Guinea travel info

Guinea- Sierra Leone: 14 days,  Dec 07- Jan 08

• INTRO GUINEA

• THE TRAVEL IN GUINEA (Impressions)

• PHOTOS OF GUINEA

• FUNNY STORIES

• TIPS FOR GUINEA

• PRINTABLE FORMAT

INTRO GUINEA

Kind of travel:
Alone in a 100% independent travel

When:
24th Dec07- 05th Jan08

Do I need a visa?
Yes, I easily got in Italy (40 euro, 3 months valid). You cannot get it at the airport

How I moved:
shared taxis and minibus reach most of the villages and the main roads are paved, but still travelling is a pain since one seat is at least for two people (and maybe with one child)

Freezing or baking?
Dry season (Dec- Jan) is the best period of the year to visit the country. It's hot (24-28 C) and a little humid, but never unpleasantly

Where I slept:
no shortage of cheap guesthouses, however electricity and running water are unreliable

What I liked:
the 100km by motorbike through the remote area from Kabala (Sierra Leone) to Faranah and the tasty Guilluxe beer!!

IMPRESSIONS ABOUT GUINEA

It could be I didn't spent that much time in the country, it could be I used it more as an harbour to my real destination Sierra Leone, it could be I've some prejudices on the ex-France colonises (sorry I'm a human being), it could be at that time there were a lot of strikes and riots against Contè, but frankly I didn't get mad for Guinea Conakry. The green hilly trekking area of Fouta Djalon won't disappoint you and generally I didn't experience all the bribing I was expecting, but there was something dodgy in the way people were approaching me. Anyway the main concern for you will be the stability of a country really ready to engage a civil war against his dictator.
Now it's safe, but keep updated!

Alby

THE TRAVEL IN GUINEA

[Entering from Sierra Leone]

In Kabala I organised the 100km motorbike trip across the remote region of Sierra Leone bordering with Guinea. The next day I left early, and it was a loooong day. (read about it)
More than a road it turned out to be a trail, where few parts were diffult even by a powerful motorbike. Changing bike at the border and passing several check-points I made it to the Guinean town of Faranah where I took a shared taxi to Mamou (3h)
From here easily I reached Dabala, a good place where to settle down to do some walks in the Fouta Djalon region. This is a bucolic hilly area plenty of waterfalls, easy tracks and several possibilities to sleep in the villages.
From Mamou it took terrible 8 hours packed with other 4 people on the front seats of a Peoguet 505 to get to Conakry. Here, after experiencing the tear-gases shot by the militaries to some riots against the dictator Condè, I flew back home.

Alby