Guinea-Bissau

1 Bijagos Islands - an archipelago of some twenty tropical, beautiful islands. On the island of Orango you can see hippos, on other islands there are turtle nesting grounds. Many islands have French-owned fishing lodges. There are plenty of undeveloped islands for eco-tourism experiences. Travellers call these islands "like the Seychelles, only with no people".

2 Varela - Just south of Cap Skirring, but on the Guinea-Bissau side of the border, it is a tour de force to get to Varela on a 50 km long bumpy dirt road from São Domingos - but it is all rewarded when you reach this place, with a superb Italian-owned hotel, beautiful beaches and pine forests and a very relaxed atmosphere with almost no other tourists.

3 Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park – Guinea-Bissau's first protected area and largest freshwater reserve

A former Portuguese colony, Guinea-Bissau, independent since 1974, has had an arduous history of coups and political crises. This small nation has a variety of tropical forests and vibrant Afro-Latin culture.

Portuguese is the official language and the language used for writing; however, a Portuguese creole is the language spoken among the locals as the lingua franca. There are several local languages such as Fula, Balanta, Mandinka, Pepel, Bijago, etc., but you will always find people from other African countries (Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Mauritania, Nigeria) who speak English and French. You can buy a Creole/English dictionary at the WEC Mission which is in Caracol, and in the Mavegro supermarket which is located right next to the Simão Mendes Hospital (on the road that passes on the right hand side, 300 m forward on the right).

In Bissau minibuses called toca-toca work for transports within the city. There are also regular taxis. For inter-city travel there are sept-places, (seven-seat Peugeot) and candongas, big commercial vehicles carrying ten to twenty passengers. Prefer sept-place or at least try to get the front seats. It is also possible to rent taxis to other towns and cities.

The main bus-station "paragem" of Bissau is behind the BCEAO (Banco Central dos Estados de África Ocidental) on the Airport Road. Are you heading for Biombo or Prabis, you need to go to another bus-station in Estrada de Bor. There are no time-schedules; cars leave when they are full. As most locals travel in the early morning (07:00-ish), cars fill up quicker in the morning. It might be hard to get transport in late afternoon and evening.

To go to the islands, there's a choice between cheap, but rather unsafe, canoas (pirogues) leaving from Porto Pidjiguiti or Porto de Bandim, and expensive modern boats owned by French fishing lodges on the Bijagos islands. Consulmar Guinea Bissau operates a more orderly ferry service between Bissau and several other ports. The ferries are still quite basic however. Schedules depend on tides and weather conditions, so check in advance.

As Guinea Bissau is very flat and there is virtually no traffic on the roads outside Bissau, it's a good country for cycling. Bikes can be bought in the country, which will probably (as in most parts of the world) be Chinese-made.

Forests of Jemberem - Cantanhez Natural Park, where, with a bit of luck, you can see chimpanzees.

Varela Beach - one of the few nice beaches in Guinea Bissau.

Bijagos Islands - stunningly beautiful group of islands, some with resorts. Find, among others, turtles and hippos here.

Most Guineans eat rice with fish, because the country is rich in fish, and rice (homegrown or imported from Thailand) is relatively cheap. The more costly meals contain beef, goat, chicken or pork. Meals are also made with palm oil and peanut sauce and vegetables. Guineans also eat wild game (deer, monkey, beaver etc.) but these animals are endangered and so it is not recommended to support this.

Guineans are known for their warm-heartedness and so you will always be asked to come eat with a group of people (it is common to eat from a large bowl)... "bin kume, no kume".

Fruit available depends on the season, but mangos, papayas, oranges, grapefruits, bananas, cashews and peanuts are abundant. Also try the sour "fole" fruits and baobab fruit juice (sumo de cabaceira). Imported fruit can be bought in "fera de prasa" in the centre of Bissau (apples, pears, pineapples, watermelons, etc.), but it is more expensive than in Europe.

Vegetables sold in the markets include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, parsley, okra, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, chili, and sweet potatoes.

Street snacks are typically sandwiches with hardboiled egg, omelette, fish or beef, doughnuts and cake. Frozen fruit juice in small plastic bags is popular with the locals.

The people of Guinea-Bissau love to drink a sweet green tea known as "warga". Non-Muslims also enjoy drinking cashew wine or palm wine. You can also buy Portuguese beer, wine and soft drinks, but these are more expensive. It is recommended that foreigners only drink bottled, filtered or boiled water.

