Packing list for Burkina Faso, travel insurance for Burkina Faso, and taking your belongings

What to take with you to Burkina Faso: spotlighted

To bring and to check:

• Documents: passport with at least six months validity.
• Money: be sure to bring some West African CFA francs (XOF) and your debit card.
• Care: sunscreen and aftersun.
• Outdoor and practical items: hat/cap and good sunglasses. Lightweight raincoat (June-September) and a buff, scarf or bandana against the sun and dust.
• Clothing: light and airy clothing, with long sleeves against the sun and mosquitoes. An extra layer (fleece/sweater) for the cool mornings and evenings.
• Shoes: comfortable walking shoes and slippers/sandals.
• Medicines and travel pharmacy: a small first aid kit with plasters, painkillers, hand sanitizer, remedies for stomach problems. ORS and mosquito repellent.
• Safety: money belt or fanny pack for your valuables. Technique and equipment: world plug type C & E, power bank.

What are some other options for packing as well?

• Reusable water bottle with filter, because tap water is technically drinkable, but often tastes strange.
• Quick-drying travel towel.
• Not sure whether you will sleep in places with a mosquito net or air conditioning? Then bring your own impregnated mosquito net or mosquito net.
• E-reader or other offline entertainment.
• A few sentences in French, to make a good impression.
• International driving license, if you want to rent a car.
• Headlamp or flashlight.

What should you keep in mind when traveling to Burkina Faso with your belongings?

• The malaria risks in Burkina Faso.
• How to dress appropriately.

Are there mosquitoes in Burkina Faso?

• Malaria is a significant health problem in Burkina Faso. The country is among the ten countries with the highest number of malaria cases and deaths. And not only that, mosquitoes in Burkina Faso can also transmit other nasty diseases.
• The risk is highest during the rainy season, from June to September.
• Use insect repellent, wear protective clothing and sleep under an impregnated mosquito net.

Are there sandflies in Burkina Faso?

• There are sand flies all over the country, and they can transmit Leishmaniasis. So protecting yourself is important.
• Your set of mosquito repellents with DEET can help in combination with covering clothing, good spray, and not sleeping on the beach without protection.

Can you buy DEET, or other mosquito repellents, in Burkina Faso?

• It will be difficult to find your favorite and good mosquito repellent in Burkina Faso.
• So it is best to bring it from home.
• Locals use as a mosquito repellent: Faso soap or Fasoap.

Can you buy a joint or weed in Burkina Faso, or take it with you to Burkina Faso?

• Burkina Faso has an ideal climate for cannabis, but unfortunately that does not mean you can just find and use it everywhere.
• Burkina Faso has a very strict drug policy. Cannabis use, cultivation and possession are illegal and can lead to high fines, long prison sentences (up to 10 years!) and a spontaneous ‘extended stay’ in a cell that cannot be found on Booking.com.
• Even small amounts or suspicion of possession can be enough to cause serious legal problems. So taking it with you is also not a good idea.