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© SAIGA Tours
Start
Feb 27, 2027
Malabo
Malabo
2027-02-27
End
Mar 6, 2027
Malabo
Malabo
2027-03-06
Duration
8 days
Price
EUR2195.00
TOUR OVERVIEW
Equatorial Guinea is often described as one of the least visited countries in Africa, largely due to its authoritarian regime and strict travel restrictions. The government, led by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo since 1979, maintains tight control over the populace, creating an atmosphere where freedom of expression is limited, and tourists are often viewed with suspicion. All in all, sounds like exactly the type of place we love to explore!
We will venture into most corners of the country, with a pretty extensive itinerary of both the island of Bioko and the mainland. We'll go up and down both the eastern and western coasts of Bioko, visiting black and white sand beaches, a biodiversity centre, partially abandoned towns and buildings, a chocolate plantation and a local traditional musical instruments maker. We'll also explore the city of Malabo itself, and drive to the highest point in the country, Mount Basila.
We'll fly to Bata on the mainland, the part of Equatorial Guinea that makes Malabo seem like a normal tourist destination. And here we'll visit Cuidad de la Paz, an absolute haven for those of us who love absurd, failed, monolithic building projects, and we'll have a night in a super luxurious 5-star resort hotel. We'll also take a peek at Mongomo, where the president's from, and catch a boat to the pristine island of Corisco.
If you like the look of this tour but the dates don't work for you, or you'd like to do part of the tour, please get in touch and let us know. All our tours are able to be split into smaller sections, we're always scheduling new tours and your dates might work for one of them, or we can always organise an independent tour.
INCLUSIONS:
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Accommodation in twin share at roughly 3 star hotels, breakfast included, except when other accommodation is mentioned in itinerary |
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Transport as per itinerary, including internal flight Malabo-Bata-Malabo |
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Entrance fees to most sites (as per itinerary) |
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Western and local guides |
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: EUR 350
What is the single supplement? This is paid to guarantee a single room. If you are travelling alone and would like to be roomed with another single traveller, you do not need to pay this.
EXCLUSIONS:
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Visa fee (everyone is eligible for an evisa) |
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Meals other than breakfast |
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Transport to and from Malabo at the start and end of tour |
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Personal expenses such as souvenirs or any optional activities |
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Visit Ciudad de la Paz , the dystopian, purpose-built, but unfinished new capital
Explore in-depth both the island of Bioko and the mainland , getting a glimpse into life in all parts of this elusive nation
Spend a night of luxury at Equatorial Guinea's best hotel
Itinerary
Day 1Sat Feb 27
Malabo, Mother Languages Festival
- This tour is scheduled around the Mother Languages Festival, also known as Festival de Lengua Materna in Spanish, or Eboobe/Evoove in local languages, which until recently was held every year in Malabo. It's usually a two day festival where people from all the tribes in the country come together to celebrate their languages and traditions, and keep their traditions alive.
- Unfortunately though, in the last couple of years the government has stopped funding the festival, and therefor there hasn't been a festival. However, this is still a good time of year to travel to Equatorial Guinea, so we decided to keep the dates for the tour the same anyway, and of course that means that we'll be there if they do decide to do something for it this year.
- Previously it has been a charming mixture of organised events and spontaneous fun, with concerts of music and dancing, award ceremonies for people such as teachers or musicians who are contributing to keeping their languages alive, book presentations, demonstrations of food preparations and of course tasters, explanations of various traditions such as marriage, and all sorts of other cool stuff.
- If there are any events or festivities to see, we will of course prioritise that, otherwise we will begin exploring Equatorial Guinea's capital city of Malabo.
- Overnight in Malabo.
Day 2Sun Feb 28
Malabo, Sipopo, Mother Languages Festival
- Today we'll keep exploring Malabo as well, and of course will incorporate any events that do arise.
- We'll walk through the centre of the city, along Independence Road, with stops at the Guinean Culture Centre, which is a lively hub for local art and culture, Independence Square, Santa Isabel Cathedral, the National Library and the Green House.
