What should I do to prepare to a trip to Guinea-Bissau

Many of us travel to Africa for first time without knowing what to expect, how to behave and how to avoid any dangerous situations. 

When I was traveling to Guinea-Bissau I had some work colleagues giving me tips (do's and don'ts) about the country that made my adaptation easier to the reality.

In this post I will share what I've learned about traveling to Guinea-Bissau and the tips and tricks I was taught and experienced myself. 

There are 4 main topics I would say someone traveling to the country needs to prepare for: 

1) appropriate clothes

2) Hygiene cares

3) Health & Medication

4) Practical advice

1. Appropriate clothes

The average of maximum temperatures are around ºC 35 (95 Fahrenheit) and average minimums are ºC 19 (66 Fahrenheit). 

Regardless of the averages you an find on google, easily, the temperatures reach 40 ºC (104 Fahrenheit) during the day and I've experienced the temperatures not going below 30 ºC (86 Fahrenheit) at around midnight. So, a very warm country.

July, August and September are the rainy months, but the temperatures will still be high.

So, there is no need for a cozy sweater or a jacket. You will not be able to wear it.

You may, however, want to bring a jacket if you have any important business meeting, but you will be the sharpest dressed person in the room - Probably wear one if you meeting the president. 

Other then meeting the president, I've not seen one person wearing an entire suit in the country. It's just to hot for that.

In general, people's style is very relaxed and you can easily overdress and draw attention to yourself.

You'll see people wearing mostly traditional African outfits (both men and women) or shorts with t-shirts or polos. All in very vivid colors and light fabrics.

Business casual style with some chino's and a button-down shirt for men and trousers with a blouse for women is more than appropriate for work.

For tourism and walking around, I believe the most appropriate outfit is linen trousers and polos or some shorts with t-shirts. You'll fit in nicely like this.

For walking around town just wear comfortable shoes, but sandals will not be out of place, specially if they are made of brown leather.

One important advice is to opt for bright colors, like white, which help reduce the body temperature. Seriously, it was in Guinea where I discovered that this tip actually works!

Dark colors make you sweat even more.

If you can pick t-shirts or polos in poliester fabrics, this will make all the difference. Sweating is very common because of the heat, so these eliminate sweat really well.

In rainy months, it is important to pay specially attention and wear more long sleeved shirts (like button-down shirts for example).

This is specially important because there isn't an appropriate sewage system that eliminates rain water, which means that there will be puddles everywhere and, as consequence, mosquitos.

Since there is Malaria and similar diseases in the country, wearing long sleeved clothes in rainy months is especially important.

It is important to pick fabrics that are light, allow the air to go through, and eliminate sweat well. If you pick proper fabrics, like linen, you won't even notice you have your sleeves down and you'll be safe for mosquito bites.

You should also try to have your feet covered. Wear some light sneakers or something else that is comfortable, breathable, but closed.

I used all these tips and I never felt overdressed nor was I bitten by mosquitos.

2. Hygiene cares

The sanitary system in Guinea-Bissau is not the same as in Europe or in the USA. Sewage systems are not present in many homes and when they are prsent, the waters that come out of it are not filtered nor treated.

This means that contaminated waters from sewers are not properly disposed and reach water fountains and the sea. So, whatever involves water poses a significant health risk that may cause a serious infection.

The main tip on this is to avoid drinking unfiltered water or eat anything that may have been washed with tap water.

This means that you should not drink tap water nor put any ice in your beverages, and avoid salads and fruits that may have been washed - you will never be sure if the food was washed with contaminated water, so it's better to avoid them entirely.

Also, always wash your teeth with bottled water. You can buy one at a local supermarket or in a restaurant and use it for several days.

As for the food, there are some things we should avoid, like uncooked food or dishes made with eggs, since we don't know how if the eggs were kept properly.

I went to a restaurant where they served sushi. It could be the best sushi in the world, but I would not risk eating sushi in Guinea-Bissau. I could never be sure the fish was fresh, and that it was properly kept in freezers during it's trip to my plate...

So, top tip is, only eat properly cooked food. 

And there are some excellent local dishes which are well done and you can try. Just ask around for recommend restaurants or check the scarce online reviews for them. 

Check out my post on my favorite Guinean dishes and restaurants here.

Aside from food, the general tip of washing your hands properly before you eat and after you touch anything is very important. You can avoid getting sick just by taking this simple action.

3. Health & Medication

 

3.1 Visit the doctor

First and foremost you should schedule an appointment with a doctor specialized in tropical illnesses. 

This doctor will provide you all the necessary details to travel safely to Guinea-Bissau.

