Simon Reeve's journey along the equator begins in Gabon, where he meets villagers who have been banned from hunting. They now perform traditional dances for tourists to earn a living.

When it is time to continue, the team's drivers suddenly demand £1,000 per day to continue working. When the BBC crew refuse to pay, the whole team is abandoned in the rainforest. But Simon develops a temperature of 40C and starts vomiting blood. He is diagnosed with malaria and forced to rest before continuing along the path east.