Guinea Bissau
The Portuguese left deep footprints in Africa. Their ancient occupation, far older than that of any other European nation, scarred and shaped large areas of the continent, and established a cultural heritage that was sometimes for the better, but more often not. As an independent nation Guinea Bissau suffered a difficult gestation, and as a fully-fledged member of the family of African republics it has been restless, troubled and often self-destructive. In recent years the political and social environment has settled, allowing increased access to this small but varied and beautiful West African nation.
Guinea Bissau is geographically diverse, with much of the country dominated by an estuarine landscape of broken shoreline, deep river inlets, mud flats and scattered islands. Inland mangrove swamps and forests soon give way to open savannah, and to the low hill country of the Niger River catchment. Inland the natural heritage of the country is diminished, but along the broken shoreline and many islands it is still in a state of reasonable preservation. The national parks of Guinea Bissau are small but vital, and dominated by a diversity of local and migratory bird species.
As a cultural destination Guinea Bissau is muted but still rewarding. It fringes the region of Africa where the ancient kingdoms and societies of the pre slavery era flourished and proliferated. A multiplicity of languages and cultures merge as they do all along this axis of the Sahel and the tropical belt, leaving a residue of art, music, dance and tradition that are among the richest and most varied in Africa.
Travel To & Within Guinea Bissau
Flights To Guinea Bissau Hotels In Guinea Bissau
Why Travel To Guinea Bissau
Inland Guinea Bissau is a travelers destination with vignettes of rural Africa thickly concentrated, and thanks to a largely agricultural society, unaltered by oil revenues or over-paced industrialization. It is a clean, safe and friendly nation with little to offer the pleasure seeker, but much to please the initiated international explorer.
At the coast the beauty of the country is much more accessible. The Bissagos Islands are scattered haphazardly off the coast of Guinea Bissau, with a few of the main islands populated by fishing villages, and others welcoming tourists. A handful are unpopulated and protected by an overall status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The islands are mainly forested, and recognized for their bird, primate and turtle populations.
The beach culture of Guinea Bissau is quiet and unsullied, and focused in particular on the Islands of Bolama, Bubaque and Galinhas.
When To Visit Guinea Bissau
The Guinea-Bissau Carnival is a cultural extravaganza that explodes onto the streets of the capital Bissau during February when the weather is also at its most pleasant.
Between June and October most of the annual 2000mm of rain fall, which is definitely a time to avoid, but between December and January you can expect dry and cool weather. Between March and May is the hottest period, with temperatures peaking occasionally at 35ºC
Travel Warning
Guinea Bissau has a history of coups, internal violence and political unrest, and although in recent years much of this has been quelled, the region remains volatile with the potential for civil unrest.
There is a very low threat of terrorism in Guinea Bissau.
Crime rates are low, and incidences tend not to be violent. However Guinea Bissau is very poor country so obviously the temptation to commit petty theft or coercion is high. In areas where visitors or tourists congregate the threat of bag snatching and pick-pocketing is higher.
Guinea Bissau has in recent years grown as a staging point for Columbian drug exports to Europe. Drug crimes are therefore taken very seriously. Treat any invitation to get involved with extreme caution. Arrest and detention is a very poorly rated aspect of African travel.
Road travel inland can at times be dangerous. Separatist movements are active from time to time and incidences of hijacking and theft on the roads are not infrequent.
Medical facilities in Guinea Bissau are basic and limited. HIV/AIDS incidence in comparably low, but precautions are advisable. Cholera and other water borne diseases are widespread, avoid ice in drinks and always drink bottled or boiled water. Malaria is widespread, in particular during the wet season.