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From Wikitravel

Guinea is a former French colony that borders Guinea-Bissau and Senegal to the north, Mali on the north and north-east, Côte d'Ivoire to the east and Liberia and Sierra Leone to the south. Unrest in Sierra Leone has spilled across the border, creating humanitarian emergencies and threatening the stability of this country.

[edit] Regions

Guinee Maritime (Conakry) coastal Guinea, the home of the Susu people and culture and the capital city

Moyenne Guinee (Dalaba) also known as Fouta Djallon, mostly hills and mountains in the interior with a relatively cool climate and home of the Pular (Peuls) people

Haute Guinee (Kankan, National Park of the Upper Niger) the sub-Sahelian region mostly bordering Mali, bisected by the Niger River and home to the Malinke people

Guinee Forestiere (Beyla, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve) the southeastern region bordering Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, home to the Toma, Lissi and other eyhinic groups who have retained very ancient beliefs and rituals

[edit] Cities

• Conakry — capital
• Kankan — the second city
• Beyla
• Kindia
• Forécariah
• Labé
• Boké / Kamsar
• Mamou
• Faranha
• Kissidougou
• N'zérékoré
• Lola
• Guéckédou
• Dalaba — a small town often dubbed the "Switzerland of Guinea" because of its relatively mild temperatures and nice scenery.
• Dabola

[edit] Other Destinations

• Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site partially in Guinea and partially in Cote d'Ivoire.
• National Park of the Upper Niger (Haut Niger National Park) — an important park in the northeast of the country.

[edit] Understand

Guinea is a remarkable country with very warm, genuine people but little infrastructure. While they have tremendous natural resources available to them (which includes around one half of the world's reserves of bauxite, and many major gold, jewel, and metal industries), they rate very poorly in the UN's quality of life index.

Guinea belonged to a series of empires until France colonized it in the 1890s, and made it part of French West Africa. Guinea declared its independence from France on 2 October 1958 and has had only two rulers since. The first president, socialist Ahmed Sékou Touré, faced a lot of criticism from the West for alleged human rights violations and suppression of opposition parties. He believed in building a powerful, self-sufficient nation, without reliance on foreign powers.

When he died in 1984, General Lansana Conté took over. Things did not improve, and the ideals of Touré were soon left behind. In 1993, the first elections were held, though their results were disputed - as have those in all subsequent elections. Conté died in 2008 without appointing a successor, leaving chaos in his wake. Immediately following Conté's death, on December 23, 2008, a man by the name of Captain Moussa Dadis Camara took power as Guinea's new President staged by a coup d'etat. Unfortunately this has proved to be another political blow for Guinea and Guineans. Civilian protests have been often met with open fire and physical abuse at the hands of military and police personnel.

[edit] Get in

[edit] Visa

Visa inquiries must be made at Guinea embassies, and are not available at the borders or airport.

A one month, single entry visa costs around $65. A three month, multiple entry visa is double the price and is the only type available to citizens of the US.

[edit] By plane

Air France from Paris, France and SN Brussels from Brussels, Belgium. Air Ivoire flies to Conakry regularly from Abidjan en route to Dakar, as does Belvue. Expect to be asked for a "gift" by airport security.

Royal Air Maroc supplies the only direct flight from Montréal to Africa (Casablanca, with stopover in N.Y.) and many connections from Casa. to Conakry (also called Kry) and elsewhere.

[edit] By train

Though cargo trains still run the old line between Conakry and Kankan, there are no passenger trains still operational in Guinea. The old station in downtown Conakry is worth a visit.

[edit] By car

As of the summer of 2006 it was not safe to cross the Guinean border with Cote d'Ivoire. The rebel group there (the MJP) has made it a raison d'etre to expel the French military from Cote d'Ivoire.

In 2008 travel between Guinea and Liberia was safe, though time consuming. Hiring a motorcycle is the best option.

Crossing the Guinean border with Senegal is possible but very uncomfortable and requires patience. Inside Guinea, the road between Labe and Koundara is unpaved and very rough. It takes about 8 hours for the whole journey with only minor breakdowns. There are some decent and very cheap places to stay in Koundara. Between Koundara and Diaoube (Senegal) is a similar journey. The border is relatively hassle free. There is a 20km no man's land between border posts where one only knows they have entered Senegal by the improved quality of the dirt road. It is possible to change your currency at any hour of the night at the border towns on either side of the no man's land. Local transport from Diaoube to Tambacounda and on to Dakar is relatively easy.

Koundara is also the main jump off point for a trip to Guinea-Bissau.

[edit] Get around

There are no buses. Traffic in Conakry can be very heavy. The local transport vans in Conakry seem to be the most congested in all of West Africa. Taxis are very inexpensive, even if you want to rent one for a half or whole day. Expect to have to stop for gas almost immediately after you get in the car. The Government and business center of the city is unfortunately located at the tip of a long and narrow peninsula which is only connected to the rest of Conakry, which sprawls onto the mainland, by two roads. This can be particularly frustrating at rush hour. Line ups at gas stations in Conakry can be quite long and disorganized at certain times. Much of the infrastructure around the airport is being rebuilt, so trips to downtown or to la miniere might take unusual detours.

Bush Taxis ("504", for the common Peugeot 504 model) are used for transport from city to city. Keep in mind that there is a curfew at night, and if you try to drive into Conakry you will have to wait outside the city until morning. Local transport is usually able to leave Conakry after dark. Departure times are never set for local transport. In the early morning you might be told that a taxi will be leaving "toute suite" but will not get out of Conakry until well after dark. Intercity travel in Guinea requires a great deal of patience and a loose schedule. It is also possible to fly from city to city, but get to the airport early and bring cash for your tickets.

