As with nearly all cultures, song and dance are important rituals, and there are several Fang dances that you might be fortunate enough to stumble across. Among the most fascinating celebrations is the abira , a ceremony that helps cleanse the community of evil. Typically, dances in Equatorial Guinea are performed to music provided by an orchestra of three or four men. If you happen upon any of these celebrations, count yourself fortunate. Most Equatorial Guineans live in grinding poverty and, on the whole, have little money to be festive.
Equatorial Guinea is thick with vegetation.
Being an extinct volcano, Bioko has extremely rich soil, encouraging the rapid growth of trees and vines. Farmers spend much of their time keeping the ever-encroaching vines from overwhelming their cocoa plantations. Rio Muni, having been largely bypassed by the 20th century, is equally thick with vegetation and boasts an abundance of wildlife, including elephants, lions and gazelle. Equatorial Guinea is a rainy, tropical country. On Bioko Island the rainy season is from July through to January, while on the mainland, rainfall is lighter and peaks from April to May and from October to December.