"Burkina Faso - The Land Of Honest People" Burkina Faso by NEILHALLIDYA

Burkina Faso Travel Guide: 333 reviews and 1,422 photos

Young lady from the Mossi tribe

Burkina Faso is a small land locked country in West Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world with few natural resources.

Formally called Upper Volta the country regained its independence from France in 1960 and was renamed in 1984. French is still a primary language in the main towns. There is, also, a signficant Muslim presence in the country and most towns and villages have a mosque.

It is one of those places that is "seldom seen" as tourists and travellers pass over seeking the coast line, and tropics, to the south, of Ghana or the Sahara dunes of Mali and Mauritius to the North.

However, I found the country interesting and enjoyed my time there. Its principal asset is its people. The colourful Burkinabe who remain resourceful and cheerful in dry and arid conditions.

As with many West African countries look out for the colourful colours, some wonderfull music and interesting local crafts. There are some excellent craft markets in the capital Ougadougou featuring local crafts and, notably, crafts that the like of the Tuarags have brought from the Southern Sahara.

There are some excellent bars and night clubs in the exotically named capital, Ougadougou.

Some big game, crocodiles for example, can be found in the country to add a bit of interest but not to the extent of other African countries.

Pensive Bukinabe lady

I work in the UK in the Water Industry and was visiting Burkina Faso, not as a tourist, but to observe the work that the Water Aid is carrying out in the country. The two main issues in the country are the absence of water and soil erosion.

An account of my trip can be found on:-

Water Aid Burkina Faso 2006

Further information about Water Aid can be found on:-

Water Aid Official Web site

Pros and Cons

Pros:People and nightlife in the capital
Cons:Very dry.
In a nutshell:Friendly people........in adversity

Intro Updated Apr 8, 2006
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Reviews (6)

The musics getting started. - Burkina Faso

Rural Dancing Things to Do (4)

The people of Burkina Faso are generally very hospitable. If you visit a Rural community you may be treated to the local... more travel advice

Child drinking dirty water - Water Aid photo - Burkina Faso

Water What to Pack (1)

Water is a very scarce resource in most of Burkina Faso. Try to take sufficient bottled water if you are going on long... more travel advice

Rural Life Off The Beaten Path (1)

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Visit Rock scultures Things to Do (4)

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Travelogues (4)

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Comments (7)

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DAO Apr 13, 2012 at 3:22 PM

Amazing photos. I was there last week, but never left Ouagadougou.
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mvtouring Feb 12, 2007 at 10:00 PM

Fascinating country. Lovely tips and photos ;-)
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Cristian_Uluru Oct 22, 2006 at 1:17 PM

Very interesting page!
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cheesecake17 Apr 26, 2006 at 11:02 PM

Its so true ...little things do built up to big thing...the page looking good..congratulations.....those women wake early to get water so far... and they say "women are the weak sex"..:).
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tiganeasca Apr 22, 2006 at 5:54 AM

Thanks for steering me here. A touching and moving page. Some great pics. Your page and comments are a wonderful reminder of things we need to remember, and somehow rarely manage to. Thanks for sharing the impressions and more so for creating the page.
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XenoHumph Apr 18, 2006 at 1:31 PM

Great page... and great photos too! I am sponsering a girl from Burkina-Faso so your page was very interesting to me! Thanks!
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spitball Apr 9, 2006 at 10:14 PM

Hi Neil, a few years back, a friend of mine lived and worked in Burkina Faso, and he said "don't talk to me about poverty, people here don't know what that is." it sounds like a country in real need.