Sindou, Burkina Faso
One of Burkina Faso’s most spectacular landscapes, the Sindou Peaks are a narrow, craggy chain featuring a fantastic array of tortuous cones sculpted by the elements. Located about 50km west of Banfora, this geological fantasyland is ideal for hiking. Coming from Banfora, the main gateway is about 1km before the entrance to Sindou town. There’s a little booth staffed by guides from the local tourism cooperative Association Djiguiya. Run by the brilliant Tiémoko Ouattara, it promotes responsible travel and offers a range of services to travellers: anything from half-day walks to multiday treks in Sénoufo country with sunrise breakfast in the peaks, moped and cycling tours, cultural activities and homestays.
The association runs the friendly Campement Soutrala in Sindou. Facilities are spartan (bucket showers, no electricity) and meals must be ordered two hours in advance (mains CFA800 to CFA2000), but it’s a good base if you’d like to spend time in the area rather than visit on a day trip from Banfora. There is a handful of taxis-brousses plying the dirt road (slated to be surfaced in 2013) between Sindou and Banfora every day. Consider chartering a taxi for the day (CFA25,000) to make it more expedient.
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