Dédougou
Dédougou is a city of 43,000 people (2012) in Burkina Faso.
Understand
Mostly Jula speakers, but like most places here you can find most major ethnic groups and languages represented.
It is the capital city of Mouhoun Province and Boucle du Mouhoun Region. The main ethnic groups are the Marka and the Bwa. It is the 9th largest city in Burkina Faso.
Get in
By bus and taxi-brousse
- Ouagadougou to Dédougou 3000 CFA. E.D.BA.F. provides daily service at approximately 08:00 and 09:00. Reservations need to be made by calling the night before. The buses fill up fast and if you are not at the bus station by 07:30 your seat will be given away.
- Dédougou to Ouagadougou 3000 CFA. E.D.BA.F. is you best bet with twice daily transportation first bus leaving around 08:00 and then next one theoretically at 09:30, but actually whenever it arrives from Nouna. Reservations will need to be made by visiting the local E.D.BA.F. office in Dedougou (see map for location or just ask) Not all buses are equipped with racks for bikes so you need to ask the night before when you make your reservation, or you could be stuck at the gare waiting for a bus that does.
- Nouna to Dédougou 1500 CFA. You can either take the 07:00 E.D.BA.F (if it's there) or you can take one of the various taxi brousse services. Et Freres provides daily trips to Dedougou leaving at around 16:00.
- Bobo-dioulasso to Dédougou
- Dédougou to Bobo-dioulasso. There are no major bus services to Bobo, but you can find a bush taxi to take you there. There are two regular cars that leave on alternating days, and your best bet is to just ask at the gare when you get there.
- Dédougou to Boromo 1500 CFA. Solidarité provides daily service to Boromo via Safane.
By car
Dédougou is linked to Bobo-Dioulasso by a tarmac road, the national road 10 which continues north to Ouahigouya. Running east-west, national road 14 connects the city to Koudougou. Towards the west the national road continues to the border of Mali and the town of San.
See
Check out the giant “Golden Chicken Nugget”, a.k.a Place de la Femme.
Do
- Festival International des Masques et des Arts (FESTIMA). A biennial international festival, held in March in even-numbered years, celebrating traditional cultural masks. FESTIMA features masks and traditions from several West African countries.
Buy
Marché
Daily marché. The selection is exactly like any other marché in Burkina.
Boutiques
Like most larger cities in Burkina, Dédougou has many boutiques. One however offers many things you can rarely find outside of Ouagadougou. They carry a good assortment of canned vegetables, liquors, and juices. They even have canned mushrooms and bean sprouts for stir-fry.
Eat
- Prestige. They offer everything from grilled and sautéed chicken, french fries, salads, omelets. You name it, they can probably make it. Prices are cheap with chicken being the most expensive item, about 1500 CFA.
Street food and snacks
You can order cheese by going to the above-mentioned boutique and requesting cheese. It is made at a nearby Catholic mission and can be delivered the following day. The prices vary, but it is around 5000 CFA per kilo. They make Camembert and at least one other kind.
Some of the best street food in Dédougou is made by Jillene’s taste. The street running from the gare to the marche is full of people selling the usual Burkinabe street food.
Drink
There are many drinking bars in Dédougou, and there is even one really cool dance club.
Sleep
- Hôtel Routières: This is probably the most convenient hotel in Dedougou. It is in the gare, and is very cheap. One person pays 2750 CFA a night. This goes up to 4000 CFA with two persons. Amenities: double bed, floor fan, desk and chair, in-room shower and sink, shared toilets outside of room (this is actually a plus when your rooming with someone). There are no screens or mosquito nets.
- Hôtel Commerce: This hotel is a good walk from the gare (station), but worth the walk. They have rooms with fans and rooms with air-conditioning the latter being more expensive. The price range is approximately 4000-7000 CFA. There is no change in price for extra persons. Amenities: double beds, fans or A/C, screens, in-room shower and toilet (some rooms don't have toilet), restaurant and cold beverages.
- Hôtel Loba: This is by far the most aesthetically pleasing hotel in Dédougou with beautiful clean rooms and nicely landscaped gardens. This comes with a price however rooms range from 4000 CFA for rooms with fans up to 12,000 CFA for rooms with AC. There is also a strange price discrepancy between the old and new sections of the hotel. This is definitely a place to stay when family or friends with money visit, or if you want to have a special night with that special person. Amenities: Double beds, fans or A/C, screens and mosquito nets, in-room bathrooms, they may have a restaurant up and running now but don't count on it.
Connect
Post Office
Normal post, normal times.
Internet
There is one reliable internet café in Dédougou, although many other buildings have signs touting the service. The price now is about 1500 CFA an hour. The internet speed is dependent on how many users are utilizing it, so avoid peak times. You can use the computers for free for typing, but make sure they know you do not want to use the internet, or they may try and charge you.