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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 | Find Mamoudou Cisse in Bobo Dioulasso    |  | |
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 |  on December 27, 2006 |
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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 |  on April 9, 2007 |
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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 on September 8, 2002 |
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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 |  on July 5, 2003 |
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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| Rainy season is limited to no... | | |
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 |  on August 25, 2002 |
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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| You must be prepared for the... | | |
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 on August 26, 2002 |
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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 |  on August 25, 2002 |
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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 |  on August 25, 2002 |
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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| Yellow fever vaccination | | |
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 |  on December 5, 2007 |
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/Y |
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| Ghana Embassy | | |
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 on November 12, 2002 |
Ghanaian Visa costs CFA12,500 and takes 24 hours, need to bring 4 passport photos |
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More Burkina Faso Tips
| Overview | General Tips Tips: 22 - Photos: 18 |
| Restaurants Tips: 16 - Photos: 5 | Hotels and Accommodations Tips: 14 - Photos: 7 |
| Things To Do Tips: 49 - Photos: 129 | Nightlife Tips: 4 - Photos: 2 |
| Off the Beaten Path Tips: 7 - Photos: 12 | Tourist Traps Tips: 2 - Photos: 1 |
| Warnings or Dangers Tips: 4 - Photos: 3 | Transportation Tips: 15 - Photos: 17 |
| Local Customs Tips: 15 - Photos: 15 | Packing Lists Tips: 4 - Photos: 6 |
| Shopping Tips: 2 - Photos: 1 | Sports Travel » Add a tip now |
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