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FEATURES Muguette
Goufrani 2.
Kindia,
Mamou, More
about Guinea Other articles by Togo:
Pearl of Africa On
the Road Again in Guinea, Switzerland of
Africa Precious
Jewels, Grand Ballet and Malinke Music to
Charm the Soul: Several jewels in Guinea's
abundant treasure chest make it a highly
attractive tourist destination; one that's
loaded with potential. A key facet is the
rich vibrancy of the culture, echoing the
ATA Congress theme of " Nature, Culture
and
Hospitality."
Another
charming jewel in Guinea's tourism crown
is the romantic and captivating Malinke
music heard literally everywhere you go.
It's a rhythmic style that gives
inspiration to many West African artists,
even "Les
Ballets
Africains," Of
Bridal Veils , Smoking Dogs and Mountain
Maidens Close
to Coyah is Dubreka Ville, which we
visited several days previously. It is the
home of "Les Cascades de la Soumba, "
which features a spectacular waterfall,
water sports and a resort complex with
dining room and comfortable cabins. (photo
below) For information tel. (224) 45 32
44. Beyond
Coyah a side road, Route de Fria, leads to
one of the country's better known tourist
sites, Mount Kaloulima, which in French we
call "Le Chien Qui Fume," or the Smoking
Dog. Look closely at the mountainside and
you will see the strange resemblance. At
certain times,
like
when a thick fog hugs the mountainside, a
wispy smoke seems to rise from the
animal's
mouth.
Our first overnight stop was at the town
of Kindia, (140 km from Conakry) where we
visited the spectacular Bridal Veil Falls
or "Le Voile de la Mariée. " The
falls are at their most appealing during
the rainy season, when the flowing water
resembles a delicate bridal
veil. •
Guinea's major ethnic group the Malinke
also reside in parts of Mali, Cote
d'Ivoire and Senegal, and at an earlier
time ruled one West Africa's great
empires. Malinke are also known to have
originated the best kora musicians in West
Africa. The kora is a unique and popular
musical instrument in the area. For
details on the amazing kora- visit this
informative website:
http://www.coraconnection.com/ •
Guinea is called the Switzerland of
Africa, with its lofty mountains and high
plateaus, plus a temperate climate. The
highest peaks are Mount Loura at Mali
Ville (1515 m) and Mount Tinka near Dalaba
(1425m). They also call it the Water Tower
of Western Africa because many rivers take
their origin (River Gambie, Senegal,
Niger, etc.) from it. These rivers and
churning rapids, hurtling down the
mountains create beautiful
waterfalls. •
Guinea's Tropical Paradise, the Loos
Islands. Our next installment will feature
a trip to Loos Islands, an archipelago
located near Conakry. The key islands are
Kassa, Room and Fotoba. There is also
Tortoise Island (where giant tortoises are
protected), Snake and Kid Islands. With
easy access by boat, these islands offer
beautiful white sand beaches for
relaxation and nautical sports. •
Financial development: According to a
recent financial report, the Gulf of
Guinea has become one of the world' s most
promising areas for new petroleum
development. This income source in itself
will help expand the infrastructure on
which tourism depends. •
Many Africans call the country 'Guinea
Conakry,' to avoid any possible confusion
with Guinea Bissau, its northern
neighbor. •
The language of business and commerce is
French and the currency is the Guinea
Franc. If
you are interested in a tour covering the
same route, contact Dunia
Voyages
of Conakry, who have a page on this web
site. Photo
Credits: Muguette Goufrani / Robert Eilets
/ Guinea Ministry of Tourism
1. Africa
by Rail
2. Paris
of Africa
3. Berber
Wedding
4. Switzerland
of Africa
5.
Great Cities of
Morocco
6. Angola
Welcome
7. Djerba,
Tunisia's Isle
Guinea Story
1. Switzerland
of Africa
3.
Labe, Mali Ville
.
4.
Slave Route.
.
5.
Summary
Air
Routes
Business
Index
Conakry
Fashions
History
Map
Ecotourism
Profile
Tourism
Hotels
Ballets
Showcase
Tour
Operators
USA
Trade
Profil
de Guinée
Commerce
Electricité
la
Mode
Ballets
Africains
Media-Francais
Map
Guinée
Congrès
Muguette Goufrani
African
Fashions Win World
Acclaim
Berber
Wedding
Guinea:
Switzerland of Africa
About
Gabon
by
Muguette
Goufrani
The
story of my journey from the Gulf of
Guinea on Africa's Atlantic Coast to
historic Mali Ville in the northern
highlands appears in our bilingual Africa
Travel Magazine. With that in mind, please
consider this online version as an hors
d'oeuvre - the full course banquet will
come when you visit Guinea. I guarantee
that your travel experience will be a
feast - and like one of Nat King Cole' s
most famous songs ... Unforgettable! Or as
the immortal Maurice Chevalier would say
... C'est
Magnifique!
Some call Guinea the "Switzerland of
Africa" and one of your first pleasant
surprises when visiting the Republic of
Guinea is that it is uncrowded. Big in
size, yet small in population. A nation of
7.5 million, Guinea is also described as
the land of contrasts. Those apt
comparisons became evident to me a few
days into our journey. The route selected
by our gracious hosts Hon. Sylla H. K.
Diakite, Guinea's Minister of Tourism and
General Manager Ibrahima Diallo, began
close to Conakry. Here we visited several
sites along the "Slave
Route,"
which I will describe more fully my next
installment. 
N
The
main journey covered a vast expanse of
geography, stretching northeast by highway
via Kindia, Dalaba, Pita and Labé,
to our final destination at Mali Ville
near the Senegal border. For tour
photos,
see the gallery pages, where I had many
opportunities to capture the spirit and
flavor of the country, its people,
history, culture, cuisine, colorful
costumes, lifestyles and breathtaking
scenery. To follow the route we took,click
and view the full
page map
or scroll for the map inset below. If your
are interested in booking a tour covering
the same basic route, see Dunia
Voyages
of Conakry or write me at Africa@dowco.com.
Guinea's musical goodwill ambassadors to
the world
and Africa's foremost touring dance
company.
What a sight they are on stage! Our
applause rocked the auditorium in Conakry
following this group's spectacular,
energy-filled, two hour command
performance for ATA. Before leaving
Guinea, I purchased several albums of West
African Malinke music for our library. It
will be beamed to the waiting world on our
new Web Radio Station, being launched
soon.
Following the ATA 27th International
Congress and Trade Show in Conakry, which
literally burst with African flavor and
color, we began the long-awaited media
tour of Guineas's plateaus and northern
highlands. Directed by Lamine Diallo, a
professional tour guide and his driver
Karim, I boarded the Ministry of Tourism
bus and we headed east, making our first
stop at Coyah, a bustling village that is
where Guinea's bottled water is processed.
Naturally we had to gather a plentiful
supply for the journey ahead.
Follow
your Dream: Here in the heart of West
Africa, Guineans offer all the ingredients
of a "Dream Vacation," if you long for an
uncrowded, unspoiled, visitor-friendly
country. In a class by itself is Guinea's
unending selection of spectacular
landscapes, which unfolded around each
bend, like a cinemascope movie, as we
motored through the hilly 'Fouta Djalon'
region. Many travelers say that the Fouta
Djalon offers the most striking vistas in
all of West Africa. Put this fact together
with the charming,
hospitable
people
I met along the way, and you have a
winning combination. Our gracious hosts
from the Guinea Ministry of Tourism,
working in close harmony with the Africa
Travel Association and ourselves as its
media arm, hope to make these dream
vacations a reality for travelers from
around the world.
Did
you know?
