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ATTRACTIONS
The
status of Guinea as a socialist one-party government, immediately after
independence from France in 1958 made it an isolated and less
frequented nation. This stance eased and tourists started trickling in when in 1984,
the dictator Sekou Touré died. However, it is still not a favourite
destination and visa acquistion is also a difficult prospect in Guinea.
The
unadulterated countryside
with a variety of terrain from
mountains to plains and from savannah to forest, as well as the three
great rivers of West Africa – the Gambia, the Senegal and the Niger are
the main attractions in the country.
Some of the important
landmarks are the following-
The capital, Conakry,
a pleasant city with mangrove and coconut palms shading the alleys is
located on the island of Tumbo, connected to the Kaloum Peninsula by a
300m-long (984ft) pier.
The Cathedral,
built in the 1930s and located in the town centre.
The National
Museum is worth a visit.
The Kakimbon
Caves of religious significance and source of
many a legend for the local Baga people,in the village of Ratoma, now a suburb of Conakry.
The Îles
de Los, located off the Kaloum Peninsula some 10km
(6 miles) south-west of Conakry.
The Île de
Roume and Île de Kassa, have great beaches, a public boat service can
take you to the latter. 
The
picturesque La Voile de la Marée,
about 150km (93 miles) outside Conakry is nestled at the bottom of a
70m-high (230ft) rock the origin of the River Sabende which plunges, amidst lush greenery, into a deep
pond.
The Kinkon
Falls which produce 150m
(492ft) of cascading water, located in Pita, between Dalaba and Labé.
The Fouta
Djalon highlands, under Muslim population of Fula
herders and farmers, also called the land of waters,
fruit, faith and freedom are well known for their breathtaking
views of the hills, and the rolling valleys and waterfalls.
A number of historical towns in the eastern region of Guinea
give a glimpse of the medieval times.
In the south is the Guinée
Forestière, is a highland area of rainforest and old
pre-Islamic tribes in the South.
A road from the Nimba
Range, which stretches
from Guinea to the Côte d’Ivoire, leads to small groups of round houses
in traditional African hamlets.
The
northeast savannahs between the Tinkisso River and the Mali border, in the foothills of
the Fouta Djalon highlands and in the southeast offer deligh to animal
lovers who will not find any other wildlife parks in the place.
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