Hotels in Bissau are generally overpriced. In most of the towns outside the capital, there are hotels or rooms for rent. There are mainly French-run hotels on the Bijagos islands which are recommended.

There are numerous NGOs, missionaries and international organizations (UN, EU, WHO, UNICEF, The Global Fund) working in Guinea Bissau.

Bandim Health Project

Médicos do Mundo

Guinea-Bissau has one of the highest rates of petty and violent crime on the continent, which should not be underestimated, a lack of much law enforcement, and a very dysfunctional government. The country is home to several drug kingpins and a large volume of narcotics passes through remote islands and airstrips en route from South America to Europe. Until 2019, the country had the onerous distinction of never having an elected president complete a full 5-year term in office and there have been dozens of coups and attempted coups as well as numerous assassinations of officials and military leaders since independence in 1974. The most recent successful coups were in 2025 and 2012, which followed a failed coup attempt in 2011, the house-arrest of the prime minister by the military (and threat of killing him) in 2010, and the assassination of the president by soldiers in 2009 (a day after a top military leader & rival of the president was killed by a bomb).

Avoid any political demonstrations and stay clear of any large presence of military on the streets. Many western nations lack a diplomatic presence in Guinea-Bissau, which means you will have a much harder time if arrested, detained, or in need of consular assistance in an emergency.

Guinea-Bissau is a violent country, and is considered by the UN to be a major port for drug shipments into Europe. The military is known for corruption, prompting the head of the UN to refer to the head of the Air Force as a drug kingpin.

The country also has the lowest per capita productivity and income in the world.

White Europeans are especially vulnerable, and will be singled out by natives seeking to enact racial crime. White Europeans tend to be left alone if it is believed they are part of foreign aid efforts, or far left activists. Guinea-Bissau has had several Marxist Governments, providing a safe haven for Marxist radicals worldwide.

There is no US or UK embassy in GB. The US & UK embassies in Dakar, Senegal are accredited to GB. The US has a liaison at: Edifício SITEC, Rua José Carlos Schwarz 245, Bairro d’Ajuda (☏ +245 325-6382).

Do not trust hotel safes, and stay away from any nightclubs not attached to major hotels.

If you are arrested, be prepared to pay a bribe. However, it is not recommended to bribe officials directly. Simply ask if they can pay the fine for you, because you do not understand the customs procedures. Then leave the country as soon as possible.

You must be careful around wildlife because they may be dangerous, and you must respect the animals at all times. Do not attempt to feed or touch an animal. Remember: take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints, and kill nothing but time.

Before visiting, make sure you have the yellow fever, hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid vaccinations up to date. Malaria prophylaxis is highly recommended: consult a doctor for advice on which type to choose. Depending on the length and purpose of your stay, also consider vaccinations for hepatitis B, rabies, meningitis and tuberculosis.

HIV is prevalent, as are most major sexually transmitted diseases. The CDC in the US listed Guinea-Bissau as a groundswell point for new HIV infections.

If bitten by a dog, cat, monkey or bat seek a doctor as fast as possible, no matter if you've been vaccinated or not. Everybody needs post-exposure rabies prophylaxis; but if vaccinated beforehand, you'll need less vaccines. Rabies can be prevented with vaccines and immunoglubulin, but once the symptoms present here is no cure and about 100% die.

Always use a condom when having sexual relations with new partners.

Make sure you drink only bottled/filtered water.

Muslims are mostly tolerant of others in this country, if your presence is considered to be temporary. There are a few radicalized mosques in the country, so it is advised that you do not venture into these areas. The Christian minority is tolerated, but under constant surveillance by Guinea-Bissau activists and Government officials.

Check your government's travel warnings about Guinea-Bissau.

Some people (especially children) will ask you to take their photo, while others will get upset if you take photos; always ask in advance, especially taking close-ups.

Avoid taking photos of military installations without asking, though sometimes you'll be allowed to.

There are numerous internet cafés in the center of Bissau, but ask around, more of them are hard to spot from outside. Other options are Lenox or go wireless in Restaurant Phoenicia or hotel Bissau Palace.

There are three mobile companies in Guinea Bissau all with prepaid mobile cards, that can be bought all over. It's easy to call abroad or other mobiles of the same company, but can be hard to call from one company to another (e.g. MTN->Guinétel).

MTN GSM 900 - simcard 500 FCFA, not very expensive to call Europe or other African countries. Will soon be possible to get internet connection via an MTN mobile.

Orange GSM 900/1800

Guinétel GSM 900