Guinea-Bissau Travel Guide

Guinea-Bissau is a tiny country sandwiched between Senegal and Guinea-Conakry. The population of the entire country is less than the capital cities of most West African nations. Tourist infrastructure outside of the Bijagos Islands is seriously lacking, and even there, options are limited. So, why go?

Guinea-Bissau is one of those places that has that intangible something, a certain feeling and ambience that allows you to have casual, relaxed, warm interactions with people you’ve never met before. At a caipirinha stand on the street, for example, basking in the evening breeze while enjoying a hand crafted cocktail (that costs less than $2) with complete strangers who happen to make great company. For more on this, read Phil’s blog post.

Of course, there is also the natural beauty and the distinct cultural independence. The Bijagos Islands are rightly celebrated as one of the most fascinating places in the world. Cacheu is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in West Africa, a grim reminder the slave trade. There is the laid back, weekend party town of Quinhamel, the untamed beaches of Varela and several national parks all within a few hours of the capital.

So yes, there are potholes and power cuts, but don’t sleep on Guinea-Bissau. It’s one of the most unique countries in West Africa.

While there is some cultural overlap with other countries in the region, Guinea-Bissau is really doing its own thing in many respects.

• Greetings are important. It’s important to acknowledge the presence of those around you, and it’s customary to ask about the health of the other person as well as the health of their family.
• Sitting down to eat? Invite those around you to join. Most people won’t actually take you up on the offer, but it’s another custom that proceeds without reflection. This bit of etiquette is a common practice throughout West Africa.
• In the south, feel free to break out that miniskirt. In the north? Not so much. Many of the northern towns have a Muslim majority and the dress is decidedly more conservative. In the south, including in the capital Bissau, you will notice that pretty much anything goes. Hopefully you don’t have a problem with exposed breasts – on the islands, and during carnaval, you will see plenty of them.
• Ask about visiting certain areas. This pertains primarily to villages and rural towns. Animism is present in many parts of Guinea-Bissau and traditional belief systems may designate certain areas (or certain objects) as fetishes which effectively act as spiritual intermediaries. In some cases, locals may not even be able to visit these areas, so it is obviously unwise for you to do so as an outsider. Avoiding this is easy: just ask the locals when you arrive if there are any areas that are to be avoided.
• Ask before taking photos. Some people have (understandably) strong views when it comes to having their photo taken. It is always a good idea to ask before snapping away. Do not try to take photos of military personnel, military or government buildings or infrastructure in general. You will be stopped and questioned and possibly detained and/or fined.
• Carry your ID at all times. This is less a culture/etiquette point and more security protocol, but be sure to have your ID on you when you are moving about the country and even within larger towns like Bissau. A police officer can ask to see your documents at any point (this happens most often at night).

The visa for Guinea-Bissau is one of the cheapest and easiest to obtain in the region, depending on where you apply for it.

If you are arriving by air, you can get the visa for Guinea-Bissau on arrival at the airport.

If you are traveling overland, the easiest place to apply for your Guinea-Bissau visa is in Ziguinchor, the capital of Senegal’s southern province, the Casamance. We have written in detail about getting the visa at this embassy here. The short version: it costs 20,000 CFA for a 1 month, single entry visa, and 30,000 cfa for a 3 month, multi-entry visa. You simply need to bring your passport and two photos to the embassy.

It is also possible to get the visa from the Guinea-Bissau embassy in Guinea (Conakry) and the Gambia (Banjul). In other countries, there is not much of a diplomatic presence on the part of Guinea-Bissau unless it is a former Portuguese colony.

Health and safety issues may scare some people away from Guinea-Bissau, but you if you take the proper precautions you can have a safe, illness-free trip.

Malaria

Malaria is endemic to Guinea-Bissau, and it is certainly something that you should prepare for when traveling to the country. But don’t freak out about it. There are measures you can take to get awfully close to a 0% chance that you will run into the disease.

Some travelers question whether or not they should take malaria prophylactics or not. I would say that it would be foolish not to take them, even if you plan on traveling in the country for quite some time (some travelers fret over long-term prophylactic use, but the risk to your health is low compared to what can happen if you come down with malaria).

