Things to do in Guinea
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Pâtisserie le Damier
This place serves some of the best French cuisine in the city and successfully pulls off a Parisian vibe. The handmade chocolates are expensive, but worth it, as is the all-you-can-eat Saturday brunch.
reviewed
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Au Copains d'Abord
The live music, sometimes played by blind musicians, goes well with the pizzas at this lively spot.
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San Remo
A quiet little place in Ratoma with a brick oven that just might make Guinea's best pizza.
reviewed
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Camp Boiro
Although over 20 years have passed since Sekou Touré's death, his legacy continues to influence Guinean life. Some knowledge of his era is important if you want to understand present-day Guinea.
A good place to start is Camp Boiro , in the centre of Conakry on Route de Donka. Called Garde Républicaine on some maps, this military base rapidly became synonymous with the worst atrocities carried out during Touré's 'reign of terror'. From 1960 until Touré's death in 1984, thousands of prisoners were tortured or killed at Camp Boiro, including many prominent figures. Every sector of society was affected, and most Guineans you meet can tell of a family member or friend who was…
reviewed
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Mt Nimba
Mount Nimba, Guinea's highest peak at 1752m (5748ft), is part of the mountain range straddling Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia. The summit, best reached from the village of Gbakoré, 18km (11mi) southeast of Lola, offers phenomenal views of surrounding peaks in all three countries.
It's a steep, winding four-hour trek to the top, a guide is mandatory and a permit is required.
There are several good guides for hire in Gbakoré and you should let your guide get your permit for you because this can be a real pain.
The Nimba mountains host a rich variety of plant and animal life, in particular some notable amphibians such as the goliath frogs, which can weigh as much as…
reviewed
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Cape Verga
Cape Verga, just a few hours from Conakry, has some of the best beaches in Guinea. Bel Air beach, once a great place to chill in beach huts is now dominated by President Conté's flash hotel. Thankfully, nearby Sobané beach has comfy bungalows and options for al fresco sleep outs.
The deserted stretch of sand between Bel Air and Sobané is ideal for exploration. Except for the fishing families who live here, Cape Verga is deserted for most of the week, but comes alive at weekends with expatriates from the capital and the bauxite mines inland. Getting there without your own wheels is difficult because few vehicles travel this way, even though it is one of the best roads in…
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Centre d'Appui à l'Autopromotion Féminine
The Centre d'Appui à l'Autopromotion Féminine women's cooperative outlet has a huge selection of interesting tie-dyed cloth. The numerous vendors opposite Hôtel Camayenne sell all the usual crafts while the shops around the CAAF have a smaller selection but higher quality. In general, it's better to buy baskets, textiles and other crafts upcountry, as quality is as good or better and prices are lower. Several woodcarving shops are found around town.
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Palais des Nations
Intended to be the venue for the Organisation of African Unity conference in 1984, which was cancelled when Sekou Touré died, the grand Palais des Nations served as the president's office until being destroyed in the February 1996 army rebellion. It is still in ruins. Near the palace are 50 Moorish-style villas, built to house African presidents during the conference meeting and now used as residences and offices.
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Circus Baobab
Your chance of seeing a performance the renowned Circus Baobab are pretty slim, but when they aren't touring the world you are welcome to drop by their practice spaces. Circus Baobab has its home base downtown. They rehearse Monday to Saturday mornings and share their space with the Fatou Abou drum and dance troupe who practice in the afternoon.
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Bossou
This sleepy village on the Liberian border is one of the best places in west Africa to see chimpanzees. Guides from the research centre track the chimps daily, so face-to-faces are nearly guaranteed, and the hikes through the remaining patch of primary forest covering the surrounding hills are scenic regardless of who you meet along the way.
reviewed
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Grande Mosquée
Financed primarily by Saudi Arabia and inaugurated in 1984, the impressive Grande Mosquée has an inner hall capable of accommodating 10,000 worshippers. Although visitors are not usually allowed inside, you can inquire at the Islamic Centre next door about arranging a tour. Sekou Touré's grave is in a small gazebo on the grounds.
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Siège des Ballets Africains
Your chance of seeing a performance by Les Ballet Africains, the national dance company, are pretty slim, but when they aren't touring the world you are welcome to drop by their practice spaces. You can watch them practice on weekday mornings at Siège des Ballets Africains .
reviewed
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Wakili Guinée
Recently opened by local musicians, Wakili plans to feature drum, balafon (xylophone) and kora (a harp-like instrument) players on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. They also intend to open some budget-priced guestrooms with air-conditioning.
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La Plage Rogbané
This stretch of beach at the end of an unmarked alley was cleaned up (well, sort of) so people could use it, though the water is pretty dirty for swimming. The bar is aimed right at the sunset and they serve surprisingly good seafood.
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Belvédére
The food - sandwiches, steak, pizza - is nothing special, but this brightly lit open-air place is a lot of fun at night. The playground equipment entertains the kids and there is sometimes live music on weekends for the adults.
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Oppo Atelier
Oppo Atelier is an association of welders that makes funky sculptures from scrap metal near the Palais du Peuple. You can watch the statues, large and small, being made and if you bring a picture they will do custom work.
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Cinéma Rogbané
Near the Marché Taouyah, the recently renovated Cinéma Rogbané has shows most evenings. The Centre Culturel Franco-Guinéen and the American Center also frequently show films, both Western and African.
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Le Waffou
Le Waffou, a colourful spot with tables under thatch-roofed huts, serves delicious Ivorian food, including banana fufu (pounded cassava). The Amoussou drum and dance troupe performs at 20:00 on Friday nights.
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Soguidip
Has books in French, including works by Guinean authors as well as many French magazines and some in English. Their newsstand by the Hyper-Bobo Supermarket carries the International Herald Tribune.
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Musée National
Musée National is the country's largest collection of masks, statues and musical instruments. It's modest, but interesting. Woodcarvers and drum-makers ply their trades on the museum grounds.
reviewed
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Le Gentilhommière
Gentilhommière doesn't look like much from the outside, but the bamboo, thatch and calabash interior invites you to stick around a while; as does the wide variety of African dishes.
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Cathédrale Sainte-Marie
Not as impressive as the mosque, Conakry's yellow and red Cathédrale Sainte-Marie is nevertheless a beautiful building. Behind the Cathedral is the Palais Présidentiel.
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Chez Sylvie
Chez Sylvie is one of several little simple rice bars on this end of the street that prepare the best-quality attiéké (cassava couscous) in town.
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La Gondole
La Gondole has a full menu, but it's really all about the ice cream, which comes in 20 flavours including banana and chewing gum and is fairly good.
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Botanical Garden
Surrounding the Direction Nationale des Forêts et de la Faune, the Botanical Garden is the coolest place in the city, though not the cleanest.
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