Burkina Faso Things to See & Do Guide

Cassettes of local musicians also make good souvenirs: Popular artists you may discover include Black So Man, Amity Meria, Zedess and Nick Domby. Look for the two-volume collection The Best of Burkina.

You can have local fabrics made into African or Western-style clothes by local tailors, who charge very little for their services. Part of the fun is discussing with them how you'd like your customized clothes to be made. You can add embroidery from books of patterns on display. Bargaining is the name of the game in most stores, markets and street stalls. Don't feel rushed or pressured.

Your hotel will be able to help you find a good tour company that suits your needs. These companies are generally flexible—as well as offering set packages, they are often willing to organize tours around your own preferences. There are at least two reputable companies that offer tours in Burkina Faso and neighboring countries, and both have hotels associated with them and can provide the use of off-road vehicles for hire.

Day 1—Arrive Ouagadougou.

Day 2—Ouagadougou.

Day 3—Drive to Bobo-Dioulasso (looking for elephants near Boromo).

Day 4—Bobo.

Day 5—Drive to Banfora and see the surrounding countryside (lake and waterfalls).

Day 6—Drive to Lobi country (or another area of the country with well-preserved tribal culture—choose the area based on accessibility of roads and transportation).

Day 7—Return to Ouagadougou and depart Burkina Faso.

An alternative itinerary would include a trip to the Sahel to visit the market of Gorom-Gorom, the mosques of Bani and the sand dunes of Oursi, but if you're also going to Niger or Mali, you may want to wait to see the Sahel there. The adventurous will enjoy a trip into the more remote areas of the countryside (it helps if you speak a little French). If you have extra time, make a trip to the game park at Arli.

There's not a lot to see in this southwest town, but it has one of the nicest markets in the country, and it makes a good base for some interesting day trips. The surrounding agricultural region, where palm wine is produced, is lush and green compared with much of the rest of the country. It's one of the few places you'll find streams, forests and waterfalls. There's good hiking near Sindou, a village of thatched huts and mango trees 30 mi/50 km to the west. Near Sindou is a chain of bizarre sandstone crags (some 165 ft/50 m high). Other highlights include the Karfiguela waterfall, which is 7 mi/12 km northwest of town, and Lake Tengrela, which is 6 mi/10 km west of town (with hippos—and, unfortunately, the bilharzia parasite). Banfora is 50 mi/80 km southwest of Bobo-Dioulasso.

"Bobo," as it is often called, is home to the Bobo tribe. Originally a major slave-trading town, today it's primarily a commercial center (pop. 396,000). Some travelers rate this as their favorite West African city.

The best way to spend the day is by strolling the tree-lined streets, shopping or people-watching at a sidewalk cafe. Bobo residents are known as tea drinkers: If you stay there for any length of time, you will surely be invited to partake in the ritual of preparing and drinking the thick, strong, sugary brew. This can be an all-day activity and usually takes place under a mango tree.

Bobo has a number of small, good eateries, a decent pastry shop and the country's best market. Besides a wide selection of masks and animist paraphernalia, the market has the widest selection of mudcloth and other handmade textiles available in West Africa. Be sure to ask the merchants about the history behind the items.

Don't miss the city's Sudanese-style mosque, the railroad station (with its strange mix of ancient and modern architecture) and the cultural museum (regional masks, drums and full-sized replicas of traditional houses behind the museum). The French cultural center has a lovely garden and Lebanese restaurant, and is a good place to hang out and meet the city's elite. Cine Sanyon is one of the nicest cinemas in town. The pool at the Auberge Hotel can be used for a minimal fee. It's one of the most idyllic spots in the whole country and a nice break from the relentless heat.

A traditional music hub, the town is filled with lively open-air bars and discos, featuring balafon orchestras, calabash drummers and electronic music. Bobo also hosts the National Week of Culture every two years, celebrating the tradition and variety of Burkinabe music, dance, literature, food and sports.

