The Complete Guide to: French West Africa

French West Africa

It started as exploration and ended as colonisation. French traders landed on the West African coast during the late 15th century, along with, to a lesser extent, explorers and missionaries. The French were particularly interested in exploiting the continent's raw materials, such as gum arabic and groundnuts, and later its people, through the slave trade. Millions of Africans were forcibly removed from their homeland between the 16th and mid-19th century, to be sold as slaves in the Americas.

French West Africa

It started as exploration and ended as colonisation. French traders landed on the West African coast during the late 15th century, along with, to a lesser extent, explorers and missionaries. The French were particularly interested in exploiting the continent's raw materials, such as gum arabic and groundnuts, and later its people, through the slave trade. Millions of Africans were forcibly removed from their homeland between the 16th and mid-19th century, to be sold as slaves in the Americas.

After the abolition of slavery, France wanted to increase its control in Africa. In 1880, around 90 per cent of Africa was ruled by Africans; 20 years later, European powers had seized most of the continent, in what is now known as the Scramble for Africa. France occupied a huge expanse of North and West Africa, establishing a centralised form of colonial rule, with a governor based in Senegal and a minister of colonies in Paris. However, after countless French West Africans fought or served as porters with the Allies in both World Wars, the pan-African call for self-rule became louder. Most West African countries were restored to independence by 1960.

Today, French West Africa comprises Benin (formerly Dahomey), Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea (formerly French Guinea), Mali (formerly French Sudan), Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. Two further countries, Togo and Cameroon, were taken from the Germans by the Allies after the First World War, and put under joint French and British mandates. French is Togo's official language; Cameroon has two official languages, English and French, although French dominates.

It will help, although English is spoken in parts, especially in countries with anglophone neighbours, such as Togo, Niger and Benin. As inhabitants of one of the most linguistically complex parts of the world, West Africans will often be fluent in several languages. The services of a guide/interpreter are helpful in remoter areas, as some countries have dozens of regional languages. One aspect common to all countries is the generous hospitality, which tends to overcome language barriers.

French-style cafés can be found in major towns, although meals served in French restaurants will be more expensive than local food. The first French settlement in Africa was St Louis, a trading port established in 1659 in what is now Senegal. It has New Orleans-style wrought-iron railings, wooden balconies, and an annual jazz festival in May/June. Ségou in Mali,with its tree-lined roads, is another typical French-African town in all its faded glory; in many countries, however, colonial architectural remains only in a run-down form. In some places, French cultural centres have opened, but the major legacy of French rule is the language.

West Africans have a strong artistic tradition and heritage dating back over 3,000 years, which is celebrated in museums across the region. Mali's Musée National in Bamako runs an innovative programme to bring home art work taken from the country in colonial times. Its beautifully displayed exhibits include sculptures carved by the Dogon people, who live 200 miles from Timbuktu. Their bold, geometric figures, masks and carvings are full of symbolic meaning based on traditional religious beliefs.

More gruesome but equally fascinating are the Royal Palaces in Abomey, Benin. The English-speaking guide here showed round the former Spice Girl, Mel B, when she filmed her TV programme, Voodoo Princess. Two of the original 12 palaces have been restored. They house the thrones of the kings of Dahomey (as Benin was formerly called), including King Guezo's, which sits on four human skulls. There are also assan: representations of the kings' lives cast in metal, along with rather incongruous Portuguese porcelain and British decanters, traded with the later kings. King Glele's tomb is still a site for sacred rituals. Forty-one of his 4,000 former wives were "honoured" by being buried alive nearby.

Not to be missed in Cameroon is the Palais Royal du Sultan Bamoun in Foumban. It was built in 1917, but its unusual architectural style harks back to German baroque. The Sultan's Museum traces the history of the Bamoun dynasty and contains a treasure-trove of royal artefacts, including thrones and gowns. The present-day Sultan can often be seen in the foyer, sometimes accompanied by the royal musicians.

Islamic influence and architecture, including mosques, are widespread, particularly in Muslim countries such as Guinea, Senegal, Mali – and in Mauritania, which has a Saudi Arabian and Moroccan mosque in its capital Nouakchott.

