Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cycling
In several parts of West Africa, bicycles can be hired by the hour, day or week, and can be a good way to tour a town or
area. Your choice may range from a new, imported mountain bike (
vélo tout terrain
in French, or VTT) to ancient,
single-gear, steel roadsters.
Away from tourist areas, it's almost always possible to find locals willing to rent their bicycles for the day; good
places to enquire include the market or your hotel. Costs range from US$1 to US$10 per day, depending on the bicycle
and the area. Remember to always check the roadworthiness of your bicycle, especially if you're heading off-road.
The flat roads of Burkina Faso are particularly good for cycling, especially around Banfora in the country's southw-
est; cycling tours are possible around the otherworldly Sindou Peaks.
Desert Expeditions
For many travellers, West Africa means the Sahara, and deep desert expeditions used to be among the region's most re-
warding activities. The security situation means that most such expeditions were not possible at the time of research.
One exception is the Moroccan south around Merzouga, Erg Chebbi and Erg Chigaga.
The following information is included for when the situation stabilises sufficiently in northern Mali, Mauritania and
Niger.
The main gateway towns to the Sahara, and hence the best places to organise Saharan expeditions, are Timbuktu and
Gao (Mali), Atâr (Mauritania) and Agadez (Niger). In Mauritania, the remote outposts of Chinguetti, Ouadâne, Tidjikja
and Tichit exist in splendid Saharan isolation, while the crater of Guelb er Richat, near Ouadâne, is stunning. In Niger,
home to perhaps West Africa's best desert scenery, the Aïr Mountains and Ténéré Desert are simply extraordinary .
The main choice you'll have to make for your expedition is whether to travel by camel or 4WD. You'll cover far more
territory if you rent a 4WD, but costs can be prohibitive (up to CFA65,000 per day, plus petrol). Travelling by camel is
more economical and environmentally friendly and allows you to experience the desert at a more leisurely pace, al-
though you'll cover less territory.
Diving & Snorkelling
Cape Verde is the best place in West Africa to go diving and snorkelling amid the dolphins, sharks and even whales, es-
pecially off the islands of Boa Vista and Sal. It's possible to take open- water PADI dive courses at both places, although
remember that Cape Verde has no decompression chambers. March to November are the best months.
Other places where diving and/or snorkelling are possible include off Busua in Ghana, and Dakar and Saly in Seneg-
al.
Fishing
The Atlantic waters off West Africa are some of the world's richest fishing grounds. Sierra Leone in particular is one of
the world's most underrated deep-sea fishing destinations, especially off Freetown and Sherbro Island where many indi-
vidual line-class records were set.
Other deep-sea fishing possibilities exist off the island of Sal in Cape Verde, in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau's Ar-
quipélago dos Bijagós, and Dakar and Saly in Senegal.
Less serious anglers could try a fishing course in Cape Coast in Ghana, while Lake Ahémé in Benin offers a fascinat-
ing insight into traditional fishing techniques.
