Customer Reviews

Burkina Faso: The Bradt Travel Guide

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
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I live in Burkina Faso and this book has tons more information than any other English-language guidebook on the country and seems to be more comprehensive than any French-language ones too. Days after receiving the book, I used it to plan and execute a very successful trip to the far north-east of the country. All of the practical information about where to stay and eat was spot-on. The maps of towns and regions were also very useful. I spent a night at a beautiful desert campsite, 30 kilometers from the nearest dirt road, and run by friendly Tuareg tribesmen because of this book. I'd be delighted with this guidebook even if there was nothing more to it. However, it also has the distinction of being extremely well written and interesting - be it concerning local transportation, customs, history, languages, etc. I enjoyed this book so much that when I recently visited Dogon country in Mali and met a group of Spanish tourists heading for Burkina Faso, I gave them my copy. When I got home, I ordered two more.

Burkina Faso is not (yet) considered among the top 10 tourist destinations in the world, but for those going there for travel, work, or to visit family/friends, this new book is an invaluable resource. We've just bought it after having just moved back to the US after over three years in Burkina Faso. It provides a great overview of the country, including the better-known destinations, but the authors have also made an effort to cover less-known towns and sites of cultural interest. Highly recommended !

This is the only really useful English language guide to Burkina Faso and should be standard issue for anyone coming here. Their attention to detail is mind-boggling. Even for someone who has already lived in Burkina for nearly two years, I've learned a lot from their writing.

Tons of information, great attention to detail, honest appraisals of the entire spectrum of accommodations, eateries, sights, and festivals. In a country with a very limited tourist infrastructure where even your French may not be sufficient to allow you to communicate clearly with the locals, this kind of a guide is absolutely crucial. Burkina Faso is not for the novice traveler, but it is an extremely relaxed and rewarding country to visit, and it is one of the last truly exotic places left on earth.

Other travel guides cover all of Africa or all of West Africa. The entire Brandt Guide book covers only one country, Burkina Faso. Therefore, there is more actionable information on Burkina Faso including more town maps and descriptions of villages and tribal markets where you can find traditional life untouched by modern ways. There is also more depth and more insight. The author seems to have more connection to Burkina Faso. This is more valuable than having the latest published guide. Published on quality paper, the book is heavier than others but indispensible for navigating along the path less traveled. Traveling on your own, I wouldn't go without it. You would risk bypassing places that would cause you post-travel regrets.

-- bought this for a daughter who was headed to Burkina Faso with the Peace Corps -- of the 6+ books I purchased for her, this is the only one she chose to take with her -- she just arrived there last week and haven't heard much from her, but will inquire at some future point how useful it's being -- certainly looked good to me, so much so that in hopes that I'll get to visit her, purchased another copy for my use -- at the least it will give me some idea what's coloring her experiences.