Landmarks remembering the days of slavery include the Maison d'Esclaves (House of Slaves) on the Ile de Gorée near Dakar in Senegal, which dates from 1786 and shares the island with a castle and the Ifan Historical Museum of the Diaspora, telling the history of Senegal. Ouidah in Benin was home to a 1994 diaspora festival, for which a magnificent decorative archway, La Porte du Non Retour (The Gate of No Return), was built on the site of the old French port.

Not exactly. However, you can see monkeys, baboons, lizards, chameleons, geckos, thousands of species of bird, and sometimes even larger mammals such as giraffes and hippos wandering around in the wild. Some of the region's national parks have suffered badly from poaching – Togo has had its animal population devastated in recent years – but if you want to see elephants, big cats or other savannah mammals, there are several options open to you.

Cameroon has some of the best wildlife parks, including Parc National du Waza. One of the few places in the region where you can still see large numbers of elephants, Waza offers traditional-style accommodation in hillside circular huts.

Senegal's Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie is a good venue for ornithologists, with flamingos, herons, pelicans, cormorants, and many more. Set along coastline and over two small islands, it has white sandy beaches where you can bathe or watch the sea turtles.

If it's larger mammals you're after, Senegal's Parc National du Niokolo-Koba has breathtaking landscapes and a range of animals, from baboons to leopards to hippos. Largely forest and savannah, this protected park is partly situated along the banks of the Gambia river, with opportunities for swimming and hiking, and there is accommodation available in self-contained traditional huts. The park closes between 15 June and 15 November, during the rainy season.

The Parc National du "W" – which stretches through Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, and takes its name from the double bend of the Niger River – is a remote and unspoiled landscape of astonishing biodiversity. You can seek out big cats, hippos and monkeys. Many parks close during the rainy season when roads become impassable, so check dates before your trip.

Only a handful of UK tour operators offer safaris in this region; one is Dragoman (01728 861 133, www.dragoman.co.uk), whose four-and-a-half week Tribal Lands of West Africa tour (£1,200 excluding flights) includes a foray into Cameroon's Waza Park. However, if you want to organise your own flexible trip, there will be no shortage of local guides offering their services. Check your guide has a good solid car – a 4WD is a must in the rough terrain of the parks.

All of these countries have remote villages, often in stunning landscapes. Visits can be combined with hiking or river trips – or, in Mali, you could try a camel ride to a Tuareg camp. One highlight is Benin's traditional round mud huts, known as Tata Somba, in the north of the country, which are best visited with a local guide. Another is the remarkable stilt village of Ganvié on Lac Nokoué. Believed to be the largest in Africa, the village was built by the Tofinu people in the 18th century when they were fleeing their enemies who, for religious reasons, would not follow them on to water. The village is accessible only by boat. Local residents, even the tiniest children, paddle themselves around in vessels from canoes to washing-up bowls. There is a bar, restaurant and even a hotel in the village – all on stilts of course.

Surrounded by dramatic waterfalls, the chiefdoms of Bamiléké country in the grasslands of western Cameroon are essential viewing, with their traditional houses with thatched conical roofs. The Bamiléké retain the skulls of their dead ancestors so that they can continue to pay homage to their spirits, and the women are responsible for planting and harvesting crops, as they are believed to make the soil fruitful.

For fantastic scenery and welcoming people, take a trip to the settlements of the Fouta Djalon region of Guinea. With its high altitude, waterfalls and pine forests, it became a popular retreat for French colonial governors, who named it "the Switzerland of West Africa". On a larger scale, the city of Zinder, briefly the first capital of Niger during the French colonial period, has a French hill-fort and some excellent examples of Hausa architecture. These include banco houses with colourful geometric designs.

The town of Djenné in Mali is thought to be the oldest surviving city in West Africa. Dating from around AD800, it is made up largely of mud dwellings. Its Great Mosque, completed in 1907, is the largest mud building in the world. Every spring, the massive structure, with 2ft- thick walls, is replastered. In a festive atmosphere, hundreds of locals fetch mud for the workers, who use the palm wood incorporated into the mosque's design as scaffolding.

Picasso and Matisse drew inspiration from African art, and French West Africa has a sophisticated tradition of art and craft. Take back antelope masks and Senoufo chairs from Burkina Faso; Bamoun bronze pipes from Cameroon; painted glass and sand paintings from Senegal; mud cloth designs from Mali; appliqué from Benin; batik from Togo; silverwork from skilled Inadan artisans in Niger; and carpets and neolithic artefacts from Mauritania.

