I am in Douala right now and intend to enter Gabon on Wednesday January 27 .
In principle I will take the Lope, Lastoursville, Franceville, Lekoni route to enter Congo.
Is there anyone around at the same time?
Does anyone have recent news about this route?
Many thanks in advance for your advice
Albert

Hi Albert - good to see that you are still travelling.

I don't know anyone in the area at the moment so can't help.

Enjoy your travels,

Cheers
Martin S
BigSky Adventures - Overland Africa

I have crossed this road in the first week of January 2010. From Franceville to Lekoni there is a very good, surfaced road. In Lekoni the road forks - the main route is now to continue by new tarmac straight to the border, where the tarmac cuts just after the barrier - on the Congolese part you have very sandy stretch of the road. Coming closer to Okoyo, mud replaces the sand, sometimes very deep - I have stucked few times till I have learnt not to avoid deep truck tracks (I found it is better to follow the main track, even if it seems to be very deep water, trying to avoid it my bike was few times completely stucked in mud and I had to literally lift it up by my hands). I would calculate Franceville - Okoyo as one full day, I was riding Nanfang 150cc (chinese bike, bought in Yaounde). In Okoyo you can stay in the mission.

Another way to go is to take old route from Lekoni - I have took this one, as I did not know, there is another one (some locals pointed me to this one). The next day I have met in Okoyo fellow traveller, who took much better route, described above. Old route is pretty much overgrown now and at one point I was worried if I was lost - on the stretch of 80 kms there were not any signs of previous traffic, no villages or locals and the track was vivible like only 1 or 2 meters before me, very sandy. It joins somewhere the main road to Okoyo.

__________________
Janusz
www.yahodeville.com