An interesting ritual takes place by a pond near Dafra, 5 mi/8 km southeast of Bobo. Every weekday, villagers go out to the pond to sacrifice chickens to the enormous sacred catfish that inhabit it. If you go to see the fish, don't wear red: It's forbidden. There's also a lake near Satiri (25 mi/45 km northeast of Bobo) that is filled with hippos (and the parasite bilharzia—so don't go swimming). The unique village of Koro, sitting on the granite hills, 9 mi/14 km to the east of Bobo, has houses built into the rock and panoramic views of the area. On the road between Ouagadougou and Bobo is a town called Boromo, near which wild elephants are often seen roaming freely. Guides there will help you find them. Bobo is 180 mi/295 km southwest of Ouagadougou.

Burkina's game reserves are undeveloped by comparison with those in Kenya or Zimbabwe, but Parc National d'Arli (Arli Game Reserve) is the best—it's a continuation of the Pendjari Reserve in Benin. Lions, elephants, water buffalo, hyenas and a variety of lesser-known animals roam its 30,000 acres/12,150 hectares. It is difficult to get to without your own vehicle, but organized trips can be arranged from Ouaga. 260 mi/420 km east of Ouagadougou.

This town in a hilly tree-dotted savanna area in the south is the center of the Lobi people. Considered the most isolated group in the country, the Lobi are known for their wood carving and eerie multistory mud fortresses, similar to the dwellings of the Sombas of Benin. The Lobi cultural museum has exhibits that help to explain these mysterious, reclusive people, who have kept their traditions alive perhaps better than any other ethnic group in West Africa. (The museum was built through the efforts of Madeleine Pere, who has lived in Gaoua for decades and is the only Westerner to have ever completed the secretive and arduous Lobi initiation rituals.) Be sure to get permission before taking photographs, especially in the countryside. Don't miss the town's bustling Sunday market.

Loropeni (30 mi/50 km west of Gaoua) has a two-story-high stone ruin of unknown origin. It's similar, though less impressive, than the famous ruins of the Great Zimbabwe National Monument. 130 mi/210 km southeast of Bobo-Dioulasso.

This ancient capital city (pronounced wah-gah-DOO-goo) of 1,038,000 is home to the Mossi, the largest ethnic group in the nation. In the center of the country, "Ouaga," as it is known to the locals, has wide, tree-lined boulevards and several interesting places, including the National Museum, with its collection of traditional masks and art and craftwork; the Village Artisanale of Arts and Crafts, and Faso Park, an urban park with some birds and animals. The interesting Central Market was damaged by fire in 2004 and remains closed. The stallholders, however, are scattered around the streets nearby, with a good selection of handicrafts.

Although the Moro Naba Palace is not open to the public, you can view a traditional ceremony outside the palace on Friday morning at 7 am. The king of the Mossi people emerges from the palace, dressed to go to war. His chief advisors plead with him to stay, and eventually he returns to his palace to change into his daily royal attire, then re-emerges to govern his people. Since the Mossi are the largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso, representing more than half the population, this historic ceremony is a well-attended event, and tourists are usually outnumbered by local elders and youth alike who've all come to celebrate their regal heritage.

An enjoyable (and tasty) way to meet the Ouagalais is at one of the many pastry shops about town. For another dining treat, visit the Silmande Hotel for Sunday brunch and an occasional African fashion show.

The nightlife in Ouaga is good year-round. Be sure to hear some of the great local music. The French cultural center also has regular concerts of African dance and music.

African film buffs shouldn't miss FESPACO, the Pan-African Film Festival, held in late February of odd-numbered years. Luring celebrities and fans from around the globe, this festival—the world's largest African film festival—electrifies Ouagadougou with a carnival-like energy. The party spills out of the crowded cinemas into the streets in the form of dances, food festivals and general hilarity. The streets become pedestrian malls, where the shopping is fantastic—everything from Nigerian leather bags and Tuareg silver to handmade cloth dolls from Benin and traditional clothing from Ghana (http://www.fespaco.bf).

