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vengue Island, Gabon is wonderfully tranquil and a safe-haven for birds, mammals such as the water chevrotain (small, water-loving "mouse deer") and reptiles like the dwarf crocodile.
Evengue is actually a gorilla sanctuary managed by Apenheul, a Netherlands zoo specializing in primates. A family group of 8 gorillas made up largely of orphaned individuals is housed on the island where visitors can get a good look at the gorillas while closely observing their behavior.
The journey to Evengue takes you up the Mpivié river which flows through a lagoon and estuary. It is a blackwater river typical of the small rivers that drain the coastal lowland rainforests. With its fringing tangle of swamp forest, it has a classic "jungle feel" to it. A number of seldom seen and highly specialized 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.
Along the way is the church at the Mission of Saint Anne which sits on the banks of a magnificant lake. Built in 1889, it is a design of Gustav Eiffel, of the famed Eiffel Tower. Gustav Eiffel himself shipped the plans and all the materials from Paris on the orders of Mrs. Bichet, the mother of Saint Anne's founding priest. After all these years the church still stands tall and elegent, showing its age only in the deep rusty red of the worn metal. Next to the church is a natural, bamboo 'cathedral' where ceremonies are held under the magnificent arches of the tall bamboo.
THE BEST MONTH TO VISIT EVENGUE ISLAND is December when the light rains leave the coastal area warm and humid. December is also a good time to see elephants walking along the Atlantic coast, which is nearby.
A GOOD VALUE is the Evengue Lodge, the only accommodation on the island. Spend the night in the comfortable bungalows and dine on the waterside terrace as the sun sets over the lagoon.
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Benguerra Island, Mozambique
Djenne, Mali
Evengue Island, Gabon
Ile St Marie, Madagascar
Impalila Island, Namibia
Iranja and Tsarabanjina Islands, Madagascar
Mafia Island, Tanzania |
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Mauritius
Praslin, Seychelles
Siankaba and Sindabezi Islands, Zambia
Ngamba Island, Uganda
Paradise Island, Botswana
Zanzibar |
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