Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso translates to "Land of Upright People," and Burkina Faso more than lives up to its name — the people here are among the warmest and most welcoming you'll encounter anywhere in West Africa. Sitting at the cultural crossroads of the Sahel, the country is home to over 60 distinct ethnic groups, and that diversity explodes onto the streets in vibrant festivals, incredible music, and some of the most extraordinary mask traditions on the continent.

Beyond the capital, you'll find ancient cliff-side villages, bustling weekly markets where traders converge from across the region, and landscapes that shift dramatically from savannah to semi-desert as you head north. Burkina Faso is not an easy destination — it requires curiosity, flexibility, and a genuine appetite for adventure. But for those who make the effort, it offers something increasingly rare: authentic West Africa without the tourist crowds.

Burkina Faso is going through some big changes and hopefully this means more and more places to explore in the future!