Before I began planning my African 2024 trips, I was worried about visiting Equatorial Guinea. I remember hearing that it was one of the most difficult visas to get anywhere in the world, but recently it became a lot easier and I was able to apply for the e-visa on https://equatorialguinea-evisa.com/, and it only took a few clicks, and I received the visa in a few days. If I would have planned this trip a few years ago, it would have been almost impossible to visit or it would require a lot of documentation.

The capital city is called Malabo, and it’s not on the mainland at all. It’s on an island nearby, and the country is split into two pieces, the mainland portion and the island portion, which I found to be really interesting why that part was chosen as the capital city. There weren’t a lot of options for hotels in Malabo. I stayed at the Ibis hotel, it was a bit pricey, but they included the breakfast buffet and there was also a nice swimming pool.

I walked around Malabo a couple of times and there wasn’t a whole lot to see or do, and limited tourists or tourist attractions. Malabo only recently opened up to tourism, and they are probably planning a couple of different projects for the future. It has the potential to be a great location, but with a lack of affordable hotels, no reliable airport buses or bus routes, and a small downtown district with only a few shops and bars, it might take a while to grow its tourism industry.

They use the Central African Franc, the same currency used in Cameroon, Gabon, Chad, Congo and the Central African Republic, so it was handy using the same notes once I got to Cameroon a few days later without having to change more USD.

I flew from Sao Tome and Principe and then made a quick transit in Gabon, a country that I was supposed to visit about a week later and spend a few days in Libreville, but got refused entry at the airport (long and frustrating story)

Overall, it was a quiet trip to Equatorial Guinea. It was relaxing, and I spent a lot of time by the pool at the hotel, and it was nice spending some time away from the vibrant cities in mainland Africa. Sometimes it’s better to relax and catch up on some much-needed rest.