Travel and Tourism

Travel and Tourism in Gabon

Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Gabon.

Practical Information

Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.

Travel Alert Status: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Time Difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Climate: The climate is hot and humid during most of the year and is typically equatorial. High temperatures range from 75°F to 82°F in the dry seasons and from 86°F to 93°F in the rainy seasons. Four distinguishable seasons are evident, although they vary somewhat each year: the long dry season from late May until mid-September; the short rainy season from mid-September until mid-December; the short dry season from mid-December through January; and the long rainy season from February until late May. Rainfall in Libreville is about 115 inches a year (the U.S. average is about 40 inches); the largest amounts fall in October, November, March, and April. The humidity is always high. The summer months, as in the southern hemisphere, are the coolest time of the year.
Ethnic Groups: Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
National Holiday: Independence Day, 17 August (1960)
Geographic Coordinates: 1 00 S, 11 45 E
Location: Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Airports: 56

Health and Safety

Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.

Medical Facilities and Care

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical facilities in Gabon's major cities are limited, but may be adequate for routine or basic needs. Medical services in rural areas are either unavailable or of very poor quality. Additionally, some medicines are not available; you should carry your own supply of properly-labeled medications to cover your entire stay. For medical emergencies in Libreville, the emergency room at El Rapha Polyclinic, a private clinic, can be reached at 07-98-66-60, and an ambulance can be requested through them. You must speak French when calling this phone number. Cerebral malaria is endemic in all areas of Gabon. Travelers should discuss prophylaxis with a physician well before planned travel as some prophylactic medications must be started two weeks before arriving in a malarial zone. Even with prophylaxis you should familiarize yourself with the symptoms of malaria and seek medical treatment immediately if you experience symptoms. Tap water may not be potable and you should drink and cook with bottled water only. Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is endemic to Gabon. Tuberculosis (TB) is an increasingly serious health concern in Gabon.
Accessibility: While in Gabon, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. While the law prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities and requires access to buildings and services, enforcement is very limited, and there are no programs to insure access. Accessibility is not provided in most areas. There is some societal discrimination against persons with disabilities, and employment opportunities and treatment facilities are limited.

Disease Risk

Degree of Risk: Very high
Animal-Contact Diseases: rabies
Food and Waterborne Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne Diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water-Contact Diseases: schistosomiasis

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