What Is It Really Like To Travel WEST AFRICA Solo? (No Car)

Posted on December 3, 2019December 11, 2019 by dev

Many travelers will tell you West Africa is the toughest part of the World to travel solo. I traveled West Africa solo over several months, just me and my back-pack, no own car/motorbike and with 0 flights on my trip from Senegal and all the way to Togo. Here’s what it was really like!

Lost 7 kg and reached Togo.. Senegal to Togo, MADE IT!

West Africa Is Forgotten?

On the hunt for wild chimpanzees in Liberia.. Joined by a corrupt police officer

Traveling for the sake of traveling and seeing as much of this kaleidoscope of a world we all live in is about the only reason most of us ever need to travel. Variation is always the inspiration for me. It’s amazing how different (and of course similar) life is across the globe. It’s a great feeling to know this first hand and at least get a foot on each of the World’s major regions. With this in mind, West Africa with all its mystic, alluring place names and sense of adventure is somewhere ignored… or perhaps just tucked away in a corner, way off any round-the-world ticket and just waiting to be explored.

Dangers of West Africa?

In a small village with wild crocodiles in Burkina Faso

For most English speaking travelers it’s way down the list. Let’s be fair, it’s hot, on the whole comparably expensive (flights, visas) and with few noteworthy attractions. What you’ll read about West Africa – the crime, malaria, disease, conflicts, poverty, corruption and lack of infrastructure – might also worry you to a certain extent. Having noted all this, many are still very much attracted to the region and what they imagine will be a lot of virgin ground, few travelers and many of those friendly African smiles you’ll encounter. For me traveling West Africa solo has been one of the greatest adventure travels ever!

Lots of Challenges On The Way

Traveling West Africa solo with no car over a long period of time will bring you a lot of challenges. Cars will most certainly break down, there’s always complications of getting around, basic facilities, lack of tourist infrastructure, etc., and from a budget independent travel perspective is on the whole not fun, not easy, not cheap and certainly no picnic. But.. Traveling West Africa has been one of my favorite travels this year. I have been to more than 130 countries in total, and this year I have visit +40 countries (new and old ones,) but West Africa stands out as something really special to me. Maybe because it was the most challenging trip, where I also lost 7kg, but also because of many other things. This trip was memorable!

Most Scary Incidents of My Life

With a Police Officer from Mali, the day after a terrorist attack where 140 people were killed 30 km away from me

I will honestly never forget this West Africa trip, both for the good and for the bad. A big terrorist attack in Mali, a near-death experience (read the story here!) and getting caught in the middle of shootings and explosions in Liberia (read here!,) but I will also remember West Africa for so much good stuff.

So Cool – No Tourists Around?!

Kambadaga Falls in the middle of Guinea.. One of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen!

Tell me one other region in the World, where you’ll hardly meet any other tourists? There are very few people traveling in West Africa. Not a great place to go if you want to meet other people, but if you want the most unique adventures, it’s a perfect place to go. Like being the only tourist at the Kambadaga Falls, after riding a motorbike for hours through some very difficult jungle terrain with terrible roads. So rewarding!

The Hardest Area In The World To Travel?

Stunning views over Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone

Let me be honest with you, West Africa is the hardest area I’ve traveled in. I still remember crossing from Guinea-Bissau to Guinea after a bumpy ride through the jungle on a tree platform in the middle of nowhere during the night. The story is here: The Scariest Border Crossing From Guinea Bissau To Guinea

Closing in on Mali.. Always two guys on 1 seat in West Africa

It didn’t make it much easier to not have my own car, but having to jump on trucks, shared cars, mini busses etc. I loved the adventure in that and getting to live 100% like a local West African-citizen, but to be fair you’re packed in like no where else. I remember we sat 2 guys and a kid on the front seat next to the driver when crossing into Mali, and I had the shift in between my legs, so the driver had his hand in between my legs most of the ride and it was so painful with so little space. My back hurt! In West Africa the car/bus leave when it’s FULL, not one minute before.. And you can always squeeze in one extra person!