Also, it is important to determine whether you need to take any vaccines before you travel.

One of the most important aspects to clarify with a doctor is how to deal with the risk of malaria.

Malaria is transmitted by mosquito bites, and there are medication that doctors prescribe to reduce impact of symptoms.

 

3.2 Wear mosquito repellent

However, by best advice here is to always wear a good mosquito repellent. Do not to forget to take it with you and put it regularly.

Reducing the risk of mosquito bites is also reducing the risk of Malaria and other illnesses.

Let's not forget that our immune system is not used to dealing with local illnesses.

 

3.3 Have medicine for diarrhea

So it is every important to have this conversation with the doctor and have a specific medicine to deal with diarrhea so that you can avoid a more serious infection.

If you catch it, however, aside from medication you can do simple things like eating rice with grilled steak, drink a lot of Coca-Colas, and drink a lot of water.

 

3.4 Wear sunscreen

Another very important tip is to bring your sun screen with you and put it on regularly if you're outside.

The temperatures are very high and having a sun burn is something you'd like to avoid. The heat will always make you feel that your skin is still burning.

 

3.5 Bring Paracetamol

You're in Africa, (probably) for the first time, so your body is not used to local viruses and bacteria.

Also, you'll be going in and out of buildings with air conditioning, which means that you can go from 40 ºC (104 Fahrenheit) outside, to 22 ºC (72 Fahrenheit) inside in a matter of minutes.

This is the perfect combination to get a cold.

That is when Paracetamol comes in hand. It will help you recover quicker.

4. Practical advice

 

There are a few minor tips which can be good practical advice that you may not have thought of initially.

 

4.1 Local currency is Franc CFA

The Local currency is Franc CFA, mostly know as XOF, and shops in general will not accept any currency other than XOF.

You won't find currency exchange companies or banks in every corner, so it's better to be prepared.

Try to exchange money to XOF before you go, but if it's not possible, you can exchange it at the airport.

If by any reason you can't exchange it before or at the airport, hotels are usually very helpful and exchange other currencies for you (especially euros and US dollars), obviously you will pay a little extra, but that is part of the game.

4.2 Do not take pictures of people that haven't authorized it

No one likes to have photos taken from a stranger in the street, but in Guinea-Bissau, they particularly dislike this.

If you take a picture far away and they don't notice it, that's fine, but do not take pictures directly to anyone.

If you are a people photographer, just engage in conversation and ask if you can take a picture and explain the reason why you'd like to do so.

4.3 Buy a local sim card for your mobile phone

Usually, buying a local sim card to make calls is much cheaper that calling from or own phone and paying a lot of roaming fees.

You can even have a pay-as-you-go data plan which works well.

Let me advise, however, that there are still many areas in the country without cell phone network (not in main cities)

4.4 Internet works well

This was a surprise to me.

I was expecting to have a lousy internet connection and having to call home regularly over the standard cell-phone network. It was not the case.

I got internet in every office I worked at and in the hotels.

The internet was very fast and very rarely dropped connection, even when on video calls.

4.5 Electricity drops regularly

Electricity is a problem in Guinea-Bissau.

There were regular power outages when I visited the country.

Hotels, local offices and more important restaurants, all had their own generators. But be prepared to have a few seconds between the power outage and the generator kicking-in.

4.6 Driving is complicated when it rains

 

Even in bigger cities like the capital Bissau, there are many roads that have  sand or clay.

So, when it rains roads get soaked and there is a LOT of mud, making it very difficult to circulate.

Which is one of the reason why people tend to have SUVs...

However, you won't need to bring a tent with you and sleep kilometers away from your hotel. 

You'll be able to drive back and get there safely, it will just take longer and will be more confusing.

 

Conclusion

Guinea-Bissau is in general a safe country that has had a lot of political instability over the years and that is all the makes the news headlines. 

However, I never felt unsafe in the country and I did walk around at night, especially in the capital Bissau.

If you behave adequately towards locals and, obviously, avoid unsafe areas (which there are in any country...), you'll be fine.

 

My main 7 tips to preparing a trip to Guinea-Bissau are the following:

1. The most appropriate outfit is linen trousers and polos (fancier) or t-shirts and some shorts (tourism). You'll fit in nicely like this.

2. Wear long sleeved clothes in rainy months is especially important to avoid mosquitos bites and illnesses such as malaria.

3. Always wear a good mosquito repellent.

4. Schedule an appointment with a doctor specialized in tropical illnesses.

5. Wear sun screen. 

6. Bring Paracetamol.

7. The Local currency is Franc CFA, mostly know as XOF, and shops in general will not accept any currency other than XOF.