The Hostel at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital
I spent one night at the hostel at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné on our way to Tsam Tsam, a gorgeous lakeside camp on stilts. Lambaréné is the capital of Moyen-Ogooué district in Gabon. The Ogooué River runs through the city, separating it into three parts. One night in Lambaréné is all you need and the hostel at Albert Schweitzer Hospital is the most famous place to stay.
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How to Get to the Albert Schweitzer Hospital
Private car
You can take a 4×4 private transfer option (as we did) to get from Libreville to Lambaréné. We used 241 Tours which was recommended both by Tsam Tsam and the Bradt guidebook. However, you don’t need a 4×4 to get to Lambaréné. If you’re adventurous and don’t mind any a/c, you can take a taxi.
If you’re in a private transfer, you can ask the driver to stop at the equator mark so you can take a picture!
For our one-way transfer, we paid €370.
Taxi
We took a taxi from this spot in Lambaréné back to Libreville. Look out for the gas station. There are a bunch of eager taxis waiting around. If you want a whole taxi for yourself, be sure to say “une cours,” otherwise taxis will pick up people off your route. We opted for “une cours” but our taxi still stopped twice to pick up people directly on our route, which didn’t affect our timing at all.
For our one-way transfer, we paid €90.
Hospital entrance. This is the best spot to find a taxi to go around Lamarene if you need one.
How to Book the Hostel
We didn’t make a reservation in advance and the staff was quite surprised! We assumed the rooms would be available and wanted the option to change our minds. For two people for one night, we paid 18,000 CFA. This room had a fan, as the rooms with A/C were all sold out. It worked out fine for us!
Email assistante.fondation@schweitzer.org to make your reservation.
The Hostel at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital
The Hospital Albert Schweitzer runs a popular hostel on site. There are 15 rooms available, 7 with a fan and 8 with an A/C. Our room was simple but was fine for a one-night stay.
We had our own bathroom with hot water. The shower was super small and water got literally everywhere but yolo, for one night it was fine.
Although generally, the experience was good, I definitely got bed bugs and was itching for a week straight… Maybe it’s just my luck (since I also got bitten by a tick in Sao Tome and then had tick-bite fever for a week when we got back home). I didn’t notice the bed bugs until the third day. They sprung out of nowhere and I could feel the bites through my hiking leggings. It was gross and I was itching like crazyyyy. My feet alone had something like 53 bites, and then I stopped counting *cue screaming* .
Luckily, we were going back to Libreville the same day and so I was able to get anti-itch cream from the pharmacy the next morning. I recommend bringing some over-the-counter after-bite cream or cortisone with you, just in case…
Mostly, getting the bedbugs was uncomfortable, but I do not have any lasting scars from itching too much.
I never saw a single bug and didn’t see anything on any of my clothing after our stay. I’m sure this is a one-off experience but you should be aware of it.
The Food
You can order your meals in advance from the kitchen. Let the staff know of any dietary requirements, otherwise, you’ll likely be served chicken. Instead of meat, we were offered fish when we said we didn’t eat meat. The food was great!
We also opted to have breakfast, which was simple bread. There was another family visiting and they were offered eggs. We were waiting around for 30 minutes for us to be offered the same until I eventually went up and asked for it ourselves. Be sure to ask if you want eggs!
For two people, we paid:
- 6,500 CFA for breakfast
- 13,000 CFA for dinner
I loved the mural behind Wilhelm!
About the Albert Schweitzer Hospital
The Albert Schweitzer Hospital was established in 1913 by Albert Schweitzer and Helene Bresslau Schweitzer in Lambaréné, Gabon. Originally from France/Germany, Schweitzer ran the hospital from 1913 until his death in 1965. He and his wife are both buried on the hospital grounds.
Schweitzer won the Nobel Prize in 1952 for his work at the hospital, mostly treating patients for free. Schweitzer used the prize money to build a leper colony, near the hospital. For most of its history, the hospital was operated, staffed, and funded by Europeans. The hospital still has volunteer doctors who come from all over the world to train here.
There is a small museum, which is where you’ll check in for the hostel. Be sure to have a look around.
Schweitzer loved pelicans and there is still one on the hospital grounds.
Although Schweitzer treated thousands of patients he was a racist. I’ll leave you to google more about that.
Alternative Options
Another lodge option in Lambaréné is Ogooue Palace. We visited for a drink and looks like they have decent facilities.
A pic of the pool is all i got folks! I was so tired from walking here in the heat from the hospital.
Walking around Libreville
If you want a little walk around, somewhere here before you cross the bridge is a nicely painted environment center.
The views of the hospital and the nearby bridge are great from the other side of the river.
