West Africa can not compete with East and Southern Africa when it comes to National Geographic level fauna. Expansive human settlement and overhunting are the main reasons for that. But that doesn't mean you have to settle for pied plovers and green monkeys (no disrespect to them). Increased conservation efforts and a growing spotlight on [...]
Guinea-Bissau
Stories, recommendations and more concerning the country of Guinea-Bissau. See the country guide here for more trip planning information.
I just recently watched The Endless Summer for the first time. Any images from that immediate postcolonial period in West Africa are to be treasured, and this film offers a unique angle with a sport that many West Africans on the coast were likely seeing for the first time. Enterprising surfers have long been combing [...]
Twenty-some kilometers inland from the Atlantic Ocean, there is a small town in Guinea-Bissau with a population of roughly 10,000 people. The town is called Cacheu, and it was one of the first colonial settlements in sub-saharan Africa. It served as a port for the Portuguese. The principal export was human beings, destined for the [...]
For overland travelers planning on visiting multiple countries in West Africa, organizing visas is often the biggest logistical headache. Visa policies are asymmetric and often vary from embassy to embassy. In one country, the Ghanaian embassy may not grant you a visa unless you are a permanent resident of the country where you are applying. [...]
The Bijagos islands are home to some of West Africa's only predominantly matriarchal societies, and they also happen to have some of the world's most unique wildlife. Bubaque is the largest and most populated island in the Archipelago. Transport options between the island and Bissau are numerous, and you can easily use Bubaque as a [...]
Bissau is a country full of people who seriously know how to have after dark fun. In the capital you can find a bar on every corner but as far as nightclubs go you really only have two options. Balafon is a small club that is situated on the bottom floor of the Kalliste Hotel. [...]
Getting your visa for Bissau in Ziguinchor just may be the most pain-free interaction you will ever have with bureaucracy in West Africa. The whole thing takes about 5 minutes. What's more, the friendly consular officer will even fill out the paperwork for you. The embassy is located in the center of town, on an [...]