When FESPACO is still a year away, Ouagadougou's SIAO, the largest African arts-and-crafts show on the continent, brings another wave of celebrants into the city. With an influx of 300 African artisans and more than 100,000 visitors, the modest city is again turned into a giant festival of food, fashion, music, dance, theater, art and fun.

Koudougou, 60 mi/98 km to the west of Ouaga, is the third- or fourth-largest city in Burkina Faso (depending on how the population is counted) and has an excellent market and several good cinemas and discos. The "Nuits Atypiques de Koudougou" is an annual festival of music and dance. Just a few hours' drive outside of Ouagadougou, the ethnographic museum in Manega (masks, ancestral fetishes, traditional tombstones and other sacred and decorative objects) offers a good introduction to the culture and religion of several of Burkina's ethnic groups (http://www.musee-manega.bf).

A day trip can be taken to Sacred Crocodile Lake in Sabou to see the crocs, or to the granite stone sculptures at Laongo.

Ouahigouya (pronounced wah-hee-GHOO-yah) is the center of Yatenga, the last established Mossi kingdom. The king's palace, though not as elaborate as others, is still worth a visit, particularly when traditional ceremonies are being held. Nearby are Tibou, one of the country's largest cattle markets, and Ramatoulaye, which has a picturesque mosque that women are allowed to enter (unusual for the region). Just north, near the village of Koumbri, there's a fascinating underground river bubbling out of a rocky escarpment. The adventurous can head northeast (overland) toward Djibo through distinctive Kurumba farming villages to the pastoral Fulani regions of the Sahel of northern Burkina Faso. Two or three days could easily be spent driving around the area (a four-wheel-drive vehicle is an absolute must). Ouahigouya is 110 mi/175 km northwest of Ouagadougou.

Parc National du W, shared with Benin and Niger, is adjacent to Arli to the northeast. It has lions, buffalo, elephants, hippos, monkeys, warthogs, birds and a variety of antelope, although sightings of these animals are rather rare, particularly during the rainy season. November-March you can stay overnight in air-conditioned rooms or campements (hotels of round, thatch-roofed huts with electricity and running water)—advance reservations are required for both. 330 mi/530 km east of Ouagadougou.

If time doesn't permit a trip to one of the two eastern parks, see Parc National de Kabore Tembi, home to antelope, monkeys and crocodiles. Much of the wildlife seems to have migrated, however, so many visitors prefer the Nazinga Reserve nearby, a small game ranch, where you are more likely to see elephants, as well as antelopes, warthogs and baboons. The ranch is near the village of Po, a two-hour drive south of Ouagadougou. Also near Po are Tiakane and Tiebele, where you can see the beautifully painted traditional houses of the Gourounsi people. 100 mi/160 km south of Ouagadougou.

This northern area of the country is really the fringe of the Sahara Desert. Geographically, it's unusual—sand dunes and marshlands appear right across the road from each other in the Oursi and Gorom-Gorom area. Culturally, it is strikingly different from the rest of the country, with its unique and colorful mix of Sahelian peoples and lifestyles. Occasional Tuareg nomads and their camels can be seen by the road, passing by the igloo-shaped mat huts of the Fulani cattle herders. Fulani women may be seen walking along with two or three giant half-gourds (filled with milk) stacked on top of their heads and their hair worn in long braids around the ears, with silver coins, jewelry and other adornments strung into it. These and other Sahelian peoples, such the Bella and Songhai, come together in a fascinating mix at Gorom-Gorom's Thursday market. In Markoye, too, there's a weekly camel and cattle market: Surprisingly enough, the camels have a certain beauty to them—these one-hump camels are taller and more graceful than the more familiar two-hump variety. On the way to Gorom-Gorom from Ouagadougou, you may want to stop off at the village of Bani, with its intriguing collection of mud-brick mosques, built by an unusual local Islamic sect.