by Phil Paoletta | Mar 23, 2023 | Guinea-Bissau
Twenty-some kilometers inland from the Atlantic Ocean, there is a small town in Guinea-Bissau with a population of roughly 10,000 people. The town is called Cacheu, and it was one of the first colonial settlements in sub-saharan Africa. It served as a port for the...
by Phil Paoletta | Mar 22, 2023 | Senegal
A quarter of a million people call Ziguinchor home. You’d hardly know it wandering around in the late afternoon, when much of the city is taking a siesta. But in the morning, as mini-buses and sept-places dodge jakarta motorbikes (the same scooters we use on our...
by Phil Paoletta | Feb 8, 2023 | Côte d'Ivoire, Critical Info
UPDATE: HOORAY! Côte d’Ivoire’s land borders are officially open as of February 15th. There is no longer a need to obtain a laissez passer!!! Pass the palm wine, let’s celebrate! Laissez-passer’s are nothing new for the overland traveler. It is...
by Phil Paoletta | Dec 28, 2022 | Cape Verde
On our first night sleeping in the caldera of Pico do Fogo, a meteor shower exploded across the sky. After realizing that we were not in fact under rocket attack, we basked in awe. It was as if we were wearing 3D glasses and the universe obliged with the only show...
by Phil Paoletta | Dec 20, 2022 | Tips
LAST UPDATED JANUARY 13TH 2025 For overland travelers planning on visiting multiple countries in West Africa, organizing visas is often the biggest logistical headache. Visa policies are asymmetric and often vary from embassy to embassy. In one country, the Ghanaian...