You will likely need to go to a travel health clinic to get a prescription for a malaria prophylactic. Be sure to talk to the doctor about which medication makes sense for you. In my personal experience, I have reacted poorly to doxycycline and mefloquine (Lariam), but malarone has always been fine.

If you find that the prophylactics are expensive in your home country, you can always travel with a small supply and buy more once you get to Bissau, where they are quite cheap. For more on malaria, we suggest reading our comprehensive guide and this article called malaria myths and facts.

Vaccinations

As with most countries in West Africa, you technically need a yellow Fever vaccination in order to enter the country. Someone at immigration may ask you to present your vaccination certificate upon arrival (personally this has never happened to me in Guinea-Bissau, but I know the day I don’t bring my certificate that will be the day that they ask for it). You will likely need to go to a travel health clinic to get your yellow fever vaccination. You should also have:

– Routine vaccinations, such as tetanus, hepatitis, meningitis
– Typhoid

You likely already have the routine vaccinations, so you may just need Typhoid and Yellow Fever. It’s worth checking to see if your health insurance will cover any of these immunizations before you get them.

For more info, please read our article on immunizations for West Africa.

Other health issues

The number one health issue for all visitors to Guinea-Bissau is your run-of-the-mill traveler’s diarrhea. In most cases, it’s bacterial, and it will go away on its own. In severe cases, you can take a broad-spectrum antibiotic like azithromycin, which is like a neutron bomb for your intestines. It will lay waste to all bacteria, good and bad.

If you have an intestinal issue that is not caused by bacteria, you could have an amoeba, giardia or some other parasite. The chances of this are relatively rare, unless you are spending a lot of time in more rural/village areas and not taking care with what you eat and drink. If you have any lingering intestinal issues, or any dramatic ones (like blood in your stool), get yourself to a clinic.

Can you drink the tap water in Guinea-Bissau?

No.

Road Safety

The most serious threat to your safety and wellbeing is not illness or terrorism. It is a road accident. Vehicles in Guinea-Bissau are often poorly maintained. Same goes for the roads. Traffic laws are rarely enforced, and unfortunately police regularly take bribes and allow certain drivers to stay on the roads instead of taking their license and impounding their vehicle.

There are a number of ways that you can increase your personal safety on the roadways, however. Read our article Staying Safe on the Roads while Traveling in West Africa for more on this.

If you have a medical emergency while traveling in Guinea-Bissau, the only seriously equipped hospitals are in Bissau. For basic issues, there are clinics and pharmacies in all of the country’s major towns. Clínica Artemisa in Bissau is one of the facilities that has the best care and doctors.

If you are in need of a complex surgical operation or anything of that nature, you will want to go back to your home country, or at the very least Dakar or North Africa.

One last thing, the sun is no joke in Guinea-Bissau. Plan to spend some time indoors or in the shade during the peak hours of sunlight. Pack sunscreen and wear a hat as often as possible.

As with many other countries in West Africa, things can be either really cheap or really expensive. There is little in the way of middle ground. If you are prepared to eat street food, take public transport and stay in questionable accommodation (*ahem* brothels), then you can do a trip in Guinea-Bissau for peanuts. However, peanuts can quickly turn into a wheelbarrow of cash if you are looking for something of a higher standard.

– liter of gasoline = $1.20
– liter of diesel = $1.10
– kilogram of sugar = $1.00
– short taxi ride in town = $2.00-3.00
– bus from Bissau to Ziguinchor = $8.00
– accommodation at Kalliste (one of several more budget-friendly accommodation options) = $40 – 45 / night
– a soda at a maquis = $.75
– a beer at a maquis = $.80-1
– a beer at a nightclub = $4
– a caipirinha on the street (serious bang for your buck) = $2

Like many other countries in West Africa, Guinea-Bissau has an intense rainy season that falls during the summer months. The rains typically start up in June and continue through September/October. The temperature drops a bit during the rainy season, but it can be difficult to get around and some smaller country roads may even be impassable.

November through March is widely considered to be the best time to visit weather-wise. This is the dry season, and in addition to the lack of rain, the humidity and temperature are manageable. Carnaval typically falls in February or early March which lines up nicely with the climate.

