Burkina Faso - The Land of Honourable Men

Dossier

To use an oft quoted cliché, Burkina Faso simply has to be one of Africa’s best kept secrets. This small landlocked country is home to a diversity of landscapes and peoples that many of the better known destinations would find it hard to rival. Starting from Ouagadougou we head south, to the intricately patterned villages of the Kassena people, and travel from there to Burkina’s western region, to its unusual rock formations, traditional cultures and the fortified villages of the Lobi people, one of the last ethnic groups to accept colonial rule. We also track elephants with near guaranteed sightings, explore mud built mosques, and immerse ourselves in Burkina’s contemporary life in the amiable cities of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. Fall in love with Burkina Faso on this two week journey of surprises.

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Day 1 – Ouagadougou
Arrive in Ouagadougou, the lively capital of Burkina Faso. Overnight Hotel Ricardo or similar.

Ouagadougou
The evocatively named Ouagadougou, Burkina’s capital, grew up around the palace of the Mossi ruler, the Moro Naba, in the 17th century. It is a small and relatively compact city, with about one and a half million inhabitants. Although Ouaga is lacking in a plethora of traditional sights, it gives a great insight into a modern West African city and is a pleasant place to stroll around. It is dotted with small open air bars and restaurants which are very popular meeting places for local Ouagalais and a great place to sit, relax and watch the world go by.

Day 2 – Tangossokkou - Po
Heading south from Ouaga we go off road to the village of Tiebele, home to the Kassena people who are famous for their painted houses. We stop at the chief’s compound, a labyrinth of earth built dwellings enclosed within mud walls. The road gets worse as we travel to Tangossokou. Although the houses here are not as visually impressive as those at Tiebele, very few tourists make it here and the sense of breaking new ground is almost tangible. We have excellent local connections here and are welcomed as guests by the chief and his family. We continue on to Po for the evening. Overnight Hotel Tiadora or similar. (BL)

Kassena People
The Kassena are a relatively small ethnic group who live both in Burkina Faso and Ghana. They are primarily farmers but the men often use dogs for hunting nearby wildlife. They believe in a supreme creator god, a shrine to which will be found in every Kassena village. Above all the Kassena are known for the murals, patterns and decorations that adorn the outside of their houses. These are often made up of geometrical patterns, representing creatures such as bats, hawks, snakes and tortoises, which hold special significance within Kassena society.

Day 3 - Nazinga
Explore Nazinga, home to the highest concentration of elephants in West Africa. Game drives around the park allow us to get up close to these magnificent beasts, as well as buffalo and the many species of antelope that live here. Overnight Ranch de Nazinga. (B)

Nazinga Game Ranch
Nazinga was established in the late nineteen seventies by a Canadian family living in Burkina Faso as an attempt to halt the decline in local wildlife caused by poaching. Since that time the decline in wildlife has been reversed, and the conflict between the human and animal populations minimised as income has flown into the region, creating employment for local villagers, with Nazinga now used as a research station for wildlife scientists within Burkina. Harbouring 39 different mammal species including buffalo, waterbuck, hyenas and primates, Nazinga’s biggest draw is its elephant population, currently standing at around 800 and offering excellent chances of sightings.

Day 4 – Gaoua
Drive to Gaoua, the main town in the Lobi region. The Lobi are a shy and secretive people but with the help of local guides we visit their fortress style houses dotted around this region, and perhaps see women panning for grains of gold in the rivers and streams. Overnight Hotel Hala. (BL)

Lobi People
The Lobi are thought to have migrated from Ghana in the 18th century, and their name means literally ‘children of the forest’. Today they live in villages consisting of several fortress style dwellings, excellent protection against slave raids of old. The Lobi follow animist traditions, worshipping fetishes and ancestors, and are renowned as excellent warriors, putting up fierce resistance to French efforts at occupation. The Lobi are still very traditional and adhere to old customs, one of which is their initiation ceremony where young men and women head off into the bush for several weeks, performing secret rituals and speaking a secret language.

Day 5 – Gaoua - Banfora
Continue exploring the region around Gaoua, including the mysterious ruins at Loropeni, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the village of Obire with its tombs of previous kings. We visit Senoufou villages before ending up in Banfora for the evening. Overnight Hotel Canne a Sucre or similar. (B)

Banfora
Banfora is a medium sized town in the far south west, not far from Ivory Coast and on the rail line from Ouagadougou to Abidjan. The countryside around is full of sugarcane plantations, the climate in this region being ideal for farming with more rain than other parts of the country.

Day 6 – Sindou Peaks
Out towards the border with Mali lie the Sindou Peaks, jagged fingers of rock pointing into the sky which are sacred to the Senoufou people who inhabit this region. Accompanied by local guides so as not to inadvertently break any local taboos, we take an easy hike through this awesome landscape. Overnight Hotel Canne a Sucre or similar. (BL)

Day 7 – Banfora – Bobo Dioulasso
This region is home to some of the country’s most spectacular natural sites, such as the enigmatic Domes of Fabedougou and the pretty Karfiguela Falls. We visit these before heading off to a nearby lake to look for hippopotamus, taking a pirogue out onto the water and getting surprisingly close to these enormous creatures. We then drive to Burkina’s second city, Bobo Dioulasso. Overnight L’Auberge or similar. (B)

Bobo Dioulasso
Bobo, in Burkina’s south west, is the second city of the country and a fantastic place to spend a couple of days. Quiet and leafy, it is home to an excellent live music scene and colourful nightlife. Its name means ‘house of the Bobo and Dioula’ after two ethnic groups that settled here centuries ago. Bobo’s Grand Mosque is one of Burkina’s most impressive sights, a low, whitewashed mud mosque built in the late nineteenth century that is a focal point for the city’s Moslem population. Nearby is the old quarter of Dioulassoba, with narrow winding dust streets, women pounding millet outside their homes, holy fetishes and a river containing sacred catfish. Bobo also has an unusual (and rather underused) railway station, built by the French colonists in an imitation of Sudanese architecture. Bobo is an easy place to find your way around and a very pleasant city for a wander, with large shady trees lining wide boulevards and plenty of pavement cafes to while away the odd hour or two. As well as this, Bobo is a fantastic place to buy traditional arts and crafts at very reasonable prices.

Day 8 – Bobo Dioulasso
Visit the old quarter of the city, dating back many centuries and with separate quarters for the different religions, such as Moslems and animists, that live here. Bobo’s most famous landmark, and one of the most impressive in West Africa, is its Grand Mosque, a whitewashed mud built building with the typical logs jutting out from all angles. This evening we head out to join the local crowd at one of the city’s excellent live music venues. Overnight L’Auberge or similar. (B)

Day 9– Ouagadougou
After some last minute sightseeing in Bobo, return to Ouaga, visiting the 19th century adobe mosque at Ouahabou en route. Overnight Hotel Ricardo or similar. (B)

Day 10 – Ouagadougou
Tour ends. (B)

Tour style: Traveller

Inclusions:
Arrival and departure transfers
All accommodation on twin share basis
Services of English speaking guide / tour leader
Meals as listed (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
Entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary

Excluded:
International flights
Any airport taxes
Travel Insurance
Visas
Drinks

Please note that you should also read the Country Notes in association with this itinerary for practical information about your trip and the destination you will be visiting. The itinerary and supplementary information has been compiled with care and provided in good faith. However it may be subject to change, and does not form part of a contract between the client and Undiscovered Destinations.