Some places the roads are good, some places the roads are bad and some places the roads are non-existent.

What Is Good To Know In West Africa?

Only person at Banfora Cascades Waterfalls in Burkina Faso

1: French Speakers

Remember they speak French in most of the West African countries. I spoke absolutely zero French before coming here, but I taught myself a bit a long the way, because it is very helpful to speak in West Africa. Very few people in the Francophone countries speak English. Now, even with reasonable French, it can be quite hard to get a bottle of water! You can still survive without speaking French (I did,) but I must admit it would’ve been pretty helpful to speak a bit. But again, I learned the necessary on the road as always.

Speaking a bit of French now in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast

2: Avoid Scams – Be Patient

I’m very proud to say I didn’t get scammed in West Africa (on a large scale), first of all because I’ve spent a long time in Africa and I know when to be patient and when to be mad, and I make sure to always know the price before I buy anything, because if there’s no price list it can happen sellers will try to charge you a huge amount of money. I have written a really helpful guide on: How To Avoid 7 Scams In Africa

3: Rip Off

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met so many lovely people in West Africa. But the problem in some countries/areas is that you’ll meet police or people who wants to rip you off. Behind this is the culture of ‘the rich SHOULD give to the poor’. So if you’re asked for 2 dollars for water, it’s not seen as a rip off, just rebalancing the money distribution. If you are on a tight budget you will have to work pretty hard to get the right price on things. I remember taking a photo of a flag pole in Ivory Coast that a local Ivorian guy had just taken seconds before me without any problems. When I took the photo the police yelled “no, no, no!” and took me to the Police Station for 5 hours, where I had to talk to so many different Police Officers.. I kept my patience and explained myself well, and therefore I managed to not pay anything. You’ll most likely meet cops, who are like ‘Devils in Uniform’ who’ll try to rip you off in any way possible, but as long as you’re not scared and keep your cool, you can manage situations like this. It’s a patience game.

I try to always agree a price before I go anywhere! On a motorbike in Togo

4: Bring Cash

There are plenty of working ATMs, but don’t rely on everyone in every town to work. Bring a big amount of cash reserves with you. The CFA currency is used almost everywhere in West Africa and it really cuts down hassle.

No ATM’s here.. On my way to the Kinkon River in Guinea

5: Be Happy And Enjoy

The real West Africa, the music, age old traditions, dances, mystique and big smiles. West Africa is an experience in itself. Go with a positive attitude and don’t let delays or anything destroy your mood. When being in West Africa you just have to go with the flow, and see what the day brings. Be happy and enjoy!

Chilling with a nice family in English-speaking Ghana

Ready To Travel West Africa?

You’re now ready to travel West Africa. To be fair, it’s an adventure of a life-time and I honestly hope I’m able to do it again one day, because I made some memories I’ll never forget on this trip, both good and bad, but I still get a big smile on my face when I think about how raw and cool it was to travel West Africa solo.

Gustav

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How To Avoid The 7 Most Common Travel Scams (Africa)

Posted on June 17, 2019June 28, 2019 by dev

You can get scammed anywhere in the World, not only in Africa for sure. These 7 Advices on How To Avoid Travel Scams are great to keep in mind, no matter where you go. Stay safe out there!

Travel Scams Happen To Anyone?

I’ve traveled a lot over the last 7 years, and to be fair a proper travel scam can hit us all, experienced traveler or not. But for me it has become more rare now that it happens and on a much smaller scale, than in the beginning when I started traveling, because I stick to these 7 rules on how to avoid travel scams.

Pretending to be interested in buying carpets in Tunis, Tunisia 2017

Why Scams In Africa And Not Another Place?

