Note: Javascript is disabled in your browser.
You need to enable Javascript if you want to see images and video.
Introducing Guinea-Bissau
Like most sub-Saharan nations, Guinea-Bissau is an arbitrary European construct, yet it possesses two qualities that make this small country stand out from its neighbours. First and foremost are the people themselves. You’ll almost never hear the disingenuous ‘bonjour, mon ami’ that signals the beginning of an unwelcome sales pitch. If you’re arriving from, say, Dakar, you’ll be relieved to find helpful gestures are almost always just that – expressions of kindness rather than a means to extract cash. Bissau's relaxed feel, pastel-coloured buildings and nice cafés are worth a couple days of your time.
The country’s really big draw? The remarkable Arquipélago dos Bijagós. These delta islands are lined with powdery, white-sand beaches, washed by azure waters, and populated by a people whose matriarchal culture, long protected by hidden sandbanks and treacherous tides, is unlike any found in West Africa.
Advertisement
Latest headlines for Guinea-Bissau
-
Guinea-Bissau votes for president
28 June 2009 9:41PM
Polls close in Guinea-Bissau, where a new leader is being elected four months after soldiers killed President Vieira.
-
Bissau military kills politicians
6 June 2009 12:43PM
A presidential candidate and a former defence minister are shot dead by soldiers in Guinea-Bissau on suspicion of plotting a coup.
Hotels & Hostels
Check out all our reviewed and recommended accommodation and book online.
Advertisement
