Abidjan & Bassam – le retour

Oh, the returns. The smells, the vibes, the familiarity. E-visa took a couple of minutes, a photo and fingerprints were taken, then I had to queue up for the very passport control, another several minutes, yellow fever vaccination checked (I got myself re-vaccinated this year, my previous vaccination expired 2021 and even though all the […]

Visa to Ivory Coast – the red tape never comes last

For some time I was thinking those West African countries that allow visas on the border or online are the best. Benin, Gambia, Togo and Ivory Coast are the ones I know about. Special kudos to Senegal and now Sierra Leone, as they abolished visas altogether. So the thought of going to either Togo or […]

Visa to Nigeria – not soon, friend

Having chatted with my Nigerian friendly spirit Amyn about getting to Nigeria – Amyn agreed to give me invitation to the country, I tried to start the process. Officially – if I follow the website rules – I have to do the application online, pay, and then follow with an appointment at the embassy. But […]

Visa to Ghana – how many journeys do you see?

Where to go in West Africa in 2022, right after or still during Covid? Ghana seems OK. Enough tourist-friendly, though not so easy to reach for a Polish passport, due to the strict and inflexible visa rules. Polish passport must apply in Berlin and in Berlin only. Reports on iOverlander seem to be saying that […]

Coming back 2022 – you really have to want to

It was in Aix-en-Provence in May this year, when a thought hit me. I was looking for an “African” restaurant and I found one online, right in the centre of the town. Chances are that if it’s France, it will be a West African restaurant, so – a Senegalese or, even better, a Cameroonian one. […]

Ebolowa, Cameroon to Bitam, Gabon, attempt no. 2

Armed with printed reservations I took a moto to immigration office. There I had to wait a bit as Mr Johnson was not yet in the office at 9am. It took a minute to get a stamp, he didn’t bother registering me again, I was there already the day before. I took an omelette in […]

Accra to Lomé: hello fever

How I didn’t want to leave Accra. It was comfortable & familiar. But then there is a schedule that runs on me. 1 May is holiday, I got two visas to handle in Cotonou and it would be good to be in Lagos over weekend, after all people work and Lagos isn’t a place where […]

Cape Coast to Accra: homecoming

I have no idea how many times I have been to Accra. It was my first visit to Africa, in December 2001 but the next visit was only in 2005 and since then every year several trips, all work-related, followed. At the beginning I used to stay in Novotel, right in downtown, a convenient place […]

Friday in Dakar: four embassies & a scam

Today was a visa run day. Spoiler: I failed at all 4 embassies.It’s Friday so any visa processing time longer than “pick up the next day” (Monday) is too long. I don’t wanna sit in Dakar for so long.Bissau visa I hope to get in Bissau consulate in Ziguinchor in Casamance in South Senegal. Guinean […]

Seven places from Saint Louis to Dakar

It’s been a long day in cars. Car no. 1: taxi to gare routière in Saint Louis, 1000cfa. Car no. 2: sept-place to Dakar, 5000cfa+1000cfa for baggage. Sept-place are old Peugeot combi cars that have seven places for passengers. One in front, 3 in the back and 3 more in the further back. The further […]