A radio drifts from a taxi window, voices call across a market, and a drum pattern gets rehearsed in a courtyard as the evening cools. The country is narrow, running from a warm coastline up through green hills to open savanna, and each stretch has its own beat.

The climate is tropical savanna, warm all year, with two rainy seasons in the south and a dry season of dusty winds. Plan loosely, leave room for an invitation to a dance or a gathering, and let a Local Friend walk beside you instead of ahead, so every unfamiliar sound comes with its story.