Join the São Tomé + Gabon Adventure, July 5-14, 2025!
We are back with another unique Destination Chaser Adventure! We will take you to two of the most interesting and biodiverse countries in the heart of Africa. Our focus is cultural immersion, raw experiences, and creating human connections with your adventure family, and the locals that call these countries their home. Are you ready to join us in São Tomé & Príncipe and Gabon?
ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT
.
.
.
Who this is for:
+ You want to go to places few venture to
+ Learn about the real life of people
+ See unique wildlife that is hard to see elsewhere
+ Make memories and friendships with people equally as crazy as you.
+ You want to make the most of every day, and take advantage of our jam-packed itineraries.
Who this is NOT for:
- People who like to keep their comfort.
- People who are just there for "the gram", to snap a picture and leave.
- People who can not deal with a bit of chaos and don't embrace flexibility.
- People who want to stay at their resort all day.
What will you experience?
Day 1, July 5th: Arrival in São Tomé
Welcome to São Tomé! After settling in our accommodation surrounded by gardens of tropical fruit in an old plantation farm, you'll get to meet your travel crew, the one that will become your Destination Chaser family in only 10 days! You have the option to explore around the farm, and check out the on-property waterfall. For dinner, you'll be served a local selection of fresh, organic food from the farm - true island food.
Day 2: Exploring São Tomé
For our first full day in the isles, we will from the north to the southern tip of São Tomé - we'll first start by visiting the local market in the capital city, followed by a local tasting menu for lunch: fresh pineapples, local chocolate, and much more. No Destination Chaser adventure is complete without diving into the local food scene. After our meal, we'll take you to the iconic Pico Cão Grande viewpoint, the volcanic formation that stands tall over the lush forests we're driving by (pictured below). We'll end the day by the coast and a sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.
.
Day 3: Boat Adventure day
Today is about embracing the island life: We're taking a boat to another island with some of the most stunning volcanic + white sand beaches and palm tree forests in the world - and a quirky geographical feature: it's located exactly on the Equator. You'll have time to enjoy the beaches, a fresh catch seafood meal if you will, and enjoy being on this remote corner of the world with an amazing bunch of fellow adventurers. Memories are best when shared after all.
Day 4 + 5: Flight to Gabon, and travel along the coast
There is an optional cacao tour you can take in the morning before our flight, or just take it easy, perhaps buy some local chocolate, and pack before we catch our flight to Libreville and make it to country Nº2 on this adventure: Gabon! After spending a night there, we'll take a ferry. If you get lucky, around this time of the year you can sometimes spot whales in the distance!
.
Day 6 + 7: Exploring "the last Eden", and Gorilla trekking
This is, undoubtedly, one of the best places on the entire continent, and the world, to spot unique wildlife - welcome to Loango National Park. One of the most biodiverse places on earth, with Gabon having protected 10% of its entire land, nothing on this scale had ever been attempted in Africa! It is one of a few places where wildlife remains untouched, and a hope for conservation is preserved for the rest of the world. In the forests of Gabon we'll get to trek to see western lowland gorillas in their natural habitat - here 80% of the entire world's population of gorillas is home. It truly is "the last Eden", and we are lucky to get allowed access to it. You have good chances to look at the gorillas face to face as they live their every day life in the forest, learn about the fruits they eat, their movement patterns, and the conservation efforts here in Gabon. The rest of the day outside of the gorilla trekking will be spent on a boat spotting wildlife on the riverbanks - from monkeys, crocodiles, rare bird species, and...
.
Day 8: Naturalist walks in Loango National Park & boat safaris
It's not just a haven for gorillas, but Gabon is also home to 70% of the elusive forest elephant - and around this time of the year they often come out to the river to eat fresh grass, so you have the best chances to see them along our second boat safari day, perhaps even from up close - but that's up to nature to decide. For those of you brave enough, you will get a chance for naturalist walks through the lush forests with our experienced guide to learn about the different plants and animals that are home here.
Day 9: Markets of Libreville and Bwiti Ceremony
In the early morning, we'll take a ferry back to Libreville. We'll take you to a local market for local craftsmanship, and a chance to find the renowned Fang mask - the "original African mask", that originated here in Gabon, and are prized around the world.
To wrap up this adventure, we'll be taking you along on a unique cultural experience, a Bwiti ceremony, which is a spiritual tradition that is practiced originally solely by the forest peoples of the central African rainforest.
Day 10, July 14th: Goodbye
This is the day in which you'll be saying goodbye to your Destination Chaser family after spending 10 days in one of the most beautiful and biodiverse destinations in the world.
.
✈️ What flights should I look for?
Arrival into Sao Tome Airport (TMS) on July 5th, anytime, with direct flights from Portugal every Saturday, that we made align with our starting date. Hotel will be ready for check in around 3-4pm.
! EARLY EXTENSION OPTION: You are welcome to arrive a few days early and explore São Tomé's little and lesser explored brother island with us: lush Principe! Even fewer travellers venture here, so is as authentic as it gets. We can arrange it with you, and whoever else is interested in the group.
Departure out of Libreville Airport (LBV) on July 14th, anytime.
! END EXTENSION OPTION: We can arrange an adventure to the Republic of Congo for more Gorilla encounters, and safaris in different landscapes through a historically fascinating slice of Central Africa. Just let us know, and we'll arrange the rest!
Airport pickup and drop off is included 24h. If flight schedules should not align and you want us to arrange an extra hotel night, I'm happy to help!
.
What will I get?
What's included
and what's not?
✔️ Personal airport pickup and drop-off
Intl. flight to TMS and from LBV intl. airports (for arrival and departure respectively - however the flight from Sao Tome to Gabon is included)
✔️ Experienced, knowledgeable and fun local guides
Travel insurance
✔️ All transportation on ground as per the plan
Personal expenses (souvenirs, tips)
✔️ Flight from São Tomé to Gabon as per the plan
Visa cost (we will assist with the process)
✔️ All breakfasts
Some lunches and dinners (these will be between US$5-20 per meal, but gives us more flexibility to choose where and what you want to indulge in that day)
✔️ All wildlife permits
✔️ All national park fees
✔️ All accommodation on a shared basis (we believe this is an essential part for people to connect throughout the trip)
✔️ All cost of activities mentioned above unless mentioned as "optional"
✔️ Visa assistance
.
Why fill out the form? We could make our job a whole lot easier and just accept direct bookings, but we pride ourselves on the groups of people we put together, making sure everyone's on the same fun, flexible, and travel-loving wavelength as everyone on the trips's travel family. So if that sounds like you, don't be shy - apply!
Why this trip?I don't need to tell you what my travels are about - if you're here, you probably know, and you also know that it will attract exactly the kind of people that are interested in the same things:human connections, adventure, and a love for authentic travel.
.