The months of April and May can be scorching hot as the humidity ramps up before the rainy season begins. Keep in mind that once the rains begin, many hotels outside of the capital have seasonal closures. This is also true for the Bijagos Islands — most establishments close until the end of the rainy season.

Nothing out of the ordinary for a hot, developing world country:

• Lots of lightweight, cotton clothes. Short sleeves, shorts, dresses for women and a pair of pants or two for dudes, especially if you want to go out at night (some nightclubs won’t let you in with shorts on).
• A light sweater or windbreaker depending on the time of year. See the weather section above for cooler times of year.
• Medications and toiletries – you can buy just about everything in Bissau, but you might not be able to find particular brands that you are familiar with.
• Power adaptors and convertors if necessary – Guinea-Bissau runs on 220V electricity and uses outlets that have the two round horizontal sockets, similar to what you find in most of continental Europe. While most electronics are certified for 110-220V, you should check to make sure that you don’t also need a convertor if you are coming from a country like America that uses 110V power.
• Insect repellant – Most places have mosquito nets, and if they don’t, they are incredibly cheap to buy locally. Insect repellant is harder to come by. You can sometimes buy it at pharmacies, but it’s better to travel with something decent.
• Sunscreen – you can buy it in some pharmacies as well as certain supermarkets in Bissau, but best to bring your own if you have a brand that you are familiar with.
• An unlocked phone – sim cards are incredibly cheap (less than $3) and a phone can always come in handy, whether it’s for an emergency or simply to meet up with a local friend. There are also data plans with 3g available, so if you have a smartphone, you can use google maps etc.
• Sandals or flip-flops – you will wear these most of the time most likely. You should bring at least one pair of closed toed shoes as well.
• Tampons – for the ladies, you might not be able to find them as easily as you would like here. Many women use cotton pads instead of tampons.

Guinea-Bissau uses the franc CFA, a currency which is used in most of non-Anglophone West Africa (except for Guinea-Conakry). The CFA is printed in France, and it is pegged to the Euro at a rate of approximately 655 CFA to 1 euro. While we have written in general article about ATMS, credit cards and cash in West Africa, there are a few things to know about Guinea-Bissau in particular:

• A visa debit card is far better than MasterCard – this is true for most of West Africa.
• Very few places take credit cards – In fact, expect only the major hotel chains to accept them. Expect a 3% surcharge on all credit card purchases.
• The area near Kalliste is the money changing quarter – You will find plenty of guys walking around with a wad of CFA, Euros and dollars.
• Outside of Bissau, access to ATMs is extremely limited – Also, there are no ATMs on the islands, including the island of Bubaque. Better to stock up in the capital.

Finally, we always suggest having some emergency euros or dollars with you regardless of where you are traveling.

Guinea Bissau is small. There are a few major roads and of course the Bijagos archipelago. If you are taking public transport, traversing the country will set you back less than $20. Going from the capital Bissau to Ziguinchor in the Casamance is only $8 or so.

• Bus – there are not as many bus companies in Guinea-Bissau as there are in neighboring countries, but there are a few that go to Senegal (the Casamance).
• Mini-buses – this is the main form of public transport connecting the cities and towns of Guinea-Bissau. Fares are cheap, but don’t expect a comfortable ride. The mini-buses are often resurrected carcasses of vehicles from Europe that have found a second (or a third) life in West Africa.
• Taxis – taxis abound in Bissau. There are no meters and the prices need to be negotiated before getting inside. Most rides within the capital should cost between $2-3.
• Toca-toca – the ubiquitous blue mini-buses that circulate in Bissau and slightly outside of the capital city. There are several main routes and it is a hop-on/hop-off system that costs around 50 cents for most rides.
• Boats – If you are going out to the islands, you have a few options. The cheapest is the canoas, which are privately owned pirogues that are often oversold and poorly maintained. This will cost you about 8000 cfa for a return trip to Bubaque. Safer and more expensive, there is a Spanish run ferry that will cost 16000 cfa for a one-way trip to Bubaque. For more info on the Consulmar ferries, see here. Finally, there is an option to organize a transfer with a hotel on one of the islands. This is the most expensive (but also the quickest) option. Expect to pay around 200,000 one way for a boat (can take multiple passengers). See our article on the islands for more info.