#96 EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Equatorial Guinea is divided into two regions: one on the mainland called Río Muni, which borders Gabon and Cameroon, and one insular that includes the islands of Annabón and Bioko, where the capital city Malabo is located. I visited both regions of the country and can easily say that Bioko is more laid back than Río Muni, at least in terms of tourism-related bureaucracy and the movement of foreigners. I should note, however, that it was essential to have a tour guide arrange travel permits for going anywhere outside of Malabo, which isn't ideal, but it's the only way to go. Speaking Spanish also makes a world of difference as it is lingua franca in Equatorial Guinea, unlike French, Portuguese, or English in neighboring countries.

Before going to Equatorial Guinea, I heard many horror stories from other travelers about corruption, aggressive policemen, and arbitrary arrests. More than one person even assured me I'd have a gun put in my face at least once. I'm a seasoned traveler, so I took these warnings with a grain of salt, thankfully, as I didn't face any of these problems. We did have a few run-ins with internal border controls, but nothing unusual for the region. Long story short, if you're looking for an island paradise to chill out, head next door to São Tomé e Príncipe, but if you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path experience in a tropical police state, this is the place for you!

"Honor y gloria a los heroicos soldados caídos por una Guinea mejor - 3 de agosto de 1979"

Selfie on arrival with my trusty travelmate, Smokey! Malabo

Downtown Malabo

S.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

Any discussion of Equatorial Guinea usually begins with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has controlled the country since leading a coup in 1979 and is the second-longest consecutively serving current non-royal national leader in the world. Bookstores and kiosks throughout the country sell Obiang's many books on political philosophy, and no criticism or dissent is tolerated. Under Obiang's authoritarian rule, Equatorial Guinea has earned one of the worst human rights records in the world and faces severe problems with the sex trafficking of women and children, forced labor, press freedom, and institutionalized corruption.

Equatorial Guinea is also one of Africa's largest oil exporters, so it's no wonder that its GDP (adjusted for PPP) is on par with many European countries. However, these figures are seriously distorted as Obiang and his allies hold most of the country's wealth. The rest of the country is plagued by extreme poverty, which has earned Equatorial Guinea the unfortunate ranking of having the world's most unequal distribution of wealth (as measured by its Gini coefficient).

This inequality is easily perceived throughout the country, where hotels, transportation, and restaurants that cater to foreign oil workers (and tourists, by default) are grossly overpriced, but a decent meal of grilled chicken or fried fish in the street costs less than one US dollar. I still regularly get WhatsApp messages from people I met during my trip asking when I might come back and if I could help them find work in a foreign company because the situation in the country is so dire. Clearly, the country's standing on paper and on the ground is very different!

Beautiful beaches, Equatorial Guinea

Pargo colorado, the best grilled fish ever!

Chilling on the beach, Equatorial Guinea

Well, despite all the many awful challenges Equatorial Guinea faces, I was on vacation after all, and I wanted to relax by the beach. I found this on the mainland, not far from the city of Bata, where I spent a leisurely afternoon soaking up some sun. This was also where I ate the best meal of the trip: the most amazing crispy grilled pargo colorado, a relative of the red snapper. To begin with, it was good quality fish, and the owner of the restaurant told me it's a local species that likes to divide its time between freshwater and saltwater, which gives its meat a delicate texture and flavor. This might be the best grilled fish I've ever eaten, and I think back to it often and fondly.

Beach dogs are the best dogs, Equatorial Guinea

Coastal Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Dried fish in the local market, Río Muni

Catedral de Santa Isabel, Malabo

Of course, this isn't a particularly easy country to travel around, and our tour group faced a couple of issues along the way, mostly owing to expectations not meeting realities. Our tour guides weren't the greatest, and they often just left us with the driver as they had other errands to run. Also, pre-arranged permits were needed for every location we wanted to visit, as well as for our cameras (though not for smartphones). The visa is also expensive and hard to get, but thankfully as an American citizen, I had a visa-free entry. The roads are all good, and there's basically no traffic, so you can cover decent distances relatively quickly, which is a welcome relief from the grueling road travel you often find in neighboring countries. We did get stopped once or twice at military roadblocks to check our passports and travel permits, which is par for the course in an authoritarian military state. All in all, it wasn't nearly as awful an experience as I'd been led to believe by other travelers, and I did have some fun experiences along the way, but I'd also be hard-pressed to recommend it as a vacation destination to most people I know.