Forêt Classée de Ziama

Guinea


Around an hour's drive south of Macenta is the 116,000-acre Forêt Classée de Ziama, a disturbed but still beautiful stretch of rainforest. The forest is home to buffalo and plenty of birds and monkeys. People will likely tell you that elephants are common and though this might once have been the case, a recent Africa-wide elephant survey revealed not a single, solitary elephant left in Guinea. Elephants or not, actually visiting Ziama takes some determination.

The headquarters are in the village of Sérédou and you must go here first to make all the necessary arrangements. There are no set fees as such, though you will be required to take a guide with you, for which you'll most likely pay around GFr250,000 a day. Various other fees are also likely to be added on. Almost no tourists visit the forest, so expect some confusion and a lot of to-ing and fro-ing before you actually get to go. You can't drive within the forest. If you're planning on camping then you'll need to be totally self-sufficient, and have brought enough food and water with you for both you and your guides.