Stores, Malls or Markets in Burkina Faso

The Grand Marché in Bobo, Burkina's second city, is much smaller, but also much calmer, than that in Ouagadougou. It's still a sizeable place, but there are far fewer hangers-on, and you can usually browse at length before anyone exhibits any interest in bargaining. The craft section is very well-stocked, and it s a lot less cramped than in Ouagadougou.

What to buy: Batik-style prints are very distinctive locally, and the small greeting cards that feature tiny batik prints are sold all over West Africa, but are often made in Burkina. The larger prints are exceptionally attractive, and sometimes feature depictions of local legends - have someone explain the meaning to you before you purchase. Beware batiks that smell very strongly of petrol: they'll contaminate everything in your bag temporarily but more importantly they tend to fade very quickly.

Wooden carvings are also popular, especially masks in the Mossi and Bobo traditions (the Mossi make large antelope masks). The slim wooden figures are especially beautiful, elegant pieces of art sold at extremely low prices.