After having spent a big part of my adulthood in Africa, this article is mainly about how to avoid some of the 7 most common travel scams in Africa, but similar scams scan be found in any other continent. So if you go Europe, North America, South America, Latin America, Australia or wherever, you can still use these tips, so you don’t get caught off guard so easily, even though a travel scam can happen for us all.

When I started to travel around Africa many years ago I was often blind folded and trusted wrong people too much, which can be an expensive mistake here. I’ve seen famous Travel Vloggers in Africa pay $300 for a simple 1 hour boat trip in Zanzibar. SCAM! I paid $5 for a half day boat trip, swimming with wild dolphins in Zanzibar, because I went to a local fisherman there and asked him instead. It’s easy for tourists to fall in ‘the tourist trap’, especially if you’re new to traveling around Africa. After the boat trip the fisherman and I became friends and enjoyed some fish together. You have to know your psychology in Africa and quickly find out, which people are genuine and which people have hidden interests with you.

Swimming with turtles in Nungwi, Zanzibar, Tanzania

7 Most Common Travel Scams In 2019 (Africa)

1: Broken Taxi Meter

Cab drivers near airports or train stations are known to pull this scam, but it can happen in any place. When you get into a taxi and start to drive, the driver will inform you, (or not inform you,) that the meter is broken and charge you a ridiculous price (to the tune of 100s of dollars if you’re not careful).

My Experience:

This is a pretty common scam in some African countries. I’ve probably had 10 different taxi drivers try to pull this scam on me around the world and half of them were when traveling in Africa.

How To Avoid It:

I usually agree the price before I get in the taxi, but if there’s a taxi meter I make sure it looks legit and works as it should. I usually check in the first 30 seconds how the taxi meter goes, and if it’s looks wrong, I quickly get out of the taxi. Negotiate rates ahead of time, or ensure the meter is in fact working. If the taxi driver refuses to turn on the meter, or tells you it’s cheaper without the meter, get out and opt for another driver. Not all cab drivers are scammers, but I honestly prefer to avoid taxis if possible.

I usually avoid taxis if possible. Here around Bamako, Mali with a much more fun option!

2: Fake Police Officers

The fake police officer scam is a popular one in many large cities or capitals. Most often, a person will approach a tourist and offer illicit items, like drugs. While conversing one or two other people will approach, appearing to be police officers and flashing “badges.” They will then insist the unknowing traveler hand over their passport and wallet. However, they are not police officers.

My Experience:

I’ve had similar experiences, mostly in Africa and Latin America. In Maputo, Mozambique I had fake police stopping me all the time, to check my bag for ‘cocaine’ and other stuff, usually just wasting my time to try to get money out of me.

How To Avoid It:

Never hand over your wallet or passport. Request they show you their identification and then inform them you will call the police to confirm they are who they say they are. Or tell them your passport is locked up in the hotel safe, and they’ll need to accompany you to your hotel. If they don’t allow this, simply walk away.

In Mozambique I asked for the fake cops identification and couldn’t stop to laugh about their homemade Police ID. Some of the fake police men would follow me around for 15 min and in the end ask me for any kind of tips. Tips for the police? Really.. How come, for what?

A lovely city, but sooo much fake police in Maputo, Mozambique

3: Friendly ATM Helper

Someone approaches at an ATM cash machine to help you avoid local bank fees. What they really want to do is scan your ATM card with the card skimmer in their pocket and watch you enter your pin number, so they can drain your account later.

My Experience:

I never fell for this scam, but a close friend of mine did in South Africa.

One man was the helpful local, the second pretended to be a fellow customer waiting in line who agreed with what the first was saying. When the first guy cancelled my friend’s transaction and told him to try again, he then scanned the password and the other guy quickly took his card, a car quickly pulled up to the side in literally no seconds and off they were, leaving my friend running after them in tears.

How To Avoid It:

Never let anyone near you while you’re making an ATM transaction, and ALWAYS cover the number pad with your other hand while entering your pin code. If someone approaches, take your card and find another ATM. Always have a look over your shoulder to see if anyone is too near to you.

