a politically stable country. President Bongo has been at the helm for 40 years now and the country has been a little oasis of peace compared to other countries in the Central African region. When a country attracts many migrant workers from its neighbors, you know it’s doing well. Recent travelers to Gabon noted that –
“Mauritanians man most of the small supermarkets, Cameroonians have the bar and bakery businesses wrapped up, Senegalese run the restaurants and Malians tend the market stalls while the enterprising Togolese have opened up small hotels.”
Libreville, the capital of Gabon, is a modern African city with plenty of 5 star hotels, decent French wine, malls and fast-food restaurants. Once the Survivors get kicked off, they’ll no doubt enjoy a little R and R in a nice hotel on the beach in Libreville enjoying a cold Regab (local brewed beer). If they speak a little French they’ll be reading the daily pro-government newspaper L’Union. They can also enjoy listening to some Central African beats on Gabon’s best radio station — Africa No 1.
Want to Visit Gabon?
Gabon is a really wonderful destination and once you see some of the scenery on Survivor — go ahead, plan a trip! The best way to get there is either via France on Air France, Gabon Airlines, or for a cheaper rate, try Royal Air Moroc via Casablanca. Airfare from New York to Libreville will set you back about $2000. Once in Gabon, you should budget at least $50-$100 per day; it’s not a cheap destination, but it is unique.
Travel Agencies Specializing in Gabon
Africa’s Eden formerly Operation Loango, a leader in Gabon’s Eco-tourism sector.
Palace Travel Offers a variety Tours to Gabon.
World Primate Safaris specialize in gorilla and chimpanzee safaris.
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