34 articles tagged with west africa
Nouakchott isn't exactly on most backpackers' radar, and that's precisely what makes it brilliant. Straddling the edge of the Sahara where desert meets Atlantic, Mauritania's capital offers an authentic slice of West African life without the tourist crowds. When I...
As a midwife who regularly travels to remote communities for medical missions, I never expected to find myself navigating the bustling commercial center of Serekunda, Gambia. Yet here I was, representing a maternal health NGO at a week-long conference on...
¡Hola viajeros! Ever found yourself staring at a map of West Africa, finger hovering over Guinea-Bissau, wondering if you should take the plunge? Let me tell you - *do it*. After three years of hopping between European soccer stadiums, I...
The air in Kumasi hits differently than anywhere else I've traveled—thick with humidity yet somehow electric with the pulse of Ghana's cultural heartbeat. After spending years exploring the temperate rainforests of Tasmania and the Pacific Northwest, I found myself drawn...
Standing at the edge of Port de Pêche as fishermen haul in their morning catch, I couldn't help but think how Nouakchott reminds me of baseball's most underrated players—those who quietly contribute game after game without the spotlight. This fascinating...
The moment I stepped off the plane in Conakry, Guinea's pulsating capital, I was enveloped by the distinctive blend of Atlantic sea breeze, spicy street food aromas, and the unmistakable energy of West Africa. Having visited five times over the...
The humid air clung to my skin as I stepped off the plane in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau's capital city. A place where most Americans never venture, yet here I was—solo, determined, and admittedly a bit nervous. After years of representing clients...
Standing in the bustling Grand Marché of Yamoussoukro with my son Mateo clutching my hand, I was instantly transported back to those childhood mercados my abuela introduced me to decades ago. The vibrant fabrics, aromatic spices, and melodic conversations in...
I've traipsed through the American Southwest's crimson canyons and soaked in Thailand's steamy hot springs, but nothing quite prepared me for the raw authenticity of Ganta, Liberia. This vibrant market town near the Guinea border isn't on most travelers' radar,...
When I first landed in Conakry with my sister's family last winter, the humid air carried both the salt of the Atlantic and the distinctive energy of West Africa—a palpable vibration that resonated with me immediately. As someone who typically...
The moment I stepped off the plane in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital welcomed me with its distinctive blend of dust, diesel, and determination. Far from the whisky trails of Scotland or the neon-lit gaming districts of Tokyo, this West African...
There's something about standing on the banks of the Niger River in Mopti, watching wooden pinasses glide through the morning mist, that makes you forget you're a perpetually broke grad student with a casino dealer's tan. After three years of...
The moment I stepped off the small aircraft in Kankan, Guinea's second-largest city, I knew this journey would test every investigative instinct I'd honed over my career. Two weeks ahead of me—split between the relatively untouched cultural hub of Kankan...
As I stood in Place des Cinéastes, surrounded by the pulsating energy of West Africa's cultural epicenter, I couldn't help but marvel at how Ouagadougou's urban fabric weaves together colonial influences and indigenous Mossi design principles. This city—often overlooked by...
When my daughter Amara and I arrived in Brikama after a long journey from Osaka, I was immediately struck by the town's vibrant energy - a welcome contrast to the structured formality of both my courtroom in Japan and my...
