Hi,

I`ve been searching the HUBB for recent information about Gabon road quality but the latest information I can find is from 2010 and things may have changed since then. Does anyone have recent information to share in this matter? I`m travelling on an Africa Twin from north to south and it is mid May 2015, towards the end of the rainy season, I guess? I`m currently in Yaounde.

It seems like there are two feasable options:
1.) Eboro (at the Cameroon border), Alembe, Franceville, Lekoni, Okoyo, Obouya, Brazzaville.
2.) Eboro, Lambarene, Dolisie, Brazzaville.

Any updates/suggestions would be appreciated.

__________________
/Anders Bråhn
www.voodoochile.se

Hi

Did your route 2 in 2013 . Main Gabon road great but bad after border. The Chinese were building then, so it may be finished now.


Cheers.

I rode your option #2 in 2009. Road quality in Gabon was good, both dirt and tar so I expect it remains the same.

If you do option #2, Lambarene is pleasant town of 20,000 people with the highlight being the Albert Schweitzer Museum -- fascinating place, well worth a visit. There's a cheap motel called Bananas in the center of town with secure bike parking and breakfast.

Once entering Congo from Ndende, Gabon, things got interesting. It was the semi-rainy season so ran many deep mud puddles from the border to Dolosie. There's a (very) small town not too far from the border called Kibangou with food and a hotel but no fuel.... stayed there three nights as my riding buddy was felled by malaria. (Amazingly, there was a medical clinic in Kibangou as well).

In January 2009 the road from Dolosie to Kinkala was all dirt and a good bit of it was mud from the rains. Took us three days to do 230 miles LOL. Dozens of trucks would be queued up to make it through huge mud patches, but bikes could get around OK. Slow going but doable.

Not much traffic or population on that entire stretch but there are towns with fuel and lodging... Madingou and then Mindouli, very friendly people in both places, had great times talking to the locals. From Kinkala to Brazzaville was paved, mostly.

Sorry for the 2009 info... I know you're looking for updated info but I'm pass along what I have. Good luck!

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http://ridefar.typepad.com

Hi Vdoo,

I did option 2 a couple of weeks ago.
The N5 from Oyem to Libreville is a dirt road. The quality is not too bad just some deep trenches from the rain from time to time. Quite some villages on the road where people are happy to let you sleep over. (ask always the chef-de-village). It might be easier to take the N2, probably sealed, but the N5 brings you through some very beautiful forest.
After that it's tarmac all the way to about 80 km before arriving in Ndende. Thats were the chinese are working hard to seal the road. These last 80 km is ok gravel road with some big holes but easy to avoid with a bike.
Between Ndende and Dolisie The road is a bit worse but still passable. Big water holes just after crossing the border into Congo-B, but most of the time there is a small trail through the bushes passable by bike to avoid the water holes. Some of these water holes are very deep water holes btw...
The rest of the road towards Dolisie is the same kind of gravel with less water and i think your AT should feel at home there
I took 2 days to drive the stretch between Ndende and Dolisie, but my bike is a bit smaller.
Good luck and enjoy!

Hi Vdoo,

Hope this is not too late.
I pushbiked route #1 in reverse back in October.
Alembe to Lopé NP is dirt over hills through patches of rainforest, beautiful.
Lopé NP to Lastourville is still all dirt through rainforest, it is gorgeous. The Chinese are busy working on that stretch, first widening the track and eventually paving it : it is impossibly dusty ! Still lots of wildlife around.
Lastourville to Franceville is tar in OK condition.
Franceville to Lekoni is tar.
Lekoni to Okoyo has just been paved over, it is brand new tar. The customs guys on the Gabonese side were corrupt, but extremely nice to me on the Congolese side.
Okoyo to Oyo is good tar.
From the junction down to Brazza is all tar but some stretches are being worked over. The last kms into Brazza are chaos.
Stay at Hippocampe Hotel in Brazza, Olivier is a great guy.
Safe travels,

Levelo.

Hello,
Just wished to have an update on the upgrade progress of the road quality for 2016 .
Option 1 : Did I read levelo previous post correctly in understanding that option 1 is doable in a 2 WD in late march early april ?
Option 2 : Any progress ? The water holes between Ndenle and Dolisie are still big enough to swallow a car ? The 2wd would then have to be loaded on a truck in late march early april ?
Some of the recent travelers posts are very useful but I did not find anything specific for this part of my journey. Does it mean it is plain sailing ? or did I just missed something ?
Thanks for your help. Luc

Hi Luc,

I have some information about option #2.

I came through Gabon going from north to south in May 2015. The road is paved through Gabon as far as Ndende. From Ndende to the Congolese border it was dirt road but it was in good condition. There were a few tiny water holes, hardly anything.

Right after the border I had an accident and had to leave my bike at the border post for 6 months. At this time (May 2015) the road from the border at Ngongo to Nyanga was very bad with a lot of deep water holes, not even 4x4 could pass.

When I returned in November 2015 the road between the border at Ngongo and Nyanga had been completely redone and was very good. No more deep water holes here. From Nyanga to Dolisie there were a few mud pools but nothing difficult. This may be different at other times of the year.

Between Dolisie and Brazzaville there is a brand new, paved road. The only stretch that was unfinished was between Mindouli and Kinkala. Along this stretch the old road was used and in November it was extremely muddy and because of my recently operated knee I had to transport my bike on the back of a pickup truck. This part of the road will probably not be completely finished by now but perhaps part of it.

You can see some pictures in these posts:
Untitled Document
Untitled Document

Hope this helps a little.

Regards,

/Anders

__________________
/Anders Bråhn
www.voodoochile.se

Hello Anders,

Thank you very much for your reply.

So only 200 km between Nyanga and Dolisie to realy worry about with the 205.
It will go on a truck if need be if I take that option and if I reach so far.

One of my friend at work read today that the Route Nationale 1 between Pointe Noire and Brazzaville is now totally paved according to an article in Jeune Afrique.

Regards. Luc