Burkina Faso
Table of Contents: Regions / Cities / Other destinations / Background / History / Economy / Tourism Flights to Burkina Faso, airtickets By train By car Buses to Burkina Faso / Get around / Language / Currency / Cuisine / Meals / Snacks / Burkina Faso nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Learn / Work / Stay safe / Stay healthy / Respect / Contact More from West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo More from Africa: Central Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Saharan Africa, Seychelles, Southern Africa, West Africa |
Burkina Faso [1], formerly Upper Volta, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the south east, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the south west.
Regions
Cities
- Ouagadougou, also known as Ouaga (pronounced "Wa-Gha"), is the capital city, located in the center of the country, in the area known as the Mossi Plateau.
- Banfora
- Bobo-Dioulasso is the the country's second largest city, located in the south-west.
- Bokin
- Dedougou
- Djibo
- Dori
- Fada n'Gourma
- Gaoua
- Gorom-Gorom
- Kaya
- Koudougou
- Leo
- Oradara
- Ouahigouya
- Zorgho
Other destinations
Background
Burkina is one of the safest and friendliest countries in all of Africa. Although it receives only a small number of tourists per year, it is an excellent destination for anyone interested in seeing beautiful West African country and exploring African culture and music.
History
Independence from France came to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) in 1960. Governmental instability during the 1970s and 1980s was followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Several hundred thousand farm workers migrate south every year to Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.
Economy
One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density, few natural resources, and a fragile soil. About 90% of the population is engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to variations in rainfall. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the African franc currency devaluation in January 1994 the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies, and exports and economic growth have increased. Maintenance of macroeconomic progress depends on continued low inflation, reduction in the trade deficit, and reforms designed to encourage private investment.
Tourism
Passport and a visa are required to enter the country. You generally should obtain your visa in advance, although European Union citizens can obtain visas upon arrival at the airport (10,000 CFA). If you are not from the European Union, the cost of a 3 month 1 entry visa is 28 300 CFAm and must be acquired in advance of your journey
Flights to Burkina Faso, airtickets
Flights are available through Abidjan, Brussels, Casablanca, Dakar, Niamey, Paris on the following carriers: Air Algérie, Air Burkina, Air France, Air Ivoire, Ghana Airways, Point Afrique, and Royal Air Maroc. Royal Air Maroc [2] offers some U.S. flights departing from New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Upon arriving at the carousel at the Ouagadougou Airport to claim your luggage, a number of men in uniforms will want to take your luggage out for you. They will expect to receive about 500 CFAs (USD1) per bag (at least from an expat). Unfortunately, it is difficult for them to exchange anything other than a USD20 bill. Euros are a bit easier for them to change, but it is best if you bring exact change in CFAs.
By train
517 km from Ouagadougou to the Cote d'Ivoire border.
By car
Buses to Burkina Faso
You can also easily take the bus in and out of of Burkina to many countries, such as Ghana, Mali, and Benin.
Get around
Buses and vans (cars) to Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo. Train service Abidjan-Bobo-Ouaga-Kaya. Hitch hiking not common.
Language
French is the official language, however you will find that outside the big cities, the majority of people do not speak much French. A huge number of African languages of the Sudanic family are widely spoken. The most common language is Mooré.
See also: Mooré phrasebook
Currency
As in many West African countries, the currency of Burkina Faso is the Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFA). There are 482.10 CFA to 1 US Dollar (As of 2007) and is fixed to the Euro, €1 = 655.957 CFA franc.
Credit cards are rarely accepted, but cash may be withdrawn with a card at certain banks in Ouaga and Bobo. In general, most bank machines will only accept VISA cards with a pin number or a CarteBleu. Make sure you have a pin for your credit card in order to access money from the bank machines. Mastercard is not widely accepted at ATMs. Travellers' checks (better luck in euros than in dollars) can usually be cashed at local banks in Ouaga and Bobo, but with large change fees.
Cuisine
Meals
Any run-of-the-mill Burkinabé restaurant will most certainly have one or all of the following:
To = a millet or corn flour based jello-like dish served with a sauce. Sauces commonly are okra-based (fr. "sauce gumbo" - tends to be on the viscous-side), peanut-based (fr. "sauce arachide"), baobab-leaf-based (not bad tasting, but very slimy), or sorrel-based (fr. "oseille", another green-leaf, a little sour). You eat this dish by breaking off some to with a spoon (or, if you want to go local and your hands are washed, use your finger - just remember to use always the right hand, as the left hand is considered "unclean" among Muslims) and dipping it into the sauce. Definitely an an acquired taste.
