Banfora – The Heart of Flora

Banfora does bloom a new heart with the diversity of flora to dapple its green forestry with traces of vibrant colors spread everywhere. The cashew trees bear large flowers to support hefty fruit, Fuschia bougainvillea hedges get draped with entire growth of pink flowers, while the Cactus Slacker matures at a snail’s pace to spruce out bundles of petals once every ten years.

As visitors get ferried by traditional African pirogue over the Tangela Lake to catch a sight of the native Hippo herd, the floating flower lilies form a layer over the calm waters. On a passing sight, it would appear as if the boats are floating upon the leafy land. The Sindou peaks form their own enclave in the green savannah, with naturally carved flat projections of rocks towering enough to leave no horizon uncovered.

Not amazed enough? Sindou was just a starter; rock formations go even more bizarre around Banfora. Enter the “Domes de Febedougou”, where anthill mounds of red rock spirally incline to a smooth, uniform height. The ‘red rock’ won’t be a surprise here. The red earth of Burkina reaps its true colour when it goes wet in the monsoon rains every season.  The shallow ravine of Karfiguela falls would be tempting enough to take a plunge of refreshing coolness under the hot African sun.

In the land of the honest people-Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou flights are the main option for air travel access. TravelHouse UK traces Ethiopian airlines and Brussels airlines with economical airfare for the trip. From the capital, it’s either the train or the road for making the 400 km journey to Banfora, worth it to discover the natural grace it hosts secluded from the rest of Burkina Faso. It’s a question which strikes any visitors sooner or later, but a primary interest would indeed be the recommended accommodation in Banfora. Among its options, the best of what the city has spawned is the Hotel Sugar Cane, or Hotel Canne a Sucre, owing to the phenomenal French influence in the region.

The hotel’s location is such perfectly set that your stay will revolve around this same place. Call it a countryside setup or a primitive African village, the Sugar Cane Hotel has paved pathways between individual rooms alongside gardens burgeoning with ample growth of greenery. The Hotel’s restaurant is composed of a deck under a large hut, with open-air ambience to allow guests to view the surrounding forestry. Air-conditioned, with adequate furniture to let you settle in a comfortable stay, the rooms never fall short of what’s necessarily needed.

The Bungalows boast of an archaic African fashion, with polished wooden cabinets and patterned bedspreads leaving ample space in every room. They become more of a highlight from the outside; a tropical garden terraced in front of a medium sized pool. Whether one needs to sunbathe or take a plunge, it’s all on the doorstep.

With a series of villages around the area, a range of ethnic families and tribes are settled which give art its name in Burkina. Bronze sculptures gouge out reality from each piece, while woodcarving, weaving, basketry, pottery and leatherwork are among the various skills at hand for local employment. The natives follow a simple and underprivileged way of living, often viewed carrying firewood on bicycles or fruit baskets atop their heads for sale. Most of them are settled in encampments of micro-sized villages, compact perky huts made of straw in the middle of ploughed fields for harvesting.