Hed,
Previous answers are correct in indicating that the CFA zone countries are more expensive than you may think. The currency is fixed to the Euro at 655.957 CFA per Euro. If the currencies floated, it would be a different story!!
Independant cheap travel (backpacking and cheapest hotels) in Mali and Niger for me late 2001-early 2002 was about $US35 per day. Staying on the roof of a hotel would be about CFA4000-5000 per night. The 'occasional nice hotel ' in a capital city will be about the same price as a nice hotel in the West. (eg Bamako/Niamey)
Travellers cheques in Euros were surprisingly easy to change (Jan. 2002)in Agadez (Niger) at a reasonable, flat 2% commission.
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