South Africa is beautiful, but can be brutal with scams at certain places!

4: Injured Or Child Beggars

Usually deaf, blind, or pregnant, sometimes accompanied by a “helper”, beggars will ask you for money. Women with babies are common (they might not even be theirs). Children are also frequently used by begging gangs to collect money. Why? Because it’s difficult for most people to say no to the old, injured, or young. Sometimes an accomplice nearby is just watching to see where you keep your wallet, so they can pickpocket you later.

My Experience:

You’ll see this stuff almost everywhere.

How To Avoid It:

It’s practically impossible to distinguish who is legit and who is not, so my policy is to never give cash to street beggars. I’m a very emphatic person and I want to help everyone suffering, but when traveling in Africa or other places in the World, it’s a big mission impossible to help everyone. However I do buy food, water or giveaway old clothes sometimes. Then your money isn’t going to a gang, alcohol or drugs.

Traveling around mountain villages in Congo

5: Gemstone Or Carpet Deals

A local man casually brings up his lucrative side business of buying jewelry, gemstones, watches or carpets then selling them back in the United States (or some other country) for a fat profit. He offers to share how he does it, and shows you where to find the best deal. The only problem is that these products are fake.

My Experience:

This has never happened to me. For me I don’t believe in the stories that: “Jesus had this earring in his ear or washed his body in this towel,” but I can assure you that some people do and pay A LOT OF MONEY for their stupidity, because they’re actually just getting scammed!

How To Avoid It:

Don’t buy expensive luxury items overseas while on vacation, no matter how good the deal is. Remember, if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably a travel scam.

In North African countries like Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia people will try to sell you some really expensive overpriced stuff in some cases!

6: Flirtatious Local Women

You arrive to a new country only to discover that beautiful local women seem to pay much more attention to you than back home. One of them invites you out to a nightclub or bar. However after a wild night, the woman disappears and you’re forced to pay an overpriced bill. Or worse, drugged and robbed.

My Experience:

This hasn’t happened to me. I can usually see what a woman’s intention is quiet easily. If she gives me the wrong signals, I know I need to be aware and in most cases I stop the conversation before it even gets started. There are much better women to surround yourself with than these types!

How To Avoid It:

Be wary of attractive women who are unusually forward or hitting on you aggressively. I know it is every man’s dream to be propositioned by beautiful women, but if it’s not a normal occurrence for you, then it’s probably a scam and you can end up paying big time for it!

Out clubbing! With an ex-gang member from Mozambique, who came out on the right side and is now employed in my Mozambican friend’s Henry’s company

7: Fake Bus/Train/Plane Tickets

Someone offers to sell you train tickets at a discount, or avoid the line and pay a slightly higher price. Maybe a taxi driver offers to bring you to his friend who’s a local travel agent. However the tickets they are selling aren’t real, and by the time you figure it out, the scammers are gone with your money.

My Experience:

One time when entering Gibraltar a man started to scratch my rental car in the front window and asked for 20 euros for the ticket. I was very confused on what happened, and I was just about to give him the money, when I realized he looked drunk and it was a scam, so I drove away. Ticket scam! Also I bought a fake bus ticket in Zambia for a long drive, but the bus driver was nice to me and let me in the bus anyways! Top guy!

How To Avoid It:

Always buy transportation tickets from the official ticket office or website.

After a nice game of football in a little village in Zambia, where I had a ticket scam right before!

Conclusion

Try to stay avoid these 7 scams, and you’ll enjoy Africa a lot more and it will be relatively cheap. If you do something over the top extraordinary when traveling in Africa, it’s obviously pricey!

1: Climbing Africa’s Highest Mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro

Climbing Kilimanjaro isn’t cheap, but it’s one of the absolute best thing you can do!

2: Paying the gorilla permit to see the mountain gorillas in the rain forest in Bwindi National Park, Uganda

Will never forget my time with the wild mountain gorillas in Uganda in 2015

3: Safaris can be a bit expensive also, but worth it!

