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Guinea
is the Switzerland of Africa
Photos
and story 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.
T he
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.
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,"
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.
Of
Bridal Veils , Smoking Dogs and Mountain
Maidens
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.
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.
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?
•
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.
Continued
on next
page->
About
Muguette Goufrani
Muguette's
background as an airline agent, tour guide
and travel agency professional has been
the key to her media success, resulting in
an ATA Travel Industry Founders Award in
Cape Town, South Africa. As a "career
globetrotter," Muguette's articles for
Africa Travel Magazine have an authentic,
multicultural flavor, thanks to
painstaking research and the confidence of
having lived the experience (walked the
walk). Her
career positions have included Royal Air
Maroc, AOL
Airlines,
Air Afrique, Matson Lines, Palm Springs
Resorts, Club Med, Tahiti Tours and Noumea
Tours. The Goufrani family have operated a
tour company for generations.
Continued,
Photo
Credits: Muguette Goufrani / Robert Eilets
/ Guinea Ministry of Tourism
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