Accommodation
The highest rated hotel in Malabo is the 5 star Sofitel Malabo President’s Palace, situated in the heart of the business centre. Other hotels include the Ureka Malabo, which is the tallest building in the country and the hotels Agosto, Bahia and the Castillo.

In Bata the most recommended hotel is the Yessica, with its splendid views over the countryside and the Atlantic and the Aparthotel Plaza, in the city centre. The hotels in Bata do not accept credit cards

Activities
The Monte Alen National Park is nature’s highlight and is one of the most beautiful and quiet parks in the region. It can be reached by road from Bata. The protected area covers approximately 1400 square km and, if you are prepared to trek on the well-maintained jungle paths , you stand a good chance of seeing lowland gorillas, as well as the more elusive mountain gorillas. The park is also home to chimpanzees, forest elephants, crocodiles and many other species of wildlife. If you want to go deep into the jungle you need to be prepared for camping

Most of the exotic white -sand beaches are on the mainland. Bioko is a stunning island with three volcanoes rising from the rainforest and some black sand beaches. There are also turtles who come ashore to lay their eggs on the island of Ureca between December and February.

Malabo, the capital, is a thriving town with markets, lively bars and colonial architecture.

Bata, on the mainland, is actually larger than Malabo, and is worth a visit because of its colonial charm. Besides being a bustling city, it is remarkably clean, and there is a good tourist infrastructure with bars, restaurants and hotels, and excellent white-sand beaches to the north and south of the town.

The remote island of Corisco offers deserted white-sand beaches and small communities of traditional cultures.

Food and Wine
You can find restaurants to suit most tastes in the more popular areas. Seafood and fruit are plentiful.

In Malabo the Bar le Paris is a good French restaurant which is popular with the expatriate community. Also popular is the Lebanese owned Pizza Place, specialising in Mediterranean dishes and the affordable Les Delices d’Afrique

Shopping
Shopping in markets is fun. Prices are negotiable and bartering is a must!

Fabrics, traditional African prints and general local crafts and carvings are amongst the more popular tourist purchases

Entertainment
The outdoor bars of Malabo and Bata are especially lively. Traditional music includes drums, wooden xylophones, sanzas (small portable pianos made of bamboo), bow harps and zithers. Local (modern or traditional) musicians perform in hotels and night clubs.

Getting Around
There are minibuses and bush taxis. Travelling this way can be hair raising, uncomfortable and unreliable! We recommend you talk to our representative locally and plan with him or her what you want to do and the best way to do it! There is a ferry service from Malabo to Bata which takes about twelve hours and has four classes. We would only book you first class!

Visas
As visa regulations and local laws change frequently and often without notice, dmAFRICA can accept no responsibility regarding the need for or availability of visas, and suggests that the agent and the client check with the embassy of the countries to be visited in the issuing country of their own passports. The information below is therefore only a guide:

All tourists require a visa except citizens of the USA.

As the situation can change concerning the costs and type of visa you should consult the appropriate Equatorial Guinea government website. It is extremely difficult to obtain a visa on arrival.

Language
Spanish and French are the official languages.

Money
The local currency is the West African CFA franc (US$1= 450 CFA; €1= 650 CFA), but the US $ and €uro in large denominations ($100, €100, €200 and €500) are readily exchangeable in the main cities.

Travellers Cheques are also exchangeable but not as easily as cash and carry a high commission rate; it can be as high as 20%!
Also -travellers should be prepared for lengthy procedures to exchange travellers cheques, and you should ensure you have your original TC purchase receipt.

Our advice is to take as much cash as you will need for your entire stay in the country.

Credit Cards are not accepted.

There are a few ATMs in Malabo. Those that do exist accept Visa but only give the equivalent of US$ 1000 maximum..

There are also Western Union and/or Moneygram outlets in Malabo and Bata, where cash can be transferred and accessed the same day.

Local costs
In the provincial towns expect to pay €10-€15 for lunch and €20-€25 for dinner. In the main towns expect to pay approximately 20% more. In the international hotels lunch will cost about €30 and dinner €35 without drinks. Bottled mineral water costs about €1 in stores and €2-€4 in hotels and restaurants for a 1.5 litre bottle.

Health
Malaria is endemic. You must consult your doctor before you travel to ensure that you are prescribed the correct type of protection.

Immunization against yellow fever and cholera is obligatory and for hepatitis and meningitis it is recommended. Please check the latest information with your medical practioner

There are privately owned pharmacies in the main towns which can prescribe most medication should you become sick. However, outside of these towns, there is little availability.

Water
We recommend drinking only bottled water throughout your stay

Dress Code
The dress code is casual.

Time Difference
Equatorial Guinea is on GMT +1

Electricity
220v with 2 or 3 pin sockets. A European adaptor is required.

Suggested Reading:-
“Travels in West Africa”, a classic written in 1897 by Mary Kingsley which details her epic trek through the jungle to gain specimens for a natural history museum.

There are flights to Malabo from Paris (Air France), Frankfurt (Lufthansa) and Madrid (Iberia). As usual Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc and Ethiopian Airlines offer the best pan-African routes. CEIBA has its international base here and flies domestically to Bata and the island of Annobon, and internationally to Libreville (Gabon) ,Douala (Cameroon), Brazzaville (Congo) and Sao Tome.

We have a small office in Malabo with backing from our main regional office in Douala, Cameroon.

Please contact us on sales@dmAFRICA.com