Need cash when I land, best place in Equatorial Guinea? Airport or places in the city?
Best strategy in Equatorial Guinea is: change €20-€40 at the airport for your taxi, then wait until Malabo or Bata for proper banking. BGFIBank and Ecobank are the safest bets for ATMs. Always carry a Visa card - Mastercard often fails. Euros are the easiest currency to exchange at bureaux de change in Malabo, while USD is less popular. If you’re travelling outside the two main cities, bring enough CFA cash because ATMs are rare.
My Revolut Mastercard didn’t work at Malabo airport’s ATM at all, and the exchange counter gave me an awful rate for USD. Later in Bata, I struggled again at smaller banks, but finally got cash at Ecobank on Avenida de la Libertad with my Visa card. Lesson: airport exchange is a rip-off, and outside Malabo or Bata, ATMs are scarce and unreliable. Carry some euros or CFA francs as a backup if you’re travelling inland.
I landed in Malabo and exchanged €30 at the airport counter for transport. The next morning, I went to BGFIBank near the Sipopo area and used my Wise Visa card at their ATM. Worked smoothly with no hassle. A fellow traveller at Yoli’s Guesthouse told me Ecobank in downtown Malabo also worked fine for her Monzo Visa. Honestly, just use the airport for pocket change, then rely on ATMs in the city for better rates.
At Malabo International Airport, there are exchange counters, but the rates are very poor. Most travellers change a small amount there for taxis and then head into Malabo city for better deals. In town, you’ll find ATMs and branches of BGFIBank, Ecobank, and CCEI Bank, which are far more reliable. ATMs along Avenida de la Independencia usually accept Visa cards, though Mastercard can be hit-or-miss. If you’re heading to Bata, stick with Ecobank or BGFIBank ATMs downtown.