FuFu = a pizza-dough-like ball of starch served with a sauce. Made by pounding boiled ignames (sort of a super-sized version of a yucca-potato hybrid). The sauce is usually tomato-based. Eaten in the same manner as to.
Ragout d'Igname = boiled igname in a tomatoe sauce.
Riz Gras = Rice made in the sauce. Sometimes served with extra sauce on top, but not a given.
Riz Sauce (Rice and sauce) = Pretty self-explanatory. White rice usually served with a tomatoe or peanut sauce.
Spaghetti = Usually spaghetti is served au gras as opposed to spaghetti sauce.
Haricots verts = Green-beans, usually from a can, with tomato sauce
Petits pois = Green peas, usually from a can, with tomato sauce
Soupe = usually chicken (fr. "poulet"), pentade or fish (fr. poisson)
Salade = a salad of lettuce, tomato, cumcumber and onion with a mayonnaise-based dressing (mayo, vinegar, salt, pepper)
A Burkina specialty is "Poulet Telévisé" aka televised chicken, or roast chicken, since many locals say if you watch the roaster it is like watching TV!
Snacks
- Beignets = (mooré samsa) fried bean flour
- Fried ignames, patate douce (sweet potato french fries)
- Alloco = Bbq'd plantains
- Brochettes = bbq'd meat sticks, or liver, or tripe, or intestines
- Porc au four = baked greasy pork bits served with hot sauce (fr. piment), salt, and if you are lucky, mustard. Best enjoyed with a Flag (to make champagne; add some tonic)
- Gateau = fried dough. Comes in all sorts of varieties, best when fresh.
Burkina Faso nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
- Bisap = hibiscus leaf cold sweet tea (25-50 CFA)
- Yamoku, or Gingembre = sweet ginger drink (25-50 CFA)
- Toédo, or Pain de singe = sweet, is it baobab fruit ?
- Yoghurt = sweet degaï = yoghurt mixed with millet balls
- Dolo = millet beer.
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
People go on repós at noon until around 3PM. Don't expect to get much done around this time. Formal businesses are often closed at this time as well.
Learn
Burkina is a great country if you are interested in learning West African drumming.
Work
If you are interested in helping to save lives in Western Africa then Burkina Faso, hit by severe drought and poverty in the last decade, would be ideal for a charity-holiday. Medical staff are also sorely needed, so any volunteering doctors would be greeted warmly.
Stay safe
However, be aware of thieves in the big city. Violent assault is rare. Pickpockets and purse snatchers are something to watch out for in big cities. The common, cheap green taxis in the big city can sometimes host such thieves. Just hold on to your purse, and keep your money safely tucked away. You should always take precautions when traveling, but Burkina is a remarkably safe and respectful country. Women travelers rarely experience any problems. Foreigners, especially white foreigners, frequently attract significant attention, but the interest is entirely harmless. Indeed, the Burkinabé will show more patience and friendliness to the foreigner than to another Burkinabé, be it in a small village or in a big city. There was a violent altercation between military and police in December 2006. Members from involved parties made it a point to advise foreigners on the street that they should find shelter and stay out of harm's way. The problem was resolved quickly and no foreigners came to any harm.
Stay healthy
Yellow fever vaccination required. Malaria is a serious problem. Cholera vaccination may be required in event of outbreak. Meningitis is also a problem, and vaccination is highly suggested.
Respect
You will observe the Burkinabé exchange greetings in what appears to be a shared prayer or ritual. Literally, all they are saying is "good morning, how's the family, how's work, how's your health..." Greeting is a very important part of Burkinabé culture, and the only thing you really need to do here to make an instant friend. Ignoring someone and not greeting them, however, is taken far more seriously than in many western cultures. It is virtually a slap in the face to ignore someone that has greeted you, or to not greet at all. Foreigners can probably get away with being "cold" and "unfriendly" in some settings, but it is a good idea to greet everyone you pass by.
As there is a majority of Muslim people, remember to use always your right hand for eating, greeting, etc.
However, Burkina is at the same time one of the most open West African countries and people are in general very respectful to women and any foreigner.
Contact
More from West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo More from Africa: Central Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Saharan Africa, Seychelles, Southern Africa, West Africa |
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