We recommend a minimum stay of 5 days to be able to enjoy the different excursions offered by our hotel and get to know the National Park and its community.
Yes, the hotel has a laundry service for a fee.
In accordance with the recommendations of the health authorities, the hotel has an internal activity register to track contact between people inside the hotel.
All hotel employees undergo a temperature check twice a day, at the start and end of their shift, and their uniforms are washed daily at a temperature above 60ºC.
Hydroalcoholic gel dispensers have been placed in the reception and common areas, and guests are encouraged to make repeated use of them.
Due to the new measures adopted to deal with COVID-19, the hotel managers have arranged shifts, informing the guests which shift applies to them.
Restaurant and bar services are always provided in the open-air areas.
The chairs and tables in the restaurant and bar must not be moved, as these have been placed at a distance of 1.5 metres from each other. Should it be necessary to move them, only the waiting staff may do so, respecting social distancing measures.
Moreover, to ensure hygiene, cloth tablecloths have been replaced with plastic fabrics and cloth napkins have been replaced with disposable paper napkins. In the case of glasses and crockery, these are washed at very high temperatures (80ºC) to maximise cleanliness.
The hotel restaurant has a public toilet which is cleaned and disinfected several times a day. This contains disposable paper towels, soap and hydroalcoholic gel dispensers.
Finally, to reinforce all the above-mentioned measures, the restaurant’s waiting staff all wear masks and, after each table is vacated, the tables and chairs used are disinfected with a soap and water solution.
In compliance with the regulations imposed by the country’s health authorities, masks must be worn throughout the hotel premises except in the guests’ rooms, when shared with people from the same bubble. Masks should also be worn inside any boats and cars used for transport and when in contact with local people during the visits included in some of our routes.
Thanks to your donations and your stays at the Orango Parque Hotel, we can improve the living conditions for the Bijagó people from the islands in the Orango National Park and preserve the natural environment they inhabit.
Yes. You can also transfer the money or deposit it directly into our donations account to support our projects and thereby improve the living conditions of the Bijagó people and the national park where they live. In order to send you the donation certificate, make sure you send us your details at donaciones associacao-guinebissauorango.com together with proof of the transfer.
Bank:
Account holder Associaçao Guine Bissau Orango
If you’ve changed your contact details recently, such as your home or email address, or if you want to alter any details regarding your collaboration, you can contact us via this email address: donaciones associacao-guinebissauorango.com
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Guinea Bissau does not have an Embassy in London. For travel visa applications, contact the Guinea Bissau Embassy in Paris at 94 Rue St Lazare for further information.
Tel. (+33) 1 48 78 36 69
E-mail: ambaguineebxo@wanadoo.fr
Visas are also processed on arrival at the airport in Bissau, costing €85.
The best time to visit Guinea-Bissau is between October and June, during the dry and warm season.
Guinea Bissau was a Portuguese colony and the official language is Portuguese. Lots of other languages are spoken and creole is used as lingua franca.
Guinea Bissau, like other West African countries, is the ideal destination for travellers seeking adventure holidays. The level of services and comfort is very low by European standards.
Public services are extremely scarce. In exchange however, the experience is authentic, the people are wonderful and nature is abundant.
We cannot expect great luxury, but we can expect hospitality and a warm welcome.
Road communications cannot be compared with those of Europe and very often transport is along dirt tracks where the use of 4×4 vehicles is mandatory.
Boat transport depends greatly on the weather and the tides, there are no shipping ports.
Guinea Bissau is an extremely safe country. The main problem, as in other areas, tends to be petty theft therefore visitors are advised to look after their valuables, particularly in busy areas such as markets.
There is no reason to advise people not to travel with children; however, the issues outlined in the preceding chapter about travelling in Guinea Bissau should be taken into account.
To deal with COVID-19, Orango Parque Hotel has implemented extreme cleaning measures, ensuring all occupied rooms are cleaned and disinfected once a day. Additionally, every time a guest checks out, all their bed linen and towels are professionally washed (at 60ºC).
The security measures are such in the Orango Parque Hotel that we can even leave our keys behind, in any event the rooms are locked.
The electrical sockets are 220V and devices can be charged without any problem. Electricity is provided by a solar system that accumulates energy throughout the day, therefore, it is advisable to charge all types of batteries before nightfall.
