The West African CFA franc (XOF) is used by Guinea-Bissau. It is also used by Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. While it is a separate currency from the Central African CFA franc (XAF), the two currencies are used interchangeably at par throughout all countries that use the CFA franc (XAF & XOF).

Both CFA francs are guaranteed by the French treasury and are pegged to the euro at 1 euro = 655.957 CFA francs.

In December 2007 the first ATMs arrived to the country of Guinea-Bissau – in the BAO (Banco da Africa Occidental) branches of Bissau and Gabú. An ATM is also being set up in the Hotel Malaika in Bissau. These ATMs only function if you have a local account with that bank. It is probably safest to bring euros or FCFA enough to cover the time you plan to stay.

Western Union is present in Bissau (eight locations), Bafatá, Gabú, Buba, Canchungo and Mansoa. They charge a 10% commission.

ATMs:

from 2014 Ecobank has ATMs in Bissau which take Master card/visa card for cash withdrawal.

In Bissau minibuses called toca-toca work for transports within the city. There are also regular taxis. For inter-city travel there are sept-places, (seven-seat Peugeot) and candongas, big commercial vehicles carrying ten to twenty passengers. Prefer sept-place or at least try to get the front seats. It is also possible to rent taxis to other towns and cities.

The main bus-station “paragem” of Bissau is situated behind the BCEAO (Banco Central dos Estados de África Ocidental) on the Airport Road. Are you heading for Biombo or Prabis, you need to go to another bus-station in Estrada de Bor. There are no time-schedules; cars leave when they are full. As most locals travel in the early morning (7.00 a.m.-ish), cars fill up quicker in the morning. It might be hard to get transport in late afternoon and evening.

To go to the islands, there’s a choice between cheap, but rather unsafe, canoas (pirogues) leaving from Porto Pidjiguiti or Porto de Bandim, and expensive modern boats owned by French fishing lodges on the Bijagos islands. In 2007 a ferry started sailing between Bissau and Bubaque, leaving Friday and returning Sunday. Schedules depend on tides, so check in advance.

As Guinea Bissau is very flat and there is virtually no traffic on the roads outside Bissau, it’s a good country for cycling. Bikes can be bought in the country, which will probably ( as in most parts of the world) be Chinese made bikes. As always of good value for money.

EAT:

Most Guineans eat rice with fish, because the country is rich in fish, and rice (homegrown or imported from Thailand) is relatively cheap. The more costly meals contain beef, goat, chicken or pork. Meals are also made with palm oil and peanut sauces and diverse vegetables. Guineans also eat wild/game meat (deer, monkey, beaver etc.) but these animals are considered to be in danger of extinction and so it is not recommended to support this. Guineans are known for their warm heartedness and so you will always be asked to come have a bit with a group of people (it is common to eat from a large bowl)…”bin kume, no kume”.

Fruit available depends on the season, but mangos, papayas, oranges, grape fruits, bananas, cashews and peanuts are abundant. Also try the sour “fole” fruits and the baobab fruit juice (sumo de cabaceira). Imported fruit can be bought in “fera de prasa” in the center of Bissau (apples, pears, pineapples, watermelons etc.) but is more expensive than in Europe.

Vegetables sold in the markets include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, parsley, okra, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, chili, sweet potatoes.

Street snacks are typically sandwiches with hardboiled egg, omelete, fish or beef – or donuts, cake or hardboiled eggs. Frozen juice in small plastic bags is popular among locals.

DRINK:

The people of Guinea-Bissau love to drink a sweet green tea known as “warga”, the non-Muslims also enjoy drinking cashew wine or palm wine. There are also possibilities to buy Portuguese beer, wine and soft drinks but these are more expensive. It is recommended that foreigners only drink bottled, filtered or boiled water.

The largest market in the country is Bandim Market, which is on the main road going into town. You can buy many things there and the atmosphere is nice. Otherwise there are small vendors on most roads of the capital. In the villages (Tabankas) you will also find small vendors selling the necessities. In the main towns in the countryside there are larger markets called “Lumo”, which give farmers and merchants the possibility to sell or trade their goods. Guinea-Bissau is a poor country so there are fewer possibilities for shopping than in the Gambia or Senegal.

Useful creole shopping phrases: Ke ku bu misti? (what do you want?) N mistil (I want it) N ka mistil (I don’t want it).