MotorTaxi/TaxiBike a much faster, and more comfortable way of travel is by motorcycle, which often serve as taxis.

[edit] Talk

The official language is French. There are numerous ethnic languages, and the three most prevalent are Susu, Pular(Foulah, Peuhl) and Malinke. Susu is spoken in the coastal region and in the capital city. Toma, Guerzé, Kissi and others are spoken in the interior (Sacred Forest) region bordering on Mali, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

[edit][add listing] See

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Buy

They do not sell a lot of trinkets in Guinea, but they do have wonderful clothing that you can purchase. The tailors there are very skilled and can create an outfit very fast (approximately a day).

In certain parts of the country you can also find some nice carvings, many of which are created in the city of Kindia.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Many options are available for dining. For a mere 20,000 Guinean Francs (roughly $4 USD), you are able to dine on delicious cultural foods from Africa. If your tastebuds would prefer something international, many other choices are available as well. The beef in Guinea is very good, and is highly recommended. Pork isn't served because of the religion. There are good restaurants that are Lebanese which has European styled breakfasts.

Outside of the Capital, Conakry, you can can often enjoy local dishes (consisting of Guinean style rice and one of the 4 main sauces with sometimes beef or fish in some cases) at a'hole in the wall' local restaurant for less than $1 (3,000-6,000 Guinean Francs depending on the exchange rate). Trust me, you will leave full!

In Kankan, Guinea (Haute Guinee), there are few places to choose from if you wish to eat at a more decent restaurant. There is Hotel Villa and Hotel Bate. As of mid 2008, these were the top two places for lodging and meals. A typical plate can cost anywhere between 35,000 and 55,000 Guinean Francs. Note that prices of food and drinks can often dramatically increase at the spur of the moment and without any explanation!

Fruits are very inexpensive here, especially compared to the higher costs in neighboring countries (Mali, Ivory Coast and Senegal). For those who love pineapples, on the national road (which literally goes from the North of the country to Conakry in the South) you can find people selling this tasty fruit very cheaply on the side of the road in and around Kindia! Mango fruits, oranges and bananas can also be found in abundance throughout the country and at a cheap rate, especially at road sides!

Another alternative to eating out is eating "IN". Since Guineans are generally welcoming and friendly people you may be invited to their home to share a meal! Most Guineans eat together from one big dish. Enjoy the experience and don't drink the local water if and when they offer it to you. Please have your bottled water handy (Coyah, Milo, etc).

[edit][add listing] Drink

Canned European beer is available as well as a local "Skol" lager beer.

Water bottled in the name of Coyah is available everywhere for about US$ .50 per 1.5 liter bottle and is very good. Conakry's tap water is generally not safe unless filtered/boiled.

[edit] Work

[edit] Stay healthy

• Tap water is unsafe for drinking. Drink only bottled, unopened, water.

• Malaria is prevalent. Make sure to take anti-malarial prophylactics and cover up exposed skin during the evening and early morning when mosquitoes are at their worst.

[edit] Respect

As with most of West Africa, greetings are very much a part of daily life in Guinea. A simple, "Ca va" will often suffice. However, Guineans appreciate if you ask about their family, health and job/studies. "et la famille, la sante, le boulot/les etudes." Before getting to the point in a conversation, e-mail, etc it is common and expected to greet somehow and ask how they are doing!

Greet, eat and exchange money only with your right hand! The left hand is used for bathroom purposes and is considered unclean!

The gender issue is quite complex in Guinea to say the least!

Even though Guinea is a slightly conservative, Muslim, male-dominated society, foreign female travelers will rarely face any sort of difficulties. Don't be surprised if you are proposed to a million times! Cat calls, whistles and other similar forms of harassment are rare in Guinea and frowned upon. Guinean males often give up their seat to females as a sign of respect, especially in people's homes, outdoor settings, etc.

In general, men are still higher up the social ladder than women and this is prevalent in all aspects of Guinean society (education, jobs, etc). Don't be surprised if men are shown more consideration than women in daily life. Once it's known that you are a foreign woman (especially if you are a Black foreign female coming from the US, Europe,etc), and not a local, you will usually be granted a higher level of consideration).

For women it is NOT advisable to wear clothing showing anything from the stomach to the knees! Shorts, see-throughs, mini skirts, bare midriffs are considered tasteless if worn in public. It's not uncommon to be met with hostile stares or looks of disapproval from local Guineans or even worse. Tattoos and body piercings are not common and visitors are advised to cover them up when possible. A head scarf, however, is not necessary! Jeans (while still not very popular among Guinean women), long skirts and dresses, tank tops and short or long sleeved shirts are perfectly acceptable.

There is a Christian minority (mostly concentrated in the southern forest region), however, Muslims, Christians and others tend to co-exist peacefully with tolerance and respect.

Guineans will often invite you to eat at their home. This is a sign of respect and consideration for the visitor. Accept the invitation where possible. If you are unable, it's better to politely respond with a simple "next time" or "prochainement". Simply showing up without an appointment at the home of a Guinean is not considered rude or impolite as it can be in the West! Don't be alarmed if you find Guineans popping over to see how you are.

Overall Guineans are warm, friendly and hospitable and will come to your assistance where appropriate!

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