An artificial beach of a luxury hotel in Sipopo, a town in Equatorial Guinea that was purpose-built to showcase the nation’s richness. — AFP
Gleaming but eerily empty, the luxurious Sipopo resort with its five-star hotels and exclusive facilities rises from a tropical beach, symbolising the dilemma of Equatorial Guinea – a notoriously closed country that has turned to tourism to help fill its coffers.
The purpose-built town was carved out of an ancient forest in 2011 at a cost of US$670mil (RM2.8bil), initially to host a week-long African Union summit and showcase the rise of the tiny oil-rich state.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