The Orango Parque Hotel has 3 boats that can be rented prior reservation that transfer tourists to the Orango Island from Quinhamel, a village close to Bissau. The journey takes around 4 hours. The price of the transfer depends on the number of occupants.
The duration between the islands of the Bijagós Archipelago depends on the distance, but it normally ranges between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
There is a public transport that comes once a week to Orango from Bissau, as well as other boats that can be rented to go to Orango.
The hotel has a bar-restaurant run by local staff. The cuisine is simple yet varied, combining native products with imported products, resulting in dishes that offer tradition and modernity that will delight any palate. The speciality is fresh fish, which may be served grilled or baked in the traditional method and is highly appreciated by visitors to the Orango Parque Hotel.
The abundance of fresh fish and seasonal fruits is quite impressive.
If you have any special food requirements it is advisable to check with the hotel about these in advance: Allergies, intolerance, etc.
The bar serves all types of spirits, beer, wine, sangria or the hotel’s special cocktails such as caipiriña.
No outside food and drink is allowed.
You can relax, enjoy the beach, gaze at the incredible starry sky, walk, enjoy wild nature, birdwatching, collect shellfish, take a trip in a kayak, fish, discover the exceptional Orango National Park, visit the Eticoga tabanka (a Bijagó village where you will discover the Bijagó culture an learn all about the traditions of its people and their everyday lives), spend time in the open air with family and friends.
If you are staying at the Orango Parque Hotel entrance fees to the National Park are already included in the price of your stay.
The Orango Parque Hotel has a small shop selling homemade local products made on the islands by local artisans, offering perfect authentic souvenirs for you to take home with you.
The rooms are also decorated with local arts and crafts and these are also for sale.
Tips are not mandatory, people may choose whether to tip but they are never included in the price.
It is advisable to travel with comfortable clothes and footwear in order to fully enjoy all that this natural paradise has to offer.
T-shirts and shorts are recommended during the day and long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt in the evenings to avoid insect bites at night.
Do not forget your sun cream and hat or cap to protect your face and neck from the sun and insect repellent. It is also wise to take a warm item of clothing for the occasional cold evening or when travelling by boat as well as a raincoat.
Strong shoes, not boots, are essential for long walks. Waterproof sandals or other types of shoes are advisable for walking along the beach, through streams and walking through the muddy puddles you will come across on the routes.
Do not forget your camera with a spare battery.
There are very few luggage trolleys at the airport and luggage restrictions are limited. A flexible case is the best and most practical option for travelling by boat and by car.
Guests are strongly requested not to throw cigarette butts anywhere within the hotel or the National Park.
The National Park is not equipped with bins and you will have to carry any waste you generate to then deposit it in the areas intended for waste or in the hotel’s wastepaper baskets.
Guinea Bissau is a destination that is not equipped with facilities or infrastructures adapted to persons with reduced mobility. It is advisable to inform us of any special requirements before booking in order to establish whether we can accommodate your needs.
Remember that you are travelling to a protected natural area and animals are not permitted, except guide dogs.
The Orango Parque Hotel is located in Guinea Bissau, a West African country to the south of Senegal. Specifically, the hotel is located on the Orango Grande Island, one of the 88 islands, which forms part of the Bijagós archipelago, declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1996.
Guinea Bissau has a hot, humid and generally tropical climate throughout the year with little temperature fluctuations.
The climate in Guinea-Bissau is tropical and humid, with a tropical rainy season between June and October, making road transport difficult and a dry and warm season between December and May, with frequent sea breezes. The warmest season of the year is between March and May.
There is currently no requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before entering the country, nor is there any requirement to have a health passport.
However, before you travel you should check the requirements set by your home country, Guinea Bissau and the airline you’re flying with.
The most advisable option is by air, although you can travel from Senegal using a combination of means.
The entry point to the country by air is the Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB) located in Bissau, 7 kilometres from the city.
Check the different airlines that offer direct or connecting flights from your country to Guinea Bissau.
Guinea Bissau is two hours behind Spain in summer and 1 hour behind in winter.
The currency of Guinea Bissau is the CFA franc. The country doesn’t have many banking services so it’s advisable to exchange currency in the capital, Bissau. Bank cards can be used in the capital to withdraw money and card payments are also accepted in some of the city’s hotels. In any case, it’s important to ensure you have enough cash for your stay in the country, just in case.
