As I entered the courtyard of the largest of the mud-brick mosques at Bani, I noticed two older men holding a young goat. My guide, a young imam, said, "Excuse me for a moment". Joining the two men, he waited for them to lay the…Read More

As I entered the courtyard of the largest of the mud-brick mosques at Bani, I noticed two older men holding a young goat. My guide, a young imam, said, "Excuse me for a moment". Joining the two men, he waited for them to lay the goat on its side, took the knife they offered him, and casually and expertly cut the animal's throat before returning to resume our tour. I was offered the opportunity to photograph the religious exercise. I declined.   Close

You've seen them featured in endless National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and BBC documentaries: the nomadic Touareg are still very much a presence in the Sahel and Sahara, and still very much nomadic. A proud, pious, and generally welcoming people, they are sharp traders who continue…Read More

You've seen them featured in endless National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and BBC documentaries: the nomadic Touareg are still very much a presence in the Sahel and Sahara, and still very much nomadic. A proud, pious, and generally welcoming people, they are sharp traders who continue to fight to protect and save their ancient way of life. You'll see them all over Burkina Faso, but most traditionally in the far north, where they move freely between Burkina, Niger, and Mali.   Close

Near Po and the Nazinge Reserve is the village of Tiébélé. According to its inhabitants, it’s one of the last villages built in the traditional Gourounsi. To visit the houses, a guide is obligatory, but don’t worry, they will find you before you even started…Read More

Near Po and the Nazinge Reserve is the village of Tiébélé. According to its inhabitants, it’s one of the last villages built in the traditional Gourounsi. To visit the houses, a guide is obligatory, but don’t worry, they will find you before you even started searching. But the guide who accompanied me was worth the money. After a tour, which will guide you through a maze of little beautiful houses, you will discover a little souvenir market at the exit.   Close

Gorom Gorom is one of the most northern cities of Burkina Faso and lies on the edge of the Sahara -- that edge is moving southwards continuously. Two busses visit Gorom Gorom daily from Ouagadougou, but the town feels like being on the edge of…Read More

Gorom Gorom is one of the most northern cities of Burkina Faso and lies on the edge of the Sahara -- that edge is moving southwards continuously. Two busses visit Gorom Gorom daily from Ouagadougou, but the town feels like being on the edge of the world. One a week, on Thursday, there is a busy market, which is visited by everyone from the region, and even by people from Mali. Mo From the campement, you can organise a tour on a camel. These tours are organised by the ´association des guides de l´Oudalan´. This organisation seems to consist of three young men who will track you down as soon as one arrives in Gorom. They offer the three-hour tours for a price that is fixed at 15.000 CFA per camel, which is, given a normal salary in Burkina, outrageously expensive. Fortunately one is likely to speak to director of the association and it proves quickly that the price is fully negotiable. We finally did the tour for 8.000 CFA per camel.    Close

Some 30 kilometres east of Ouagadougou, one can find the village of Laongo, which harbours a garden with modern sculptures in granite. It is found by taking the route to Fada N´Gourma and turning left after 30km, taking the dust route to Ziniare. The sculptures…Read More

Some 30 kilometres east of Ouagadougou, one can find the village of Laongo, which harbours a garden with modern sculptures in granite. It is found by taking the route to Fada N´Gourma and turning left after 30km, taking the dust route to Ziniare. The sculptures are found after a few kilometres. It was started in the early 1990s at the site that naturally contains large granite rocks. Every few years or so, new artists from around the world are invited to add new sculptures. The result is remarkable variety of different statues in a natural setting.    Close