To say there is a thriving market culture in French West Africa is akin to saying that the French are fond of good eating: markets often extend over huge areas, such as Dan Tokpa market in Cotonou, Benin, with 20,000 stalls. The fabulous architecture and fountains of the Grand Marché in Niger's capital, Niamey, is a great setting for vendors of jewellery, batik, leatherwork and wall-hangings. Togo's Grand Marché in Lomé has the famous "Nana Benz" fabric-sellers (great businesswomen who got their name because they were the first to import Mercedes-Benz cars); the Passage des Arts is a better bet for sculptures and carvings.

Guinea's second city, Kankan, has a sculpture workshop and good markets. Burkina Faso's Rood Woko market is the place for basketry and religious charms. Senegal has a tapestry factory at Thiès. The Senegalese are known for splendid tailoring: I had my wedding dress made and hand-embroidered by Senegalese tailors for the princely sum of £10.

Maquis, outside stalls with large pots of food and a bench to sit on, are ubiquitous. Fish, chicken, rice and tomato-based sauces are a common theme, as are yam, plantain and gumbo (okra sauce). Try capitaine, the famous Niger river fish in Mali; pastels, deep-fried fish in batter, or tieboudien, rice with fish, in Senegal; aloco, ripe banana cooked with chilli in palm oil, in Côte d'Ivoire. If you're feeling adventurous, you can always try bush rat – though it comes with the tail still attached.

Wash it all down with a cold local beer such as Gazelle, Flag, Castel, Sobra or Brakina. Some Muslim countries, such as Mauritania, are officially dry, but a few restaurants will serve alcohol openly. Palm wine is popular across the region – but should be approached with caution.

Although it is not the obvious place to go if all you are looking for is a beach holiday, French West Africa does have a very long coastline. Senegal has some of the best beaches, such as the tourist spot of Cap Skiring, and there is scuba diving on the Pointe des Almadies. Lomé, the capital of Togo, is on the shore; you can swim, water-ski or jet-ski on the Lac de Togo, situated 15 miles east of Lomé and bordered by an enchanted forest. Alternatively, take a canoe ride in a pirogue to the villages on the other shore.

Cameroon's unspoiled Kribi resort has fine golden sand, palm trees and good swimming at Londji beach, with fishing villages nearby. And near its coastal town of Limbé and the active volcano Mount Cameroon, you'll find black sands and ideal swimming conditions. In Mauritania, you can waterski and fish in Nouadhibou, and watch the fishermen bring home their catch from the Plage des Pêcheurs.

You'll often find isolated waterfalls with pools to bathe in (check first they are safe as there may be a risk of bilharzia, a nasty disease caused by parasitic worms). In Niger, there are thermal springs in Tafadek in the Aïr Massif mountains.

Air France (0845 0845 111; www.airfrance.com) has had rather a monopoly since Air Afrique and Sabena expired, although its prices can be attractive on routes where there is competition. Sabena's replacement, SN Brussels (0870 735 2345; www.brussels-airlines.com), flies two or three times a week from London (via Brussels) to Dakar (Senegal), Douala and Yaoundé (Cameroon) and Conakry (Guinea), and there are plans to introduce further routes.

Several French West African countries are among the least developed in the world, and a tourist infrastructure barely exists. Don't be put off. Travelling independently can be immensely rewarding: it is not complicated to arrange hotels and guides on arrival; you are more likely to meet local people; and your money will be going back into the local economy.

If you plan to take in several countries, you may find it best to book your flights through an independent travel specialist such as Global Village (0870 442 4848; www.gvillage.co.uk).

A few specialist tour operators organise set itineraries that take in French West African countries. Guerba (0845 130 1770; www.guerba.com) has 20 years of experience in organising African tours. It currently offers three trips in this region: the Trans Saharan Adventure, a five-week overland journey starting in Morocco and passing through Mauritania and Senegal (£865 plus flights); the West Africa Special, also five weeks, which takes in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana (£935 plus flights); and the three-week Ashanti, Dogon and Timbuktu trip through Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali (£700-£725 plus flights). The tours depart two or three times a year, and Guerba can book your flights if required.

