Equatorial Guinea Travel Advice

Equatorial Guinea is a beautiful country with many interesting sites and beaches, but there is little tourism information to assist in planning a vacation. Facilities for tourism are limited but growing.

Best time to visit Equatorial Guinea

The best time to visit Equatorial Guinea is during the dry season from December to February. The climate is tropical all year round, but heavy rainfall should be expected most of the year.

Passport

To enter Equatorial Guinea, a passport valid for a minimum of six months from the date of entry is required by all nationals who do not qualify for visas on arrival.

Tourist Visa

When you are traveling to Equatorial Guinea many nationals do not need a Visa however check with the Embassy before traveling to Equatorial Guinea Passport, a Diplomatic Visa is not required. No visa is required for up to a 90-day stay.

Health sector of Equatorial Guinea

The national health system of Equatorial Guinea consists of four levels: health posts in each village of 600 people, dispensaries in health centres with a qualified nurse at the intermediate level, district-level hospitals, and two referral hospitals at the most centralized level. And rural health care system may not be that efficient and traveling to Equatorial Guinea requires purchasing travel insurance.

A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is only required for travellers 9 months of age and older coming from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.

The vaccination requirement is imposed by this country for protection against Yellow Fever since the principal mosquito vector Aedes aegypti is present in its territory.

Risk is present throughout the country, including urban areas, and risk is present at all altitudes.

High-risk months for Malaria are December to January 

Getting to Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is on the west coast of Central Africa. The country consists of a mainland territory, Río Muni, which is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south, and five small islands, Bioko, Corisco, Annobón, Elobey Chico (Small Elobey), and Elobey Grande (Great Elobey).

Lufthansa flights	Ethiopian Airlines flights
Air France flights	Royal Air Maroc flights

Dress code

Travellers to Guinea should pack loose, conservative clothing. Women should be sure their midriffs and thighs are covered by clothing. Skirts that go below the knee, long dresses, and long pants are all reasonable choices for women. Men should bring light long pants.

What to pack

Equatorial Guinea is worth a visit and here are some of the essential things you need to pack with you while travelling to the West African Nation.

• Sunglasses
• hut
• sunscreen
• Ziplock plastic bag to protect your things from dust
• European electrical adaptor
• Photocopies of visa
• Photocopies passport
• Light sleeping bag or sheet
• Full body clothing
• Enough snacks 
• A water bottle that can keep water cool.

Currency

The local currency is the Central African Franc (CFA), issued by the Banque des Etats de L’Afrique Centrale (BEAC). While traveling to Equatorial Guinea ensure you travel with cash especially new bills that you can exchange at the capital Malabo.

Money and Tipping

Central African Francs can be obtained in Malabo but you must bring the newest Euro bank notes with no writing, ink or any damage, Tipping is not expected in most restaurants and hotels. However, at those frequented by ex-pats, staff have come to expect a tip. Guides and private drivers also appreciate a tip of around 10% contact us for a tipping Guide for Equatorial Guinea.

Language

Spanish and French are Equatorial Guinea’s official languages. In July 2007, the president announced Portuguese would be the third official language. This was required in order for the country to become a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). This would allow the country to access academic and professional exchange programs, Native languages are commonly spoken along with Spanish, French, and others.

Electricity

Main cities in Equatorial Guinea have electricity but remote areas use more solar and we highly recommend travelling with a power bank and car chargers during your safari, For Equatorial Guinea there are two associated plug types, types C and E. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type E is the plug which has two round pins and a hole for the socket’s male earthing pin. Equatorial Guinea operates on a 220V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Expedition Leaders and Guides

As a standard of safari operations in West Africa, all our safaris are escorted by a tour leader from Malabo and along the way you will meet local guides who will take you to activities booked.

Accommodation

Malabo, formerly (until 1973) Santa Isabel, capital of Equatorial Guinea. It lies on the northern edge of the island of Bioko (or Fernando Po) on the rim of a sunken volcano. You will have decent accommodation but as you start travelling more to remote areas then accommodation services start to get scarce and you will have basic local lodges booking may be required.

Meals and drinks

The staple foods in Equatorial Guinea include cassava, bananas, rice, and yam with chicken, meat (often locally hunted game), and fish. Popular national dishes include chicken served in cream sauce with boiled plantain, grilled fish cooked with pumpkin seeds and served in leaves, and guinea fowl paella during your expedition you may be served either a continental dish or a local dish and our travel plan will always indicate the type of meals expected and for drinking water we will provide sealed drinking water for our clients throughout the safari.

Cell Phone and Internet availability

Depending on where you will be travelling there will be basic WIFI services at the hotels and they may require a password that will be provided by the lodge on arrival however we highly recommend purchasing a local SIM card that can help you make calls and use the internet by buying local data.

Laundry

Hotels provide laundry services but this may come at an extra cost usually washing is done by hand and you will need to give the hotel between 12-24 hours depending on the weather to be able to have the laundry ready.

Driving

People drive on the right side of the road. Compared with other countries in the region, the level of violent crime in Equatorial Guinea is low and there have been very few cases of nationals needing consular assistance. But self-drive may not be a good idea however a self-drive with a drive is recommended.

Smocking

Smocking in Public is strictly forbidden, travelers must always ask for smocking zones in places where they visit and use the designated places with ashtray.

Photography

Its more than allowed to take pictures in tourist sites but outside tourist places you will seek guidance from your tour leader just like anywhere in Africa, Military stations, police, prisons and presidential-affiliated destinations are strictly restricted with the No photography rule and we advise against taking pictures in such places.

Pack for purpose List

We do not recommend bringing food items with you to give out to the local population, we highly recommend bringing learning materials for the schools and communities near tourism areas these can be books, pens, colors, reading charts etc.

Equatorial Guinea today

Compared with other countries in the region, the level of violent crime in Equatorial Guinea is low and there have been very few cases of nationals needing consular assistance. But individual efforts to take extra caution should come in handy like reframing from walking at night.

Travel updates 

As our culture at Endless Plains Africa Ltd, we keep our clients updated before travelling to Equatorial Guinea, this will be through the channels that you used to book a safari with us, or a WhatsApp call from our offices in East Africa or Australia in case of any need be Health, security or any other disaster.