©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Guinea-Bissau% 245 / POP 1.7 MILLION

Includes  Why Go? Bissau...... 357 Like a microcosm of Africa, this tiny nation contains multi- Arquipélago tudes – of landscapes, peoples, cultures and plant and ani- dos Bijagós...... 360 mal life. All of it within reach of the capital, Bissau. Faded Ilha de ...... 361 colonial-era houses sag, from tropical decay and the weight Quinhámel...... 362 of history. Decades of Portuguese colonisation were followed by a long painful liberation struggle and then cycles of civil Parc Natural das Lagoas de Cufada...... 362 war and political chaos. Despite hardships and poverty, Bissau-Guineans per- Parque Nacional severe. The jokes, like the music, are loud but tender. The de Cantanhez...... 363 bowls of grilled oysters are served with a sauce spicy enough Understand to give a kick, but not so strong as to mask the bitterness. Guinea-Bissau...... 363 The jewel in the country’s crown is the labyrinth of Survival Guide...... 365 tropical islands that make up the Arquipélago dos Bijagós. Long white-sand beaches are lapped by waters brimming with fish. Hippos, monkeys, chimps and buffaloes thrive in protected reserves and hundreds of bird species call its vast Best Places mangroves and wetlands home. to Eat ¨¨Oysters on Quinhámel beach (p362) When to Go Bissau ¨¨O Bistro (p358) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm ¨¨Afrikan Ecolodge 40/104 20/500

Angurman (p361) 16/400 30/86 12/300 20/68 8/200 Best Places 10/50 to Sleep 4/100 0/32 0 ¨¨Ponta Anchaca (p362) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Afrikan Ecolodge Angurman (p361) Dec–Feb The Mar–Jul Hot, Jul–Oct The rainy coolest, driest humid and sweaty; season. ¨ ¨Ecocantanhez (p363) months, when sea travel with plenty ¨¨Ledger Plaza Bissau turtles emerge of water and (p357) from their nests. sunscreen. ¨¨Africa Princess (p360) 357 Guinea-Bissau BSightsissau

------$$ 40 km Kandika

HOTEL HOTEL CARNIVAL Av Com

20 miles

iver R Burunduma GUINEA Pitche Pirada r from CFA60,000; r from Boké Ché-Ché

Boé Canjadude 0 0 River

Gabú

Corubal

Kogon (p362) Quinhámel www.laicohotels.com; (p360)

iver R Saltinho

Waterfall

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

Bafatá a b

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 ’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. (p363 Cantanhez elephant and chimpanzee, 4 5 (p361 Ilhas de Orango as with hippos eyes Locking warm the from emerge they lagoons. saltwater de Maio Highlights Ilha de Ilha Prabis Ingore Rubane 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

Uno mance IIha de

a Keré s

a Ilha de Bignona C Calequisse Cacheu (cnr Avs Francisco Mendes & do Brazil) Mendes Francisco Avs (cnr

IIha de Unhocomo IIha de Varela Ilha de Bubaque (p362) Ilha de Rubane (p357 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 ) Experiencing village village (p360) Experiencing your from walk a short life, island getaway. Relaxing amid world-class amid world-class Relaxing and natural facilities splendour. Tangoing in cobbled streets streets in cobbled Tangoing a dinner after candlelight, by 3 2 1 dos

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,