Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It is also the only Spanish speaking country on the continent. Since the discovery of oil in the country, Equatorial Guinea joined the club of high-income category and became the third largest exporter of oil in sub-Saharan Africa. The country boasts some of the most incredible beaches on the western coast.

Traveling info

All visitors traveling to Equatorial Guinea are required to have a valid passport. Citizens of some countries may enter Equatorial Guinea without the requirement of a visa whilst all others must obtain a visa before arriving in the country.
Visitors who wish to drive in Equatorial Guinea must have both their domestic driving permit and an international driving permit to legally drive in the country. Visitors must beware that IDP does not substitute for the original driving permit and is only a translation of it. Both documents must be with the driver at all times. An IDP may only be obtained from the driving department in the visitor’s country of origin.

Traveling hazards

Generally, Equatorial Guinea’s road networks are increasingly well developed. Nevertheless, livestock and pedestrians still create road hazards. New road construction and repair is taking place all over the country, and road conditions have improved markedly over the course of the past year. If you plan on staying in Equatorial Guinea and driving around the country for any length of time, you should attempt to purchase a cell phone for assistance in case of an emergency. Travelers outside the limits of Malabo and Bata will encounter military roadblocks. You should be prepared to show proper identification and to explain your reason for being at that particular location. The personnel staffing these checkpoints normally do not speak or understand English or French, travelers who do not speak Spanish should have their reason for being in the country and their itinerary written down in Spanish before venturing into the countryside.

Environmental hazards

A vast portion of Equatorial Guinea is covered in a dense tropical forest. Despite the small size of the country, there are numerous species of animals some of which are potentially dangerous to humans. There are two species of elephants found in the country, the African bush elephant and African forest elephant. These are the largest land animals on earth and despite not being aggressive, their sheer size is dangerous. If startled or angered these animals can easily trample people to death, flip over cars and even break trees. Hippopotamuses can be found in the freshwaters of Equatorial Guinea. Despite looking docile they are dangerous and fierce when attacking intruders. Hippopotamuses are responsible for more deaths across Africa than lions, crocodiles, and elephants taken together. Freshwaters of EG are inhabited by crocodiles. Crocodiles are apex predators meaning that attacks on humans are possible. These animals are nocturnal meaning that attacks are more likely to happen during the night. Despite only a single recorded shark attack off the coast of EG, there is a possibility of such incident occurring. Bull sharks lurk both in the shallow coastal waters and are capable of swimming up freshwater rivers and striking from there. They are considered one of the most aggressive shark species.
Despite the occurrence of earthquakes these are rare and have not taken place in the past couple of decades. Floods, however, are frequent and often cause damage to urban areas, infrastructure and even claim lives.

Health hazards

The government of Equatorial Guinea also requires proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever. Apart from this requirement, everyone arriving from countries without the risk of yellow fever, are also strongly recommended to get vaccinated against yellow fever. Apart from yellow fever, there are several other vaccines which are strongly recommended. These are the routine vaccines aka MMR vaccines, hepatitis A and B, typhoid and rabies vaccines. Unfortunately, there are no vaccinations against malaria and Zika virus. Mosquitoes in Equatorial Guinea often carry the diseases. Pregnant women are strongly recommended to reconsider traveling to EG. There are alternative ways to protect against contracting either of the diseases. Mosquito nets and mosquito repellants use is advised. There is also medicine on prescription against malaria which should be available after contacting your local general practitioner. Public healthcare services are delivered for free for the citizens of Equatorial Guinea however expats are expected to pay. Visitors will be able to receive quality healthcare in Malabo and in Bata. Quality of service outside of Malabo and Bata might be poor. Private healthcare services are almost exclusive to Malabo and Bata. These however come at a greater expense but provide a much better quality of service than public facilities.
There is no official emergency ambulance number in Equatorial Guinea.

Crime

Criminals consider Malabo and Bata prime grounds for operations due to the number of people, businesses, and areas of congestion. Congested urban areas can be dangerous at night, but daytime incidents are also possible. The presence of other people should not be taken as an indication of increased security, as victims report being robbed in broad daylight in the presence of witnesses. Crime increases during the Christmas holiday season. Crime affects urban and rural areas due to limited police presence. The most common crime reported by visitors is extortion by corrupt police and members of other security forces.
Theft of unattended items, specifically cash and cellular phones, is the second most common crime reported by tourists. Criminals often target victims based on perceived affluence and vulnerability. Walking around late at night, either alone or in a group is discouraged due to a heightened risk of crime. There is no risk of terrorism in Equatorial Guinea. Narcotics are strictly illegal in Equatorial Guinea however due to the inefficiency of the local police, drugs are widely available.

Summary

Equatorial Guinea like most the countries in the vicinity offers amazing safari trips on the mainland and a variety of different attractions on the capital island. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/equatorial-guinea/passport-visa/
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/equatorial-guinea
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/yellow-fever#5291