Next summer, Travelbag Adventures (01420 541007, www.travelbag-adventures.co.uk) will be offering 16-day escorted trips in Mali from £1,399 per person, plus a local payment of £90. The itinerary will include visiting Bamako, Djenné, the island city of Mopti and Timbuktu. The price includes flights, accommodation, some meals and all transport.

Encounter Overland (01728 862 222; www.encounter-overland.com) also offers a 14-week West Africa Explored tour from Europe to Africa, which ventures through Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Togo (£1,850, plus a kitty of around £450, and flights). Dragoman (01728 861 133) offers a number of tours, including the Nomadic West Africa tour, a five-week journey from Senegal, through Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire (route may change because of political unrest) and Ghana (£1,140 plus a kitty of £270, plus flights).

Many French West African countries are safer to walk around than urban Britain. However, it is always worth checking with the Foreign Office website (www.fco.gov.uk) before planning your trip. Certain areas should be approached with caution, for example, avoid Guinea's borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Côte d'Ivoire remains unstable following the uprising and attempted coup of 19 September, involving around 750 dissident troops who objected to being forced out of the military. Neighbouring regions, in particular Burkina Faso, may be affected if the unrest continues. The Foreign Office is currently recommending that visitors do not travel to Côte d'Ivoire until the situation is resolved and says "British nationals currently in Cote d'Ivoire should consider leaving by commercial carrier or by road to Ghana as soon as reasonably possible".

British travellers will need to arrange a visa, apart from visits of under 90 days to Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. A new Tourist Visa Agreement (VTE), valid for one month, allows you access to any two of the following: Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Togo. Many countries also require a yellow-fever vaccination certificate, and some require cholera certificates. You will need to get all your jabs up to date and sort out malaria pills.

Much of FWA is in the CFA zone – the Communauté Financière Africaine franc (around 900 to the £1) – the exceptions are Guinea (GNF) and Mauritania (Ouguiya). You cannot buy CFA in the UK. Best to take traveller's cheques in euros (and don't forget the receipt, you will need it to cash them in). Take a credit card, but you may find you only use it for drawing out money in banks: hard cash is mostly favoured.

The Rough Guide to West Africa (£17.99) is helpful, as is the Lonely Planet website (www.lonelyplanet.co.uk). If your French is good, the Guide Routard books on individual countries are useful, as is the website (www.routard.com). A letter to the tourist board of individual countries can prove fruitful for local contacts. Search on the web for specialist tour companies: I found Voyage France Benin (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/benin.tourisme) very helpful for my trip there.

That voodoo that you do

A sacred cycle between the living and the dead

The strongholds of Voodoo are Togo and Benin. Forget what you've seen in films – Voodoo is not black magic. Hollywood's inventions are at best done for dramatic effect and at worst stem from the fear that led slave masters to punish the practise of African beliefs.

The roots of Voodoo go back several thousands years. It could be called one of the most ancient traditional religions – except Voodoo is not actually a religion. It is a term that represents a spirit, or an intermediary between the spirit and material world.

Voodoo developed from several different ethnic groups. The Fon of Benin call it Vodun, meaning spirit. For the Ewe people of Togo it is Vudu and describes the essence of existence as well as the relationship between the living and the spirit world. The Voodoo that developed in Haiti is a later permutation.

Animism is a close relation to Voodoo: objects and natural phenomena are believed to have a soul, and there is a great emphasis on the sacred cycle between the living and the dead. Music and dance play an important part in connecting with the spirit world.

Voodoo is largely practical and positive in application, for example it is used for encouraging health, wealth, love and luck.

In 1993, Pope John Paul II, on a trip to Benin, apologised for centuries of ridicule perpetrated by Europeans on traditional African beliefs, and said that such beliefs contained "seeds of the Word".

Glossary

Féticheur: a kind of priest (ess). Togo has a Marché des Féticheurs at Akodessewa with talismans, animal and bird skulls, statues and traditional medicines.

Gris-gris: charm.

Revenant: a spirit returned from the dead, often channelled through human form in voodoo ceremonies.

Python: these snakes are considered sacred. There is a python temple in Ouidah, Benin.

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