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Guinea-% 245 / POP 1.7 MILLION

Includes  Why Go? Bissau...... 233 Like a microcosm of Africa, this tiny nation contains multi- Arquipélago tudes – of landscapes, peoples, cultures and plant and ani- dos Bijagós...... 236 mal life. All of it within reach of the capital, Bissau. Faded Ilha de ...... 236 colonial-era houses sag, from tropical decay and the weight Ilha de ...... 237 of history. Decades of Portuguese colonisation were followed by a long painful liberation struggle and then cycles of civil Quinhámel...... 238 war and political chaos. Parc Natural das Despite hardships and poverty, Bissau-Guineans per- Lagoas de Cufada...... 238 severe. The jokes, like the music, are loud but tender. The Parque Nacional bowls of grilled oysters are served with a sauce spicy enough de Cantanhez...... 239 to give a kick, but not so strong as to mask the bitterness. The jewel in the country’s crown is the labyrinth of tropical islands that make up the Arquipélago dos Bijagós. Long white-sand beaches are lapped by waters brimming Best Places with fish. Hippos, monkeys, chimps and buffaloes thrive in protected reserves and hundreds of bird species call its vast to Eat mangroves and wetlands home. ¨¨Oysters on Quinhámel beach (p238) ¨¨O Bistro (p234) When to Go ¨¨Afrikan Ecolodge Bissau Angurman (p237) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 20/500

16/400 30/86 Best Places 12/300 20/68 to Sleep 8/200 ¨¨Ponta Anchaca (p238) 10/50 4/100 ¨¨Afrikan Ecolodge 0/32 0 Angurman (p237) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Ecocantanhez (p239) Dec–Feb The Mar–Jul Hot, Jul–Oct The rainy ¨¨Ledger Plaza Bissau coolest, driest humid and sweaty; season. (p233) months, when sea travel with plenty ¨¨Africa Princess (p234) turtles emerge of water and from their nests. sunscreen. 233 Guinea-Bissau BSiigsshtaus

------$$ 40 km Kandika HOTEL HOTEL CARNIVAL Av Com 20 miles

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buffalo trails through dense dense through trails buffalo forests. Dipping oysters in hot lime in hot Dipping oysters in the a day after sauce water. itting on the steps of the of on the steps Sitting with hall, town abandoned crumbling Greek-style its pillars. 6 7

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Mampatá Salikénié Gê Bissau’s most luxurious hotel, the Bissau’s Bambadinca ) Sanconha Kolda Quebo Forèa ) Gêba Xitole Festivals & Events Cacine Jemberém Sleeping

de Cufada das Lagoas Mampatá Bissau Plaza Ledger 245 955 577007; 245 Parque Natural ) Following ) Following Buba % Farim ( da Pátría; Liberdade batentes aiWs com nesspeople and the small expatriate on primarily – the latter congregate munity try’s hopes for order and democracy. hopes try’s z Carnaval are the coun Carnaval Bissau and Bubaque’s biggest place every parties.try’s takes It year during the week or early March in February and the be leading up to Ash Wednesday masks, drinking andginning of Lent. Music, dancing are the order of the day. 4 o are architecturalare expressions coun the of Ledger by its former (known to taxi drivers is where politicians, busi Hotel) name Lybia and red wine and red Ilha de João Vieira Mansôa

- - - Empada Catió São João Bissora Enxudé Bigene Sédhiou de Cantanhez Parque Nacional Joalande BISSAU Parque Nacional das Parque Parque Nacional de Parque Bolama Bula Bolama IIha de Barro São Vicente Ilha de Canhabaque of salty bacalau salty of in the capital. (p239 Cantanhez elephant and chimpanzee, 4 5 Locking eyes with hippos as with hippos eyes Locking warm the from emerge they lagoons. saltwater (p237 Ilhas de Orango de Maio Highlights ) Ilha de Ilha Prabis Ingore João Vieira e Poilão ) SENEGAL Bubaque Cacheu

Parque Nacional Marinho River Canchungo (Praça dos Heróis Nacion Heróis dos (Praça Ilha de

São Domingos Ziguinchor IIha de Assembleia Ministério Bubaque . The rebuilt neoclassical IIha de Orango Quinhámel

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IIha de ) Experiencing village village ) Experiencing Unhocomo IIha de Varela (p238 Ilha de Rubane Ilha de Bubaque (p233 Velho Bissau Parque Nacional Parque Natural Parque dos Tarrafes de Sights Reserva da O C E A N das Ilhas de Orango Cap

rquipélago and brushed-up Guinea-Bissau (p236 your from walk a short life, island getaway. Tangoing in cobbled streets streets in cobbled Tangoing a dinner after candlelight, by 3 2 1

dos amid world-class Relaxing and natural facilities splendour.

A 20,21 / POP492,000 Bolama Bijagós A T L A N T I C Skirring

Biosfera Arquipélago Bijagós BISSAU da Justiçada Fortaleza d’Amura 1 a stretch alleyways of narrow Velho, Bissau and derelict buildings, is ‘guarded’ by the ing capital. In the early evening, the fadinging capital. In sunlight lends the crumbling colonial fa a touch (Old Bissau) cades of Bissau Velho Generators set parts of of nostalgic glamour. although, street night, the town trembling at lights or not, people get out of their homes bars. ramshackle at and gather presidentialpalace ais) % Built on a low-lying estuary where the Gêba apart flows into the Atlantic, River from the unassum Bissau is a low-key, hectic traffic,