Getting to Tchibanga is itself an experience. Bush taxis depart Libreville early in the morning, and the journey south takes over twelve hours by road. The vehicle will likely be a truck; the preferred seat is in the cabin, passenger side. Tchibanga has an airport -- technically -- though it is little more than an airstrip, and flights are described by those who have taken them as unreliable and occasionally dangerous. The city sits in the Punu region of Gabon, surrounded by low, grassy hills that roll gently down to the Nyanga River. At sunset, the river is the most beautiful thing in town, its surface catching the last light in a way that makes the long journey south feel worthwhile. Tchibanga receives almost no tourists. Gabon as a whole sees far fewer visitors than its neighbors, and southern Gabon sees fewer still.

Local artisans in Tchibanga carve wooden masks and make pottery, including ceramic statues. But these are not the mass-produced pieces of a tourist economy -- Tchibanga does not have one. The masks are made for local ceremonial use, tied to the Bwiti spiritual tradition that remains a living practice in the region. Finding the artisans requires asking at the market and likely traveling out of town to someone's home workshop. The quality, locals acknowledge, is not what it was in previous generations, and the decline of traditional craftsmanship is a source of genuine regret. The hope is that responsible tourism might eventually revive the art. For now, any mask purchased in Tchibanga carries an authenticity that cannot be replicated in a gift shop -- it was made for the same purposes that the carver's ancestors made theirs.

Tchibanga's food is unique to the Punu region and difficult to find elsewhere. Baton de manioc -- sticks of processed cassava -- are a staple. Sauce Nouembwe, a rich orange sauce made from palm nuts, appears at most meals. There is even a local preparation called sauce chocolat, which contains no chocolate at all but is made from a native plant. Small bushmeat restaurants operate in town, their locations known by word of mouth rather than signage. For those less adventurous, the three or four hotels in town serve chicken, rice, fries, and fried plantains. After dinner, the city's street bars come alive. Grilled tilapia and meat kebabs with spicy piment sauce pair with cold bottles of Regab or Castel beer. The local nightclubs, particularly the less polished ones, are where Tchibanga's high school students dance to Zouk and Zairois music with a skill that humbles visitors. It is customary to press a CFA note to a dancer's forehead as a compliment.

The best thing to do in Tchibanga, by most accounts, is to leave it -- but only in the right company. Hiring a local guide, called a papa, to take you en brosse means walking out into the jungle to check hunting traps and explore the surrounding wilderness. Going alone is not advisable; you will get lost. A papa can identify plants, explain the trap systems used for generations, and point out monkeys or, with luck, chimpanzees in the canopy. The area around Tchibanga is also home to a remarkable concentration of snakes, the black mamba chief among them. Locals both fear and respect the species. Down at the Nyanga River, pirogues -- traditional dugout canoes -- can be hired for rides along the water. The town's small market offers vegetables, fruits, and bushmeat sold by friendly vendors. Take photos freely, locals say, but expect half the town to want to be in the frame.