- We'll also visit the famous "I love Equatorial Guinea" and "I love Malabo" signs of course, and the National Park. It's called the Malabo National Park, however it's really a botanical gardens, and the main points of interest for us there are a statue of the president, and Totem Square.
- Totem Square is a great place to learn about the tribes of Equatorial Guinea.
- We will also visit Sipopo today. Mostly known as a beach destination just outside of Malabo, our main reason to go there is to see the African Union Village. We'll also check out the beach, where you can sit and have a cold drink, or go for a walk, and we might even check out the golf course.
- There's also a spectacular shopping centre - a huge, luxurious, high-end modern shopping centre, the biggest in Equatorial Guinea in fact (not that that's saying much!), but only one or two shops are actually open.
Day 3Mon Mar 1
Fly to Bata
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This morning we will catch a flight to Bata, the largest city on the mainland. If you thought Malabo and the island of Bioko felt weird and a bit removed from the rest of the world, just wait til we get to the mainland! Bata makes Malabo look touristy.
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After checking into our hotel, we’ll head straight out to explore Bata. Our first stop is actually on the outskirts of the city, at the memorial to the 2021 explosion. This is likely to spark some interesting conversation as the exact nature and cause of the explosion, not to mention the fatality count, are quite unclear and controversial. The official story is something along the lines of local farmers were doing a burn off, didn't control it properly, and it spread to the military ammunitions storage which then exploded, taking down many buildings and people with it. But there are a few aspects of the situation that raise some questions.
- Heading back into the city, we'll stop at Plaza de la Libertad, which is the central square of the city. Here there is a statue commemorating the coup in 1979 where the current president overthrew his uncle, who had previously been the president.
- From here we’ll descend into the subterranean and visit the underground library.
- We’ll take a stroll down the road towards the waterfront to the I love Bata sign.
- We’ll then meander along the promenade to Torre de la Libertad, or Liberty Tower, a pretty cool tripod building with a revolving restaurant at the top, the décor of which would suggest it’s been set up for a wedding in the 1980s. Take in the views of the coastline and the city, enjoy the architecture, and we’ll continue on our way.
- We’ll stop for some lunch somewhere, then take a drive by the old stadium and visit Bata Cathedral.
- Overnight in Bata.
Day 4Tue Mar 2
Mongomo, Ciudad de la Paz, Djibloho
- Today is going to be a highlight for most people, with several of our favourite places/things all on this day.
- We’ll start off by driving across the entire width of the mainland of Equatorial Guinea, to Mongomo, covering a bit over 200km in around two hours. Yes, the roads are amazing – two lanes in each direct, dual carriageway the whole time, and barely another car to be found.
- Mostly famous for the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, which is the second largest church in Africa, and we will of course visit, our main reasons to visit are that this is the hometown of both the current president and the previous president. The previous president of course being this one’s uncle, who he overthrew in 1979. The whole town is an odd juxtaposition of extreme wealth and luxury, with a golf course and gated mansions, amidst wooden shacks and dilapidated concrete shops and houses.
- We’ll have some lunch in Mongomo and then take a walk around the centre of the town where we can see the residence of the former president and several monuments to the family.
- We can also drive right up to the Gabonese border, just because we love a land border, and why not.
- From here we’ll drive to Ciudad de la Paz – a highlight for those who love dystopian cities. Ciudad de la Paz is the planned city that serves as the political capital of Equatorial Guinea. This city was purpose-built to house the government and was designed to have a unique blend of modern and traditional architecture. However, with construction starting in 2015, and 2017 being the original deadline for all government departments to move there, it is still barely a ghost town. It makes Avaza in Turkmenistan look like the Costa Del Sol.
- We will drive on the very wide, completely empty, roads, exploring every road in the entire city. There are a handful of completed buildings, but other than a university and a luxury hotel, it’s basically just empty. Of course we will stop at the tribune designed for viewing military parades, one of the few completed structures, and take lots of photos of empty roads and half-finished buildings.