But sometimes even for a safari in Africa you can pay very little…

Walking around wild rhinos for free in Zimbabwe, 2013

Africa is cheap (just avoid the scams)

I hear many people saying Africa is so expensive to travel, and yes, it is more expensive than South East Asia, but in most cases what adds up the expenses are the scams. Visas and accommodation can cost you a bit, but public transport, food and a lot of other stuff are in most African countries extremely cheap.

Eating local Kenyan food with my buddy John Kennedy in Nairobi, Kenya 2016

Remember’s

Remember to question everything and make sure you know the price before you’re getting a taxi, a new haircut or buying food. I usually confirm the price on the calculator on my phone to avoid misunderstandings. I had a taxi driver wanting to scam me in Senegal recently by putting an extra 0 on the price, but I already had confirmed the price with the taxa guy on the calculator before we went. In that way I had no problem rejecting his new price. Also remember to have TOTALLY ORDER in your passport, documents, stamps, vaccinations etc., a small mistake in any of these will be super expensive at a corrupt police check-point. Last but not least, don’t wear expensive clothes or jewelry when traveling in Africa, in this way you invite scammers to come to you straight away. I usually wear basic shorts, a normal t-shirt and a dirty cap, when I’m in crowded markets or places to avoid getting too much bad attention.

Africa is the continent where everything is possible, so remember to check out your options before you do something. And remember to try to avoid these 7 Most Common Travel Scams, it’ll help you!

With the National Team of Swaziland in the ‘new country,’ Eswatini 2018

Travel Scammers Suck!

The truth is that no matter how prepared you think you are, you’ll eventually fall for some sort of travel scam. But don’t let this deter you from traveling the world. Think of it as a rite of passage.

Sure, it’s embarrassing to be tricked out of your money, but there are always worse things that could happen. It’s just a learning experience. At least that’s how I look at it! For me Africa is the best continent to travel, both on the good and the bad days and scams can happen anywhere..

Take care everyone ✈️

Gustav

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The Number 1 Thing About Bamako (Mali)

Posted on June 14, 2019June 14, 2019 by dev

Mali is currently not in a good state to say the least, and there was a big terrorist attack not far from where I was on my second day here, which was really sad, but there are still lots of positive things about the country and the capital, Bamako.

Mali Travel Advisory – US Government

The US Government has put a 4 on their travel advisory level, which is highest danger, which means do NOT travel to Mali at the moment, because there have been some really ugly incidents recently with kidnappings of Westerners, bombings, massacres and more..

The Capital Bamako

Bamako is the capital of Mali and is also the largest city with 2 million people. The place is near the famous Niger River. Located between the Sahara to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south, Bamako is very hot on average all year round with the hottest months being March, April, and May.

I wasn’t freezing during my time in Bamako! +40°C was the standard

Is Bamako All Bad And Dangerous?

No, Bamako is not all bad and dangerous. There are so many reasons to visit this city also. I agree it’s maybe not the best time to go to Bamako right now, but the capital still has a lot to offer.

Seydou, one of my new friends in Bamako, Mali

The People

Mali is the 4th poorest country in the world (UN Human Development Index). In Bamako and in Mali in general people is primarily Muslim, but there are also significant populations of Christians and animists. French is the official language and Bambara is the most widely spoken.

Women wear long skirts but arms, chests and heads are regularly exposed.

Colorful Malian ladies in a village outside of Bamako

Malians are poor and most people live for less than 1 dollar a day. No medical care, little to no access to education, weak infrastructure – But sometimes when you know the feeling of having nothing, that’s when you become more open-minded, wanting to share more with people..

I had the most from people who had the least to be fair!

Bamako might have people who wants to take advantage of you, but is also full of incredible kindness, hospitality and curiosity.

