Guinea travel guide

One of only a handful long-term research projects on primates in Africa, the Japanese-Guinean facilities in the village of Bossou offer some of the best chimpanzee spotting opportunities on the continent. The forest-covered hills surrounding Bossou have a large congregation of chimpanzees, and the research centre is working together with the local communities not only to protect the primates but also to replant large areas that have been excessively deforested in the past. Established in the 80's the research centre also trained a large number of guides who are experts of tracking the apes. While there's no guarantee of seeing wildlife, the odds are as good as they get here. The fees paid by visitors are split between the guides, the research centre, and the local communities.

Guinea's capital is, by most accounts, horrible. It's chaotic, dirty and poor. It's also uncomfortably humid and overpriced. Photographers will instantly be targeted by corrupt officers in the downtown area should they flaunt their cameras. The city's saving grace, however, is its nightlife. Easily on par with Dakar's, Conakry's nightlife distinguishes itself from typical West African partying by being dominated by local music. Nightclubs, live music venues, bars and dives rarely play the typical American pop and RnB that is otherwise rotated through sound systems across the region. Instead, local and regional music are favoured by the city's DJ’s. And it's not only Guinea's starts who get the parties started. Tunes from across the region, as far afield as Capo Verde and Nigeria, will turn dusk into dawn throughout the city.

World class hiking is not usually associated with West Africa. Let alone Guinea. That is, however, what Guinea's Fouta Djallon offers. The landscape is dominated by rivers, rainforest, waterfalls and large mountainous plateaus that resemble giant chocolate bars. Hiking here is in its infancy, which inevitably adds to the excitement. Official guides are available in Conakry, but not in the region itself, though many locals happily act as guides. The exception is an excellent outfit in the village of Doucki that arranges a range of exceptional hikes. Hikers on multi-day walks need to be self-reliant and bring everything they might need. After the initial preparations, the rewards are plenty. It's possible to climb rocky hills for sweeping panorama views of the region's valleys, swing around in vines and lianas, and spot monkeys and chimpanzees. The region also holds more waterfalls and rivers than it's possible to explore in a lifetime, including the source of both the Gambia and Senegal rivers.

Getting away from the less-than-flattering atmosphere of Conakry is thankfully easy. Twenty minutes off the capital's southern harbours lie a getaway that feels worlds away. Conakry is still clear on the horizon, but the three islands making up Îles de Los are devout of the cars and stress that cramp the capital. Yellow beaches, forested interiors and fishing communities dominate these islands, and it is easy to lose oneself for days at a time here. Something most people, who have braved the big city horrors on the other side of the strait, probably deserve.

The largest and most important town in eastern Guinea, Kankan, is a lively market and university town. The climate here is also significantly hotter and dustier than in the rest of the country. Entering the town, the sight of mango tree flanked boulevards is almost surprising, but they soon give way to the more organised chaos in the city centre's markets. The markets' real draw is its many marabouts – considered some of the most powerful in West Africa. Marabouts, or traditional medicine men, can for a reasonable fee, prescribe both supernatural inscriptions and healing potions aiding against everything from bad luck to colds. They can be difficult to find, but the market streets west of the Grand Mosque would not be a bad place to ask for directions.

The gateway to Guinea's forest covered south-east, Guinée Forestière, is both the most useful and most pleasant place to break the long journey between the region and Conakry or Kankan. Here's a broad range of accommodation and even a bank with an ATM(!). More importantly, there's enough of interest to keep visitors occupied while waiting for onward transportation. Like Freetown, in Sierra Leone, the town is built around a large cotton tree, which would still be the highest landmark in town if it wasn't for the radio towers. There's also a small ethnographic museum about the region. If you wait around for the director, he'll explain every single item on display – even the pots and pans (spoiler: they're for cooking) – though it's quite useful for the more obscure masks and fetishes. Lastly, a few kilometres east of town is a liana bridge locally known as Pont Artisanal. While most of the lianas have been replaced by metal wires it's an enjoyable walk nonetheless passing through the village-like suburbs.

One of Guinea's few well-known attractions is a rock face east of the village of Mali (or Mali-ville, not to confuse it with the country of the same name) that ressembles a woman in profile. While this in itself might not be enough to set out on the back-breaking drive from Labé, the area around Mali is excellent for hiking. The village is, sitting at above 1300 m, the highest town in Guinea and to both the east and west two small mountains, Mont Lansa and Mont Louta, dominate the landscape. The Dame is on the eastern side of the latter. There is a small, private tourist office in Mali that operates a basic tourist camp close to Louta and can arrange guides. Market day is Sunday.

The small, roofed shacks stand so close together that they form a makeshift covered market. The walkways between the stalls are so narrow that two people can barely pass each other. Here are hundreds of stalls and finding one's way around is next to impossible, despite the whole area being of a limited size. Around this central market, improvised stalls – often just a woman selling vegetables under a colourful parasol – spill into the surrounding streets. Labé is the capital of the Fouta Djallon region and, as such, the city's market is the biggest of its kind. It's a mecca for foodies that overflows with food stuff and fresh produce, much of which is completely foreign to Western visitors. White balls of something that could be cheese, but certainly doesn't taste like it, tubs of homemade peanut butter and large bottles of spicy brown groundnut sauce. Also found in the market are weird fruits like baobab fruits, miraclefruits, breadfruits, and much more.

Guinea's largest lake is a result of a hydro-electric dam. This explains its peculiar shape, as water filled up the surrounding valleys. The lake is still full of half sunken trees and a few flooded market stalls in the villages that now dots the shore. It's the best place in Guinea to spend time on water, and its relatively short distance from Conakry makes it an excellent day or weekend trip. The lake is best approached from its namesake village, Samaya, on the western shore. Here it's possible to rent pirogues for fishing trips or tours on the lake. Our favourite activity is sailing to the rock islands mid-lake and spend a lazy afternoon picnicking and swimming. The surrounding hills offer stunning views of the lake and are a recommendable hike. Samaya market day is Sunday. There is no formal accommodation in the village, but the (female) chief can arrange lodgings with local families.

The Nimba Range is a mountainous ridge right on the point where the borders of Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia congregate. The range is also the highest point of all three countries. The tallest peak, Mont Richard Molard marks the border between Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire. Named after a French geologist who died in an accident on the mountain in 1951, it requires a steep six-hour hike to reach the top. In other words, it's a full day's hike and somewhat challenging. However, it's not a technical climb and doable by anyone with a pair of solid hiking shoes and reasonable fitness. It's worth the sweat as the scenery is stunning and the views out over Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia are as breathtaking as the hike itself. Hint: The most convenient place to find guides and start the ascend is the village of Séringbara.