Gabon — Shopping
Shopping
In Libreville, there are two bustling markets at Akebe-Plaine, Nkembo and Mon-Bouet. Stone carvings can be bought on the outskirts of both, fashioned by a group of carvers who have adapted traditional skills for the tourist market. Crafts from local villages can also be bought from stalls in the streets or from the villagers themselves. African (Fang) mask carvings, figurines, clay pots and traditional musical instruments can also be bought.
Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1500-1900. Some shops close Monday.
Currency
CFA (Communauté Financière Africaine) Franc (XAF; symbol CFA) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of CFA10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of CFA500, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1.
Only currency issued by the Banque des États de l’Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Bank of West African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro.
Note: Libreville is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Currency Exchange
Gabon is part of the French Monetary Area.
Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and ATMs
American Express, MasterCard and Visa are not widely accepted.
Travelers Checks
To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in Euros.
Currency Restrictions
The import of local currency and the import and export of foreign currency is unlimited, subject to declaration. The export of foreign currency is limited to CFA200,000.
Banking Hours
Mon-Fri 0730-1130, 1430-1630.
Exchange Rate
| 1.00 GBP = 1.13 EUR |
| 1.00 USD = 0.7 EUR |
| 1.00 GBP = 746.8 XOF |
| 1.00 USD = 464.54 XOF |
| 1.00 EUR = 655.95 XOF |
| Currency conversion rates as of 19 July 2011 |
