Ouagadougou - Post Report Question and Answers
Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
It hasn't been great for singles. There aren't a lot of single-friendly activities. It's good for couples or families as most events center around people getting to know each other through school events, play dates, etc. - Jun 2020
Families with children seemed the happiest. - Oct 2019
Ouagadougou is not really a pleasant environment for anybody. Families with young children appear to adapt the most easily. - Jul 2019
I doubt it is a good city for singles. It is such a small community there are few other singles with which to socialize and not many places to meet them. I wouldn’t consider it a good city for anyone. The lack of anything but the most basic of amenities means there is little to do and day-to-day life is uneventful and monotonous. Even something as routine as taking a walk, going for a run, or riding a bike can be unpleasant due to traffic, livestock and their waste in the streets, open burning, the intense heat and poor air quality. Families with young children seem to do the best. - Jul 2019
I think it's easier to come here as a couple or a family. It takes some time and effort to find your niche to be happy here. It can get lonely for singles. Singles tend to socialize with others outside the embassy community and/or with the Marines. Dating opportunities are limited. Many singles take advantage of local and regional travel opportunities. - Dec 2017
Families and couples seem to do the best here. There are singles, but it seems like a difficult environment to meet people, especially if you don't speak French. The vast majority of the expat community here is francophone. - May 2016
Families with younger kids tend to enjoy living here, despite the lack of organized things to do. People get together often and enjoy spending time together swimming or eating out. Older kids might feel bored without a lot to do (no movie theaters, malls, etc). Couples and singles who enjoy an active nightlife would probably find Ouaga boring, and the expat community is limited, particularly for those hoping to date. - Aug 2015
It's a very family friendly city. I think it's a bit tough for singles and I hear some complaining about the dating scene. It was fine for us as a couple, but we're homebodies. - Jun 2015
The singles crowd right now seems to have a good time together. New Year's Eve included dancing and bar hopping. There are not too many outside activities, so we spend a lot of time at home with our kids. Fortunately, we don't mind that. We use our pool most of the year, ride bikes around the neighborhood when it isn't outrageously hot, a lot of board games, wii bowling championships, etc. - Jan 2015
This is a great place for all. There are many things to do and many groups for running, biking, dance, trivia, gaming etc. - Jul 2013
I think families with small children and couples have had the best time. There a lot of playgroup opportunities and couples usually travel quite a bit outside of the country, which seems to make a big difference. Singles honestly have nothing to do but play board games and sit by the pool. Teenagers have few options for entertainment and only a limited number of other teenagers to make friends with. Traveling outside of the country can be financially prohibitive for larger families. - Jul 2013
Parents seem content, but children seem bored here. Couples make do, but singles are nothing short of miserable. - Apr 2013
Families: absolutely. You will be surrounded by other families with children. There are lots of events at homes (game nights, parties, trick-or-treat at Halloween, school events, etc). Couples: not as great, but not bad. There aren't a lot of couples without children, but enough to have a social circle. Singles are pretty unhappy. There's not much of a nightlife to speak of, very few other expatriate singles, and the few singles I do know here just work all the time and don't seem to be that happy. - Nov 2012
It is very good for families. Singles find it a bit rough, but there are lots of things to do. The international community is large. - Aug 2010
This is definitely a family post. It is very quiet - but we've got lots of kids and social functions tend to revolve around them and their activities. That said, a post is what you make of it and there is a thriving Bunco group, book club, and movie night social scene. - Jul 2008
Ouaga is what you make of it. There is plenty of night life, a lot of good restaurants and even a bowling alley. - Jun 2008
