West Africa

WEST AFRICA TRAVEL GUIDE

Travelling West Africa is a balancing act – a mix of culture, food, nature and a past best told by the region’s own storytellers. Festivals are all-singing, all-dancing and clothes shops and markets are draped in a rainbow of wax print cloth. The dark historyof the slave trade marks port cities like Ouidah. Beyond, there are wild beaches, ancient rainforest and undulating, sun-baked dunes.

WEST AFRICA IS ONE OF THE MOST CULTURALLY DIVERSE PLACES ON EARTH. Unlike in much of the continent, many of West Africa’s countries are compact, meaning it is possible to travel overland between two or even three different countries in a single, two-week trip. However, their diminutive size does not make these nations any less diverse; West Africa encompasses both Franco- and Anglophone nations, speaking between them hundreds of languages. It also stretches from the arid Sahel, at the Sahara’s edge, through monkey-filled forests all the way to the Atlantic. Our West Africa travel guide welcomes you into this most fascinating of regions. SEE ALL OUR WEST AFRICA HOLIDAYS GIVE US A CALL WEST AFRICA IS/ISN'T West Africa is... one of the most culturally diverse places on earth. Over 600 languages are spoken here, with many more dialects. West Africa isn't... a no go zone. Most are stable, safe and welcome tourists. WEST AFRICA MAP & HIGHLIGHTS Most of our West African holidays take advantage of these tightly clustered borders to visit more than one country on a 10-day or two-week trip. One classic combination is Ghana, Togo and Benin – for Vodun (voodoo) culture and gorgeous coasts, as well as the opportunity to discover both Anglo- and Francophone Africa. The other combo is Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, with brief excursions across the river into Mauritania. If you’d rather stay in one place, Ghana and Senegal both offer ample attractions for a fortnight’s break. Alternatively, lengthier overland tours cross the Sahara, before reaching the lusher southern regions and finally the Atlantic. Organised tours – whether small group or tailor made – give access to these little visited corners of the world, with expert guides, local insight – and opportunities to encounter many local people along the way. GIVE US A CALL TO HELP WITH YOUR ITINERARY 1. Benin The ancient and misunderstood religion of Vodun (voodoo) casts a powerful spell over this little country, with festivals and temples to learn about. Explore a village in the middle of a lake, track big game in a national park, and meet the Somba – who live in impressive clay fortresses. The history of slavery still shadows this region, marked by the tragic Door of No Return. 2. Burkina Faso A little-visited nation marooned in a sea of sand, Burkina Faso has been left to its own devices to preserve its own culture beautifully. This is perhaps most evident in the incredible Festival of the Dancing Masks, which takes place every two years. But don’t fret if you miss it; there are nomadic Tuaregs and Bella merchants to meet, marimba music to tap your feet to, and stunning mud villages to explore. 3. Ghana As one of the only Anglophone countries in the region, and with political stability, Ghana is an easy introduction to this vibrant region for English-speakers. The coast has idyllic beaches, slave forts and tropical forests; or head north for the elephants of Mole National Park, and classic scenes of ochre-painted villages against a backdrop of baobabs. 4. Guinea-Bissau A little Portuguese slice of West Africa, Guinea-Bissau today remains virtually unexplored by tourists, even by West African standards. But that’s not for a lack of places to explore. There are the tropical Bijagos Islands, which form Africa’s largest archipelago and shelter elusive, saltwater hippos. Discover the “ghost town” of Bolama, remote villages within a flooded forest, and meet the animistic Pepel tribe – with no other tourists in sight. 5. Senegal A country of two halves – quite literally, as it is virtually bisected by the Gambia – Senegal is seriously cool, with buzzing bars in Dakar, the Saint Louis Jazz Festival and French-West African fusion food. Take a multi-day cruise up the Senegal River, which forms the border with Mauritania; meet the semi nomadic Fulani people; or take a ferry to the lush Casamance region, with its sacred forest. 6. Togo Best visited as part of an overland tour that criss-crosses Benin and Ghana, Togo acts as the filling in a particularly scrummy West African sandwich. Laidback Lake Togo is a hub of traditional culture, with voodoo sculptures, and wooden canoes to cruise in. Visit the artisan villages of the Kaby Mountains, with round houses arranged in a ring, and admire the towering mud forts of the Taberma in Koutammakou.