Gabon: public holidays
The tours of Africa’s Eden are not effected by the public holidays in Gabon. However, it is worth taking note of them, as everything else closes on these days – banks, shops and government offices.
The public holidays
| January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| March 12 | Renovation Day |
| March or April (depending on the year) | Easter |
| April 17 | Women’s Day |
| May 1 | Labour Day |
| May 6 | Martyrs’ Day |
| May or June (depending on the year) | White Monday |
| August 15 | Assumption |
| Pentecost weekend | Fete des Cultures in Libreville (a singing and dancing extravaganza celebrating the different peoples in Gabon) |
| August 16-17 | Independence Days |
| November 1 | All Saints’ Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
Nature
In 2002, late President Omar Bongo Ondimba put Gabon firmly on the map as an important future ecotourism destination by nominating more than 11% of the nation’s territory as National Park – a new standard in African eco-tourism and conservation!
Wildlife
Gabon is home to western lowland gorillas and nearly 200 other mammal species and 600 species of birds. In Loango National Park, you can find elephants and buffalos roaming freely on its endless beaches.
Climate
Rainfall varies from an annual average of 120 inches in the capital Libreville to 150 inches on the northwest coast, with almost all of it falling between October and April. In the period from May to September there is little, if any, rainfall, but humidity remains high.
People
The earliest inhabitants of Gabon are the pygmy people. Pygmy tribes are known for their hunting & gathering culture in the central African rainforest, and for their height: adult members grow on average to less than 150 cm (4 feet 11 inches).