If you’ve ever had any curiosity about the world, it’s easy to understand how a place, one so different from everything you know and love, could feel like home even before you set foot on its soil. For Karma Bridges, daughter of rap star Ludacris, that place is the Central African nation of Gabon.
The 24-year-old was practically raised on Gabonese culture via her bonus mom Eudoxie. “’I’m so blessed to have a stepmother who really pours into me and loves me. She made sure we were eating the food, listening to the music, and that I spoke French at home,” says Bridges. It wasn’t until 2019 that the Spelman University grad actually visited Gabon for the first time. “I had all of this culture, but I didn’t have the actual place to connect it to, so when I did go with my stepmother and my dad, it felt familiar in a weird way. I had never been there, but it also felt like it was home because I knew the music and recognized the foods that we were eating at the dinner table. The best part was my stepmother’s family. They all knew who I was, so it didn’t feel like I was meeting people. Everybody welcomed and embraced me as their own. It’s a moment I will always remember.”
Since that memorable first trip, Gabon has become an annual months-long getaway and a source of creativity for Bridges. The budding documentary filmmaker dreams of opening up a movie theater in the capital city of Libreville, but in the meantime, she continues to capture the beauty of the country on social media in an effort to drive tourism and encourage more of the diaspora to visit.
We caught up with the Atlanta native to find out more about what her stepmother taught her about Gabonese culture, her bucket list destinations, and her tips on how you can experience the magic of the country and fall in love, just like she did.
Growing Up Gabonese
I feel like a lot of the things that my stepmother has taught me are things that she didn’t actually have to say out of her mouth, if that makes sense. Through how she was with me, she taught me a lot about Gabonese love, family and forgiveness. She’s taught me that family is important and that nobody’s going to be left alone, no matter what. And it goes beyond just family. You can love a friend who maybe things have not gone the way that you expected them to go, but in Gabonese culture, there’s no block or cutoff culture. If they did something wrong, you learn from it. You can forgive them. But life keeps going because, at the end of the day, love is so important.
Giving Back
My stepmother owns an organization called Unspoken Angels that started because she wanted to help women in domestic violence situations, and now that mission has expanded to things like education, making sure that everyone can go to school, and that they have the resources that they need. Another project that she started last year is building water towers in different neighborhoods to bring consistent fresh water to the people. I really want to be more involved so on our trip this summer I did a lot of videography on the project for Unspoken Angels, which is amazing because it shows people where their money is going and what we’re doing over there. I definitely want to do more work when it comes to nonprofit work. I want to contribute my ideas and share my input.
What to Expect in Gabon
You can certainly visit solo, but Gabon is the best when you know someone there because there aren’t the typical tourist attractions, so you won’t really get Gabon unless you have someone who can show you around. It’s just that type of place. I would try to reach out to people there or people that you may know from Gabon who are living in the U.S. and ask for local recommendations.
Of course, learning French will be super helpful. Some people speak English, but French is the national language, so it will be helpful to know some phrases. Then I would say to have an open mind when you’re going because although there are things that are similar, there’s also so many new foods and so many new traditions that are happening there, and I think leaning into that is one of the best things that you can do. I am actually planning to help with the tourism industry while I’m there. I’ve already had some meetings, and I’m planning a girls’ trip that I think would be amazing to film. This way, people can see others who look like them experiencing everything Gabon has to offer, which should help them feel more confident about their own visit.
What to Eat
Definitely coupé-coupé! I mention it so much in my videos that everyone mentions it now. It’s basically barbecued meats like beef, pork, or goat. You can go out on the street and see people cutting up and cooking the meat; it’s so good. You have to get it in the morning for breakfast because they’re not even open later in the day. I usually eat it with bread. It’s my favorite breakfast delicacy when I’m in Gabon.
Libreville has great food options. I love going to Le Bantu for good Gabonese food, Mun Gabon for sushi, Roma Restaurant for Italian, and the beautiful Le Phare Du Large for French and Gabonese dishes. We have a family friend that owns a food truck called Black Burger, and they are a must. Also, most people in Gabon eat at home so when we’re there we eat Chef Achilio’s food, which is always authentic and so so good. Oh, and KFC! For some reason, I never eat KFC in the U.S. I feel so grossed out by KFC here. But the KFC in Gabon is different. The way they season the chicken is just right!
How to Enjoy Gabon Like a Local
For first-timers, I would recommend starting your trip with a visit to Ndosi Village. It’s such an incredible experience! They welcome all visitors with open arms and always have a celebration, teaching traditional songs and dances to embrace the many cultures of Gabon. La Pointe Denis is a short boat ride away from the capital and a lot of fun. You can spend the day jet skiing, riding ATVs, and seeing elephants up close in the forest. Fun fact, Gabon is about 88% forest, and the government is doing a great job of preserving it and all the wildlife there. Speaking of wildlife, whale watching is a must. The peak time is from June through August (and at the beginning of September if you’re lucky), as there are so many whales, and it’s an amazing experience. The La Baie Des Roi boardwalk is full of restaurants and cute boutique shops. You can visit the skate park or do some go-karting at the stadium. Be sure to stay to watch the beautiful sunset. And you can work off all the good eating at The Pilates Club. The instructor is nice and speaks English, and they also have delicious matcha and sell cute workout sets.
For local shopping, you want to consider visiting Liputa Store for traditional fabrics and clothing. Marché Artisanal for house finds, souvenirs, gifts, jewelry, and African art. Mbolo Mall is where you’ll find more Western clothing stores like Adidas and Footlocker. Soho is a concept store where you can really do some shopping. It’s very chic with a little bit of everything from clothes and swimwear to candles, house decor, and perfumes. If you want somewhere to wear the cute clothes you bought, Ô Maracuja is a very small bar with lots of different flavors of shots. I would recommend this place for a pregame before going out. From there, Yoka Lounge is it! It’s a nice club experience, featuring all the best Afrobeats, of course, as well as hip-hop and R&B hits.
Where to Next?
I have a lot of places on my list. I want to see South Africa because I keep hearing that both Cape Town and Johannesburg are beautiful. My best friend’s parents are from Ethiopia, but she has never been, so that’s a trip that we want to do together. I might be traveling to Guinea for the first time for a gala in November. It is also a goal of mine to visit all 54 countries on the continent because I just feel like every time I visit a new country, I’m in awe of all the beauty, culture, and newness, and I learn so much.
I would also love to live abroad, but I’d have to do my research and it’s really about where God wants to lead me. There’s nowhere out of the U.S. that I’ve stayed longer than I’ve stayed in Gabon. I have my citizenship there, so it’d be easy for me to just pick up all my stuff and go. But I’m in this era of wanting to explore more. There’s so many great things about this country. I was born and raised here, I love it and I will always come back. I’ll always call it home, but I’m definitely not glued to the U.S. I am a traveler, I love it, and I believe that there is so much more to life than just here, so we’ll see!
