Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
been 'unlocked' as is the case with many US mobile phones, cheap mobile phones (as little as €15) can be purchased in
capital cities and most larger towns. International calls using a local SIM card often work out cheaper than calling from
landlines. Although mobile coverage is usually restricted to urban settlements, coverage is expanding all the time.
A European or North American mobile phone will probably have reception in most West African countries, whereby
your carrier's local partner will allow you to receive and send text messages, as well as phone calls, although making
calls can be extremely expensive. Remember that if someone calls your mobile phone while you're in West Africa, you
may pay the bulk of the charge. In some cases, a local SIM card purchased in one country may also work in other West
African countries where that carrier operates; Orange is one carrier that operates in a number of countries in the region
and may offer such a service.
Time
Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal,
Sierra Leone and Togo are on GMT/UTC. Cape Verde is one hour behind. Benin, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria are one
hour ahead.
Morocco is the only country covered in this topic to observe daylight-saving time in summer - Moroccan clocks are
turned forwards one hour on the last Sunday in April, then back again on the last Sunday in September.
Toilets
There are two main types of toilet: Western sit-down, with a bowl and seat; and African squat, with a hole in the ground.
Standards vary tremendously, from pristine to those that leave little to the imagination as to the health or otherwise of
the previous occupant.
In rural areas, squat toilets are built over a deep hole in the ground. These are called 'long drops', and the waste mat-
ter just fades away naturally, as long as the hole isn't filled with too much other rubbish (such as paper or synthetic ma-
terials, including tampons). Even some Western toilets aren't plumbed in, but just balanced over a long drop. In our ex-
perience, a noncontact hole in the ground is better than a filthy bowl to hover over any day.
Tourist Information
With just a handful of exceptions, West Africa's tourism authorities are not geared up for tourism, and there are few
tourist offices abroad. Some countries run small tourist offices at their embassies, which may be helpful for getting mod-
erately useful brochures or general travel information.
Once in West Africa, some countries have Ministry of Tourism information offices but, apart from offering a few old
brochures, they're unlikely to be of much assistance. Otherwise, you'll usually have more success enquiring with staff at
tour companies or hotels.
Travellers with Disabilities
West Africa has very few facilities for the disabled. This, combined with weak infrastructure in the region, can make
travel difficult, although it's not impossible. Few hotels have lifts (and those that do are generally expensive hotels),
streets may be either badly potholed or else unpaved, footpaths are few and far between, and ramps and other things to
