"Bobo," as it is often called, is home to the Bobo tribe. Originally a major slave-trading town, today it's primarily a commercial center (pop. 396,000). Some travelers rate this as their favorite West African city.
The best way to spend the day is by strolling the tree-lined streets, shopping or people-watching at a sidewalk cafe. Bobo residents are known as tea drinkers: If you stay there for any length of time, you will surely be invited to partake in the ritual of preparing and drinking the thick, strong, sugary brew. This can be an all-day activity and usually takes place under a mango tree.
Bobo has a number of small, good eateries, a decent pastry shop and the country's best market. Besides a wide selection of masks and animist paraphernalia, the market has the widest selection of mudcloth and other handmade textiles available in West Africa. Be sure to ask the merchants about the history behind the items.
Don't miss the city's Sudanese-style mosque, the railroad station (with its strange mix of ancient and modern architecture) and the cultural museum (regional masks, drums and full-sized replicas of traditional houses behind the museum). The French cultural center has a lovely garden and Lebanese restaurant, and is a good place to hang out and meet the city's elite. Cine Sanyon is one of the nicest cinemas in town. The pool at the Auberge Hotel can be used for a minimal fee. It's one of the most idyllic spots in the whole country and a nice break from the relentless heat.
A traditional music hub, the town is filled with lively open-air bars and discos, featuring balafon orchestras, calabash drummers and electronic music. Bobo also hosts the National Week of Culture every two years, celebrating the tradition and variety of Burkinabe music, dance, literature, food and sports.
An interesting ritual takes place by a pond near Dafra, 5 mi/8 km southeast of Bobo. Every weekday, villagers go out to the pond to sacrifice chickens to the enormous sacred catfish that inhabit it. If you go to see the fish, don't wear red: It's forbidden. There's also a lake near Satiri (25 mi/45 km northeast of Bobo) that is filled with hippos (and the parasite bilharzia—so don't go swimming). The unique village of Koro, sitting on the granite hills, 9 mi/14 km to the east of Bobo, has houses built into the rock and panoramic views of the area. On the road between Ouagadougou and Bobo is a town called Boromo, near which wild elephants are often seen roaming freely. Guides there will help you find them. Bobo is 180 mi/295 km southwest of Ouagadougou.
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