Lope National Park is the most accessible of Gabon's great inland parks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for a landscape found almost nowhere else in central Africa: a mosaic of open savanna butting directly against dense, ancient rainforest. The grasslands here are relics of a drier ice-age climate, and the boundary between them and the forest is where much of the park's drama plays out.
The headline wildlife is the mandrill. Lope holds the largest known troops on earth, sometimes hundreds of animals strong, and seeing them cross the open savanna in formation is one of the signature sights of African travel. Behind them, in the cover of the forest, live forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, and chimpanzees, alongside buffalo and a long list of forest birds. Sightings of the forest dwellers are never guaranteed, but the mandrills and the savanna game make the effort worthwhile.
Getting there is part of the experience. The Trans-Gabon railway runs from Libreville to the small station of Lopé in around eight hours, threading through forest and crossing rivers along the way. This is not a day trip — plan on at least two or three nights to make the long journey count, and book lodges and guides well in advance, as options near the park are limited.
The best wildlife viewing is on guided drives across the savanna at dawn and dusk, when the mandrills and other animals are most active and the heat is bearable. Bring layers for cool mornings, sturdy shoes for forest walks, and a willingness to let the park's slower rhythm set the pace.