Craving a break from the city in search of nature, wild animals and some much needed fresh air and relaxation?  Look no further than Chez Beti, also known as Site Touristique Nyonie.  This wildlife Safari is located about 3 hours from Libreville, the capital of Gabon.

On offer at this hidden gem is a relaxing escape into a lush rain-forest paradise set on an expansive secluded beach filled with elephants, buffalo, gorillas, chimpanzees, leopards, panthers and various bird species.  In addition, the all inclusive food (fine dining quality) and unlimited drinks are unwinding as well.

Getting to Chez Beti

Getting to Chez Beti does take a few hours, but it is well worth the trek.  The first morning starts with a drive to the Michele Marine in Libreville where an uncovered boat picked us up at 09:30 and took us across the glassy smooth water channels for about 45 minutes (if the water is choppy, this may take up to 1 hour).

Next we were loaded into an open air 4X4 Safari truck and we were taken an additional 45 minutes directly to Chez Beti.  The drive was bumpy, but exciting.  It was like being on a wildlife Safari.  We saw elephant tracks and bounced through a gorgeous verdant rainforest, expansive valleys and savannas.

Chez Beti – What is Included

Transportation

As per above, all the transportation is included in the overall price of this Wildlife Safari Excursion.

Food and Drinks

Set on the beach near Wonga-Wongue National Park, this rustic lodge is a favorite of the expatriate community in Libreville and for good reason.  The food is top restaurant quality and is abundant (for lunch and dinner – the breakfast was a bit light).  In addition,  there is free flowing wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks.

Accommodations

The property has 6 small cabins, each with a double bed and a bunk bed set near the beach.  Our cabin also had a crib.  Most importantly, each unit comes with an air conditioner (which worked well).  The cabins are simple yet clean.  Bathrooms and cold showers are in separate sheds behind the accommodations.  Bring your own towel and soap, as these were not supplied.

WiFi and Connectivity

The lodge has free satellite connectivity which mostly worked well.  When we were out of range of the WiFi, our data worked as well.

Wildlife Safaris & Animal Walk

A wildlife Safari is included in the overall price.  We set out in the afternoon of day one and bounced around in the 4X4 truck for about 2.5 hours trying to spy elephants, buffalo and other game.  The weather was cloudy but we still got to see a few elephants – yet from afar.

At one point, the guide stopped the jeep and ran to the grassy area in the savannah.  We really don’t know how he was able to see the pig-nosed turtle in the grass, but he did.  The turtle was about a meter long and very interesting looking.

We passed by a huge mirror in the forest.  The guide told us that the park has placed the mirror (with a camera behind it) to film animals as they pass by.

If you want to see some hilarious videos of gorillas who pass by the mirror, take a look at this YouTube channel that has different primates primping in front of it.  There is even one where the gorillas high five each other.  In addition, there are videos of the wild cats that are on the property.  Although we did not see them live, the videos include leopards and panthers which are also on the property.

An early morning walk to see wildlife was also included in the price.  We started out at 06:00 with a guide and walked quietly on the jeep road, paralleling the beach.  We saw a lot of elephant tracks and then came across a large male elegant grazing in some trees about 20 meters away.  As soon as he saw us he beelined away from us.

A few  minutes later we saw a huge bull elephant again grazing in a tree, but closer to us.  This guy allowed us to stay with him for a minute or so until he also took off into the jungle.  With the sun coming up behind this elephant the view was pretty spectacular.  At this point we walked to the beach and walked back to Beti’s.

Schedule

Day 1

• 09:30 -pick up from Michele Marine by boat, transfer to 4X4 jeep
• 11:00 – arrival at Beti’s and welcome drinks (yes they serve alcohol at this time) with roasted peanuts and olives
• 12:30 – a large lunch with wine, beer and other beverages
• 13:30 – rest at your cabin or go for a swim in the ocean
• 16:00 to 18:30 – Wildlife Safari in the Savannah and the forest
• 18:30 – more drinks
• 19:00 – a large dinner with wine, beer and other beverages

Day 2

• 05:30 – breakfast is provided, consisting of coffee, tea and toast
• 06:00 to 08:30 – a walk in the forest and along the beach to see wildlife
• 12:30 – a large lunch with wine, beer and other beverages
• 1:30 – transfer to boat by jeep (this took about 1 hour as the driver had to clear a lot of elephant debris from the road), boat ride back to Michele Marine by boat
• 18:00 – we were back at our hotel due to the heavy traffic

Guide Service and Costs

There are a few different ways that one can reserve and pay for the Wildlife Safari (Nyonie) and stay at Beti’s:

1. Reserve directly through Chez Beti: What’s App +241 077 05 00 28 (Nyonie) or +241 077 57 14 23 (Libreville) email: [email protected]  The cost is currently 200 Euros per person.  However, this cost is from the marina, not from your hotel.
2. Reserve through Rendez-Vous Tour: This is the group that we went with.  What’s App: +241 778 907 09    At first they were going to charge us an additional amount for the transfers from the hotel to and from the marina.  However, we talked them into including this. The cost was 248 Euros per person.  The cost also included providing us with very formal Letters of Invitation for the Gabon visa.
3. Reserve through 241 Tour: What’s App: + 241 625 587 00 or +24174035229 email: [email protected]  A friend went through this agency and thought they did a good job (although they were very late to pick him up from the marina).  Cost was 250 Euros per person including the Letter of Invitation and the transfers from the hotel to the marina.

Wrap Up: Gabon Wildlife Safari

For us, Libreville was not that exciting.  Therefore this 2 Day get away to nature was a spectacular way to experience Gabon in a different way.  Unfortunately we did not see too many animals.  However, we made a friend – a fellow country counter who was also visiting at the same time.  In addition, Beti’s has 2 fabulous dogs that we got to spoil and hang out with for the full duration.

This animal Safari may not have been the most exciting from an animal perspective.  However, it was a relaxing time in a beautiful setting in nature, surrounded by the sounds of animals.  We had great food and drink as well as fantastic company!  Therefore we highly recommend this excursion.

We have been very fortunate to spend our time with Mountain Gorillas in Uganda, Western Lowland Gorillas in the DRC and the Republic of the Congo, meeting the chimpanzees in the Pongo Songo in Cameroon, etc., So if you are curious about those trips, click on the links and check out some of those adventures.

Have you been on any animal safari’s?  Which were your favorite?  We would love to hear from you in the comments.