- And we’ll also swing by the original village of Oyala, so you can see the contrast!
- And then we’ll make our way to our accommodation for the night. Yes, it’s the one luxury hotel in town! And surprisingly, it actually is properly luxurious. We’ll aim to arrive in the middle of the afternoon so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the spa, sauna, swimming pools (yes, multiple of them), jacuzzis, get a massage if you like, have a bath in your room, check out the shops, explore the grounds, eat and/or drink in one of the bars/restaurants, and just generally enjoy your surrounds.
Day 5Wed Mar 3
Cogo, boat ride to Corsico, Bata
- After breakfast we’ll farewell our luxurious surrounds and continue our journey, this time heading to the south of the country, where we will also be right at the Gabonese border.
- We’ll get some lunch in Cogo, known for its decaying Spanish Colonial architecture, nestled in the jungles of southern Equatorial Guinea, and from here we’ll get a boat ride to Corisco.
- And for those of you into this type of thing, keep an eye on your map while we’re on the boat, as we might actually go into Gabonese waters!
- Known for its beautiful beaches and rich biodiversity, we’ll disembark our boat on the white sand and spend some time exploring the island.
- We’ll return to the mainland and drive back to Bata, where we’ll spend the night.
Day 6Thu Mar 4
Fly to Malabo, chocolate plantation, Batete church, Luba, Alena beach
- We’ll catch the morning flight back to Malabo and spend the day exploring the island of Bioko.
- Our first stop will be a small chocolate plantation where we can see the cocoa plants, how and where the chocolate is produced, and of course have some tasters. The chocolate they make here is completely natural and actually quite different to most chocolates you get, made only with the cocoa beans and honey. After a taster or two, you might even want to buy some.
- Continuing our journey south along the western coast of Bioko, our next stop will be Batete church. Theoretically a functioning church, it hasn’t actually been used for a decade or so, but the parishioners still lock it up and “take care of it”. However, other than needing someone to unlock the front door, this is an urbex adventure for us.
- The wooden walls and ceiling are visibly sagging, there is bird poo everywhere, and the sun seeps through the gaps in the wood in creepy rays, leaving most of the building in darkness.
- When we’ve got our fill of the abandoned church, we’ll start heading back in the direction of Malabo, stopping in the town of Luba, where we will take a stroll around the town.
- Regularly not having electricity for months on end, with no restaurants and barely a convenience store, Luba really feels like a forgotten town. We’ll wander through the run-down but definitely not lifeless streets and visit the statue to Maximillian Jones, Equatorial Guinea’s first multi-millionaire. An interesting story, though not an inspiring one, he was a freed slave who then became a slave-trader. But he’s Luba’s claim to fame.
- We’ll get back on the road and our final stop for the day will be at Alena beach, a relaxing way to end our day. Anyone who wants to swim in the sea can, but we’ll also get some barbequed meat from the local vendors for lunch, and find a shady spot to set up for anyone who just wants to sit with a beer or a soft drink and chill. There are little shops and food stands lining the beach, and you can explore them as much or as little as you please.
- Returning to Malabo, we’ll check into our hotel and spend the night there.
Day 7Fri Mar 5
Basila Mountain, Moka, Riaba, Malabo
- Our last day in this elusive African country, we’ll start off with a drive up to the top of Basila Mountain, or Pico Basile. With an elevation of 3,011m, rising almost directly from the ocean, it is quite an impressive peak, and assuming the sky is clear, we will get spectacular views out over the entire island of Bioko and even across to the mainland and Cameroon.
- Descending back down towards sea level, we’ll head to Moka, located on the eastern side of the island, where we'll visit a traditional musical instrument maker, the Conservation Biodiversity Centre of Bioko, and you'll have the opportunity to try some local palm wine.
- We'll stop in Riaba for lunch, which is a new presidential family holiday resort, and a great way to see this side of what makes Equatorial Guinea so unique.
- We’ll return to Malabo for our last night together.
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