Burkina Faso Tourism

Cour Royale de Tiébélé is the complex that serves as the official residence to the community chief. Architecture within the complex reflects the building traditions and designs of Kassena people. The shape of huts and painting vary according to living status for example single people live in square huts while couples occupy rectangular ones, children however, inhabit eight shaped huts along with their grandparents.

These are two rock shelters where you will find abstract rock paintings.

The staple food of Burkina Faso include millet, rice, maize, nuts, potatoes and yams, these are normally served with vegetable, fish or meat sauce. Chicken dishes are favourite to Burkinabé and one of their most popular dish is pouletkedjenou which is a slowly cooked chicken made along with peppers and tomatoes. With the hot days of the country, the milk spoils fairly quick and so yogurt and sour milk also form a part of regular diet. Gapalo-sour milk with millet grains is a popular drink consumed straight from the bowl.

The local home brewed millet beer is mostly enjoyed by burkinabé men. This drink is allowed to ferment overnight however, the fermentation continues through the heat of the day making the drink stronger and less sweet.

If one is up for food experimentation then they can easily walk into one of the many restaurants, tasting everything from local dishes to fusion to continental. However, if one wishes to walk safe the top picks are:

MaquisAbbousouan- it is the place to go if one wishes to try out Burkinabé staples. A charmingly simple restaurant, it offers both indoor and outdoor seating and appears completely different if one makes a night time visit. Though at night the mosquitoes can be vicious but dining under the starry sky is an unmatched experience.

Nightlife for Burkina Faso is limited as there are not too many clubs or bars. However, the few that operate are more than sufficient to keep the night from going waste.

Zaka- famous for its live bands, that start to play every night at eight and go deep into the night. It also acts as a peaceful watering hole by day.

De Niro is a popular jazz bar with original décor and super friendly service.

Bar k- it is well known for its vast terrace wherein one can sit under the stars order a drink and enjoy the music and a nice breeze.

Grand Marché the centralized market located in BoboDioulasso is the place to go to get an experience of a typical African market. Everything from fruits, vegetables to African cotton prints to drums and masks can be found here among the many narrow and labyrinthine lanes. One can also find reasonably priced tailors here who can custom make an African dress within an hour.

Gafreh is the top pick when shopping for fashion and accessories. An initiative by Women’s Cooperative it recycles black sachets into handbags, wallets and other accessories.

Burkina Faso offers various adventure activities in the form of hiking, trekking and water sports. The sites facilitating such activities are:

• Nahouri Peak is the tallest structure for miles and though the climb is steep, a 360 degree uninterrupted view is offered to those who make their way to peak.
• La Guinguette has an underground water source that gushes out year round feeding a river. It also provides safe drinking water to neighbouring villages.
• Association Djiguiya.

This is one of the most beautiful mosques of Burkina Faso. It is large and ornated in Sudano-Sahelian style. While you are vacationing in Burkina Faso, you should not miss out on this captivating monument.

You must not miss out this grand mosque at any cost. The Bobo-Dioulasso Old Mosque is considered as the largest instance of Sudano-Sahelian architecture in the country. While some say it was built in the year 1880, other says that it was built in 1893. It was constructed as a result of deal between a political leader and an Islamic leader.

Musée Communal SogossiraSanon is the best place to explore local culture, art, architecture as well as history of Burkina Faso. Although it is a very small museum, it still manages to hold full scale examples of traditional buildings.  With the wide range of masks, statues and traditional dresses it is more than efficient in portraying the colours or Burkina Faso.

While most museums are capable of displaying the local culture but nothing can match the exposure received from music. Musée de la Musique is one such place, it known as the place where “Burkinabé live and breathe music”, it offers a splendid introduction to local culture.

Manega Museum-This museum has African mysteries which include artifacts of tools of sorcerers, unknown cultures, etc.

Reserve de Nazinga’ well known for elephants, which are seen all year round, along with monkeys, antelopes, crocodiles and a variety of birds keeps Burkina Faso in power with rest of Africa.

Karfiguéla waterfall- It is a display of permanent waterfalls which are accompanied by swimming ponds. The best time to visit the falls is right after mosoon however one must be prepared for difficult and murky path, as the heavy rains make the tracks almost inaccessible.

Cour Royale de Tiébélé is the complex that serves as the official residence to the community chief. Architecture within the complex reflects the building traditions and designs of Kassena people. The shape of huts and painting vary according to living status for example single people live in square huts while couples occupy rectangular ones, children however, inhabit eight shaped huts along with their grandparents.