Evengue Lodge

Evengue Island, Gabon - Adventure 3

ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES

On the small island of Evengue, you find two wooden bungalows facing the lagoon with veranda and comfortable couches. Inside the four-poster beds have a unique local touch and each bungalow has an en-suite bathroom. Additionally three dome tents, mounted on platforms and under palm thatch roofs are spread along the lagoon's edge. Each tent comfortably sleeps two and has its own private bathroom with toilet and bucket shower. The centre of this quaint and charming complex is a raised, wooden restaurant, lounge and terrace at the waterside. Evenings can also be spent around the fire in the adjacent boma (sometimes with the accompaniment of a local musician playing traditional instruments).

SCIENCE PROGRAM

Evengue is actually the base for a gorilla rehabilitation project managed by WCS, a Netherlands zoo specializing in primates. A family group of gorillas made up largely of orphaned individuals is housed in an enclosure on the island. Resident WCS staff are highly knowledgeable on gorilla behaviour and share their knowledge and experiences with guests.

THE AREA

Evengue is a small island (2 km2) in the vast Fernan Vaz Lagoon, a thirty-minute boat trip from the town of Omboue (the exit and entry point for all visitors to Loango). Visitors can either start or end their Loango experience with a trip to the island, which forms part of a circuit that includes the St. Anne Catholic Mission and the Mpivié River. Evengue is wonderfully tranquil and a safe-haven for birds, mammals (e.g. water chevrotain) and reptiles (e.g. dwarf crocodile). The St. Anne Mission has an interesting history and is rather enigmatic in that an elaborate Eiffel-designed church exists in the middle of a remote, sparsely peopled, forest setting with a vista over the lagoon. The Mpivié is a blackwater river typical of the small rivers that drain the coastal lowland forests, and with its fringing tangle of swamp forest, has a classic "jungle feel" to it. A number of seldom seen and highly specialised bird species are often sighted along its banks including Pel's fishing owl, African finfoot, Hartlaub's duck, and white-crested tiger heron. On sunny days slender-snouted crocodiles are seen basking on overhanging logs.

ACTIVITIES

During your stay at Evengue Island, the following activities are available:

· Various island walks
· Forest and savanna walk to St. Anne Mission
· Canoeing on the Fernan Vaz Lagoon around the island
· St. Anne - Mpivié circuit (en route to or from Loango Lodge)