Libreville

26 APRIL 2023

An amazing day today - one of those that will stand out in my memories of this whole trip.

I took a taxi this morning to Michel Marine in order to take a boat to Pointe Denis peninsula and the Parc National de Pongara. Ended up on the boat to La Baie des Tortues Luth resort, an idyllic place located on the western coast of the peninsula adjacent to the beaches used by the Leatherhead turtles as their nesting places and backing on to the Parc National de Pongara.

The boat ride takes 25 mins each way and I negotiated a run trip for 15,000CFA paying at the hotel reception. The boat left at 10.00 and returned departing at 17:00.

I spent the day walking along the most stunning each ever which is where the turtles nest. It isn't the season at the moment so I didn't spot any, however the way was spectacular and in total solitude. The beaches are clean. unspoilt and have the trees coming right down to the beach. It's natural coastline at its best. Round the corner of the tip of the peninsular I came to Pointe Pongara and Pointe Denis. These are small clusters of buildings, many in a dilapidated state. You can see that this is no longer the established seaside resort that it was known to be a few years ago.

On returning to La Baie des Tortues Luth to catch the boat, I met Jamal. She is the mother of Ahmed, the owner and manager of the resort. We sat chatting for while and I got to know all about her family and how they came to be in Gabon. She talked of how her husband and her were always worried about Ahmed. She said he struggled at school and was always in trouble. Now he is the owner of the very successful resort, employing more than 100 local staff and working hard to preserve the nesting beaches and the NP.

The boat trip back to Liberville was on board a speed boat. We bounced across the waves to arrive at the marine in time for the sun set.