Guinea
Africa · Country #152
Did you know?
Guinea is known as the “water tower of West Africa” because several major rivers, including the Niger, Senegal, and Gambia, originate in its highlands.
My Experience
Just a couple of years before I arrived in Guinea, the country had experienced a military coup, and although life had largely returned to normal by the time I arrived, there was still an underlying sense of instability. Conakry might be the single worst capital city I’ve visited. Much of the city felt run-down, garbage and sewage lined many of the streets, and I found people to be noticeably more hostile than almost anywhere I’d traveled. At one point outside the fish market, a man aggressively confronted me and demanded money, forcing me to leave the area as quickly as I could.
Fortunately, there were brighter moments outside the capital. I hired a local driver for a day trip to a series of beautiful waterfalls, and later took a boat to the nearby Îles de Los, where quiet beaches and lush greenery felt a world away from the intensity of Conakry. It was a reminder not to judge an entire country by its capital.
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