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Burkina Faso General Tips


Tips and photos for Burkina Faso vacations and tourism, posted by real travelers and Burkina Faso locals.
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Find Mamoudou Cisse in Bobo Dioulasso
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  • atufft
  • Updated By atufft on December 27, 2006
  • Burkina Faso Page by atufft
  • Mamoudou Cisse - Burkina Faso
    Mamoudou Cisse
    by atufft,
    1 more photos
    Burkina Villages are all over the place, and each one is different from the rest. Different people, mud hut architectural style, and personalities. Your guide will make or break your adventures in Burkina because maps don't provide detail enough to get into the tiny villages. Also, unless you speak the African dialect, you'll want a guide to help introduce you to the residents and headman or "king". The guide can be young, but not wreckless in judgement nor demanding of you once you're out in the middle of nowhere. The guide should have an established rapport that helps you prepare the portrait photography, not come up with excuses why you can't get the people photos, or demand coins for every shutter release. Do have some change in your pocket, but the best experiences I had were in villages off the tourist beat where money for pictures wasn't expected.

    I was lucky to have good guides in both Bobo Dioulasso and Ouaga. E-mail Mamoudou Cisse at mamoudcisse2000@yahoo.fr. His English seems extra marginal on-line but once you meet him, you'll communicate OK. Call him on his cell phone once you are in town: 76670866. He hangs out at Bobo Art in the center of the city. He speaks excellent French and a variety of African dialects. The time I spent running around with him ranks as my best Burkina experience. He was very reliable, patient, friendly, and knowledgeable.

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    Guides
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  • pfsmalo
  • Updated By pfsmalo on April 9, 2007
  • Burkina Faso Page by pfsmalo
  • Ablo in Tiebelé - Burkina Faso
    Ablo in Tiebelé
    by pfsmalo,
    3 more photos
    Very important to get yourself a good guide, that knows his thing and can show you a good time and sites.My guide that I found here on VT had his own car, although I must say it wasn't cheap because I was on my own, it was well worth it.Very conscientious, honest and helpful at all times.
    Speaks very good French and a smattering of English. He is also one of only 14 guides licensed by the ONTB (Office National de Tourisme Burkinabé) operating in Bobo.
    Mr. Ouattara Bema aka Ablo
    01 BP: 2259 Bobo Dioulasso 01 - Burkina Faso
    Tel: 00 226 70252693 + 00 226 76519208
    Lives and operates from Bobo but if necessary can pick you up from the int'l airport in Ouagadougou.

    To be recommended.

    It became quite emotional when my guide had to leave me in Ouagadougou after the 5 days I spent with him. We really spent a good few days together. Took me to see his family, and helped with meeting people I otherwise wouldn't have seen. Made me feel very safe and comfortable.

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    visit the Lobi and other tribe...
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  • By jarkhot on September 8, 2002
  • Burkina Faso Page by jarkhot
  • visit the Lobi and other tribe villages in the Gaoua region

    contacts with local people; very few tourists visit B.F., even less the Lobi region. People are very friendly. Our minibus broke down in an area where they hardly see any foreingers. We had to wait for hours and this allowed us to meet people walking to their fields. Some were quite hesitant to make contact. But once salutations were exchanged, hands were shaken, all you could see were smiling faces. Theirs, and ours.

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    Roads in Burkina Faso
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  • sachara
  • Updated By sachara on July 5, 2003
  • Burkina Faso Page by sachara
  • Road from Ouaga to the Malinese border - Burkina Faso
    Road from Ouaga to the
    Malinese border
    by sachara
    The unpaved roads in Burkina Fase, we drove, were most of the time good.

    This is the road from Ouaga to the Malinese border (Tiou-Bankass).

    The people and special the table-football match with the boys from Ouaga.

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    You must be prepared for the...
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  • By danieldookan on August 26, 2002
  • Burkina Faso Page by danieldookan
  • You must be prepared for the utmost in night life 'cos almost all the people love a night out,especially on saturday's(samedi).The burkinabe's are a lovely and hospitable people to stay with.

    The visits to bobo-dioulasso and banfora where i met with the core of the culture of the people.

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    You must go to the night club...
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  • Mhennekens
  • By Mhennekens on August 25, 2002
  • Burkina Faso Page by Mhennekens
  • Burkina Faso General Tips
    by Mhennekens
    You must go to the night club Sahel, Ougadougou you are sitting on 20cm high bench feet stretched unther a small table unther the night sky. half al liter of beer (flaq)and a band playing 2 bob marley songs and a local song for all evening. just local people no tourists, when done you can walk to the mainstreet and enjoy the rest of the cafe's.

    Coulorfull people and there easy restfull way off life.

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    FASCINATING CULTURE AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE
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  • Narviking
  • Updated By Narviking on August 25, 2002
  • Burkina Faso Page by Narviking
  • Burkina Faso General Tips
    by Narviking
    When I went around in Burkina Faso by train I could certainly see that it is a very poor country. However people was smiling, friendly and they laugh alot, much more than we do here in Norway.
    THE PHOTO: CHILDREN BESIDE A TRAINSTATION.

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    Rainy season is limited to no...
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  • lichinga
  • Updated By lichinga on August 25, 2002
  • Burkina Faso Page by lichinga
  • Burkina Faso General Tips
    by lichinga
    Rainy season is limited to no more than 60 rainy days all over the year (June-August). during this period, it is not advisable to try to reach any place out of the asphalt roads, because the tracks could (and should) be kept closed to avoid spoilage by the trucks and heavy 4-wheel drive vehicles. The shape of the country is completely different if you happen to cross the same place soon after the rain begin, or during the dry season.
    In the countryside you may notice small walls, built with stones and iron cages along the curves of level: these small walls help in slowing the surface erosion of running waters during the heavy rains. At the same time, they facilitate the infiltration of waters in the ground, allowing the people to find the water in the wells during a longer period of time.

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    Yellow fever vaccination
    hydronetta
  • By hydronetta on December 5, 2007
  • Burkina Faso Page by hydronetta
  • As yellow fever is endemic in West Africa it is prerequisite that you get vaccinated before you go there. In fact you need to show a vaccine certificate to get a visa. Otherwise forget it.
    Plan to get vaccinated at least 10 days before your trip starts (I would say months). The vaccine is done at your local health authorities (in my case in Athens Public Health Headquarters) where additional information is given concerning health issues for the country you plan to travel. The vaccine was done for free, injected SC and minor adverse reactions might be expected within 5-12 days (I had none 10 days now). The vaccine lasts for ten years (so visit as much of Africa as you can). It was essential to bring along my passport as I was given an international vaccination certificate along.
    More on yellow fever: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_fever

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    Ghana Embassy
  • Updated By jeremy73 on November 12, 2002
  • Burkina Faso Page by jeremy73
  • Ghanaian Visa costs CFA12,500 and takes 24 hours, need to bring 4 passport photos

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    More Burkina Faso Tips
    Overview
     
    Hotels and Accommodations
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    Things To Do
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    Nightlife
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    Transportation
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    Restaurants
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    Shopping
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    Off the Beaten Path
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    Tourist Traps
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    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 4 - Photos: 3
    Local Customs
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    Packing Lists
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    Sports Travel
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    General Tips
    Tips: 23 - Photos: 18

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