West Africa - tips |
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| In short | West Africa is such a huge and varied
subcontinent that general advice is hard to give. Nevertheless, it's a subcontinent with a lot
of "nerve", and it's hard to imagine anywhere in the world with
more colourful people than West Africa. Even South America doesn't quite equal West Africa with regards to religious
colour, and it's no coincidence that most people who go there keep on coming back. Also, due to the happy shortage of mass tourism (apart from Morocco and Tunisia), West Africa remains the most virgin part of the continent, and if you avoid Marrakech, the Gambain coast and central Mali, there is a good chance that you won't see a tourist at all. Not bad! |
| Highlights | For "the people", my
African
favourite is, by far, West Africa. Watching a tribal party in Togo or a voodoo ceremony in
Benin beats everything else on the continent, however, don't miss the
strange "Vatican" Cathedral in Ivory Coast, the slave forts of Ghana or just
the dusty interior of Mali, including the legendary Timbuktu and the animist
Pays Dogon. Apart from Morocco in the north-west, West Africa is a region short of "natural attractions", and the flood of tourists tend to steer in other directions. Consequently, the only travellers you'll meet in West Africa are the hard-core ones - not the beginners who usually end up in Nepal, India or South East Asia. West Africa is for the experienced traveller with lots of time. Photo samples: West Africa (west + central parts), West Africa (coast + south) + Morocco Slide shows: West Africa (mixed) + Morocco & Gambia (coming) Religious tips: Islam (sorry, in Danish). Articles (in Danish): None so far (apart from in newspapers). |
| Places to avoid | As always, the big cities. The crime
rate is alarming in places as Lagos (Nigeria) and Abijian (Ivory Coast),
while Dakar (Senegal) is reported to be improving. Paranoia is a terrible travelling companion,
so stick to the smaller towns. For travellers with allergy towards group tourists, marrakech is definitely to avoid. Very colourful, Marrakech is probably the one place in the world where you'll see all the negative effects of tourism. Too many people just become greedy vultures and it's hard to find the legendary moroccan friendliness. Elsewhere in the country, people have fortunately maintained their easygoing attitude. |
| Seasons | Lots of variation. In general, try
to avoid the hottest periods which correlates with the European summer - the
time of the year where you definitely shouldn't leave Europe anyway! In
general, southern West Africa is best in
the fall from October to December, while regions further north (Senegal,
Mauritania and so are ok all the way up to April. Take care of the dusty Harmattan
desert wind, usually taking place around January. Check the detailed seasons in the guidebooks. |
| Do's and don'ts | Not too much, but
don't forget that large parts of West Africa are Muslim, and Muslim rules apply,
although their version of Islam is much more easygoing than the Arab version.
That just makes travelling easier, and it's unlikely that any polite tourist
will encounter any problems, even in Senegal or Gambia. The hardest part
might be Nigeria, the only country in the region to practice the harshly
Muslim Sharia Law despite a 40+ % Christian population. In the southern coastal region, people are predominantely Catholics and things are easier, however, you won't benefit your travel experience by dressing like a freak. Most local people spend a lot of money to dress properly, so try not to look too much like one of those they try to avoid. |
| Visa | Complicated, and due to the tightening of the European borders, getting visas are becoming increasingly difficult. For most "normal" countries, such as Senegal and Morocco don't require visa, while Mauritania and Gambia issues them on the border. Mali, Ghana, Ivory Coast and the others in the south generally all require visa, so check ahead to be certain. |
| Value for money | Ranging from excellent to poor. In general, West Africa is affordable, but places where tourists are forced to live outside the local economy (i.e. Timbuctu!) may be wuite expensive. These places, compared to its low standard of living, West Africa is surprisingly expensive, in particular due to the fact the accomodation is rather steep - at least by local standards. Still, noone will burn a hole in their pockets by going there as a tourist, and to me Togo and Benin are perhaps the best-value destinations in all of Africa. It should be possible to survive for just 15 USD a day - and much cheaper if you stay local. |
| Others | Get a car (preferably 4WD) and try
to avoid the urban centres. The africans may not be the most "sharp" minds in
the world, however, their friendliness and hospitality is amazing. Try to get underneath
the skin of the tribal societies and discover an amazingly beautiful world. In contrast to the rumours, West Africa seems to be easier for women travelers than India, Pakistan and, of course, the Arab countries. Despite being Muslim, the West Africans are far from being as rigid as the Arabs, and women will experience less trouble than elsewhere. Dress a bit conservative, and you'll notice that the West Africans are as good gentlemen as anyone anywhere. |