Two Malian guys chiling at a local market, Bamako

One thing I found interesting here was the fact that a lot of families practice polygamy. A man will live with 2-3 wives in a large compound, a hut or a small house with all their children. In Senegal it was 4 out of 10 men, who lived as polygamists and here probably around the same if not more.

The Sights

Bamako is a sprawling city through which the river Niger flows. On one end of the city is a hill formation (supposed to be an extinct volcano?) on which the President’s Palace is located. You start driving up the hill, you leave the hustle and bustle of the city, enter into green surroundings and the roads are great.

Bamako is not a knock out sightseeing city. There is no must see location, but I still found some very cool places here and even though it’s a large, noisy, crowded city, it has its charms.

*Monument* de l”Independance, Bamako, Mali

I really liked to see the crazy and colorfol Bamako City Center market. A great, vibrant and hectic experience, even though a bus smashed really hard into a car few meters away from me. Scary! The bus drove away right after leaving the car smashed and the car owner shocked and speechless. Not cool…

3 Best Sights In Bamako

My favorite places in Bamako to visit are: Monument de l”Independance, Bamako Grand Mosque and of course the obvious Bamako highlight, Le Campement.

Morning swim at Le Campement. So cool and you have it all by yourself!

The way to Le Campement was great, if you choose the bumpy, little used but well signposted road taking you through rural areas directly to the foot of the 3rd bridge. You’ll pass trough rarely visited villages, beautiful green countryside and have some excellent views over fields, canals and mountain side villages.

Having been all around the city of Bamako and the small neighborhoods, the city villages and their people are the real sights of this colorful city. In the suburbs you can see so many things, visit potters, blacksmiths, tailors and and colorful local markets or just grab a cup of tea and watch the daily life of a vibrant township pass by before your eyes. And if you stop for a look there, you will be met by big smiles and respect.

The Number 1 Thing About Bamako

It could have been the food, which is pretty amazing and cheap here, but IT’S NOT.

I like the Malian breakfast, which was a bit different to my oatmeal with raisins back in Denmark, I really liked the extremely cheap grilled meat sticks you can get on every street corner too and then ofc. the Timbuktu Toukassou. Yummy!

But food wasn’t what I liked the most about Bamako, even though it was up there among the best things. The thing I liked the most, and I actually can’t remember one capital city I’ve been to around the World, where this thing was so common and easy: Free motorbike rides.

Free Motorbike Rides (THE BEST THING)

I’ve done at least 30+ free motorbike rides during my time in Bamako.

I quickly found out the traffic here was really bad quiet early during my stay and there were so many people on their motorbikes, who drove past the queues of the cars easily. So what I usually did to beat the traffic was just jumping on random motorbikes. How in the world was that possible?

Crossed the Niger River several times a day. That was so easy to do!

It was so super easy here actually. I just pointed with my hand in which direction I was going to go, and the drivers then nodded if they were going that way, or showed with their hand they were going in another direction. I usually didn’t wait for more than 30 seconds before having a ride ready and no one did ever ask me for money after I said: “Merci beaucoup pour le voyage de mon ami.” / Thanks for the ride my friend.

People in Bamako loves to help you with a free ride

Excuse Moi?

My French is extremely limited, so don’t be afraid to do the same. It’s all about the attitude.

Even when I came back from hiking in Malian mountains several hours outside of Bamako, I had free rides, after our bus crashed down in the middle of nowhere, which by the way happens way too often in West Africa.. I even had some gifts on the free motor bikes in Bamako and a lot of appreciation. You probably wouldn’t get that in Bangkok, Manila or in any major European city. In these places most people would look strange at you or ask you to pay as much as possible, worst case even try to scam you.

In Bamako, it’s a different story.

– Gustav

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Travel Pictures Of Gustav

Posted on April 1, 2019August 26, 2019 by dev

Here are some random pictures from all over the world. One from each country/territory. I will add more here and there from new travels and adventures, so check back every now and then. Enjoy!

Albania