The exchange rate is fixed: €1= 655.957 CFA francs, although each exchange office will charge its own fee.
It is advisable to drink bottled mineral water.
The Orango Parque Hotel is a complex made up of fully equipped bungalows furnished to a high level of comfort, well above the country’s average.
The buildings respect the local architecture and the environment, blending perfectly into the surroundings.
They only have a capacity for 28 people, thus ensuring guests receive an exclusive and personalised service.
It comprises 8 African-style bungalows, two of them have 4 double rooms each and the other six are single bungalows for 2 people each.
The rooms have a bathroom, a shower, a bed with mosquito net and they are situated only a few metres from the white sandy beaches.
All the Orango Parque Hotel rooms have private bathrooms.
Some of the bungalows, such as those on the beach, include running hot water for your convenience, although the island’s temperatures tend to encourage visitors to take a refreshingly cool shower. The bungalows further away from the beach don’t have running hot water, although guests can ask for a receptacle of hot water to be provided.
The Orango Parque Hotel does not have coverage for international telephones however there is coverage for local mobile phones. You can purchase a telephone card and recharge your phone card in Bissau and use unlocked mobile terminals.
The Orango Parque Hotel has 3 boats (Piskavalho, Kavens and Entanke) all of which are used to transport visitors. Piskavalho and Kavens have a maximum seating capacity of 7 passengers and Entanke has room for 14 passengers.
All the boats are built and insured in France. Helmets are made of aluminium and they are unsinkable.
The boats are equipped with a main outboard motor, a safety outboard motor, lifejackets, raincoats, radio, GPS and a first aid kit.
We use 4-stroke outboard engines in our boats, drastically reducing the level of noise produced and pollution due to exhaust fumes, minimising the impact on marine species.
The boats are available to tourists for transfers, excursions, no-kill fishing trips and they are also used to serve the local community by supporting the Eticoga health centre (the small village closest to the hotel) for transporting patients.
Regarding the measures adopted to deal with COVID, both the boats and cars used by Orango Parque Hotel to transport its guests are cleaned and disinfected after each use. Inside, where masks must also be worn, there is also a hydroalcoholic gel dispenser for general use.
A continental breakfast with tea and coffee, bread, sponge cake and homemade fresh pancakes served with seasonal fruit such as papaya, bananas and mango.
Lunch is pasta or rice with cockles, fish, meat and all served with vegetables.
Dinner combines a vegetable, fish or legume soup with a fish or meat dish served with a salad.
In order to ensure guest safety, where possible condiments and accompaniments are presented in individual, disposable single-dose formats.
Excursions are an essential part of the trip. You can find out more about all there is to offer in the relevant website section.
Minimum physical conditions are required for routes or excursions given the length of these and the type of activities involved.
The guides who are in charge of the excursions organised by Orango Parque Hotel have been trained to implement safety measures during the different routes. They will inform guests of the protocols to be followed in each case, especially when interacting with the local population.
The Orango Parque Hotel services can be paid beforehand from your country of origin.
Services and expenses generated in the hotel can only be paid in cash in CFA Francs or in euros. Credit cards are not accepted. At the airport you can withdraw money by card from an ATM. There are also several ATMs in the city of Bissau. Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks and exchange offices in the capital. You can also exchange foreign currency at the Orango Parque Hotel but only euros to CFA francs.
We ask guests to use hand disinfectant gels before making payments.
Eticoga, the closest small village to the Orango Parque Hotel, has a small medical centre for the local population. Private clinics in Bissau are located four hours away by boat from the island of Orango, therefore it is essential that anyone needing medication should bring this with them from their country of origin.
The boats, the hotel and the guides are equipped with first aid kits during excursions.
All travellers are recommended to take out travel insurance that covers them in the country and in the event of repatriation, containing the relevant clauses regarding health cover in the event of becoming infected with COVID-19.
The hotel has a protocol to be followed in the case a guest presents symptoms compatible with COVID-19. After safely isolating the guest, those responsible for the guest’s private medical insurance are contacted and, if deemed appropriate, the guest is evacuated by boat to Bissau, to be treated by the medical staff at the private hospital specified by their medical insurance.