Guinea Dos and Don'ts

Another Guinean town that lacks electricity! However, it makes up for that in cultural richness. If you don't speak the local language, French is a necessity.

If you are anywhere near Guinea, make your way to Labe and find a car to Douki.  Once there ask for Hassan Bah.  Hassan is one of the most incredible people I have ever met.  He speaks at least six languages fluently and has worked all over the world.  He runs a tour guide business that supports not only him and his family, but most of the town.  
Hassan takes people hiking all over the Douki area to climb buttes and canyons whose beauty is unbelievable.He has creative and fun names for every trail he explores.  From the adventures of the "snakes and ladders" and "Indiana Jones world" hikes to the peaceful views of "Bob Marley's stage" this trip will be full of wonder.  
You also get a chance to hang out with Hassan, his family and any friends that might stop by, but you also get to meet a lot of Douki's residents.  This is truely an experience that any traveller would be a fool to miss.
Prices were less than $10 US per person for a guide, lodging and food.  Lodging is in traditional Fula huts with thatch roofs.  Food is cooked by Hassan's wife and it is to die for!  The rooms have their own mosquito nets and beds.  No running water and if you go in November-January the nights can get kind of chilly.  As the roads are kind of tough to travel by the best time to go in my opinion is just after the rainy season in October - December.  During this time things are still green and the harmataan winds have not yet stirred up too much dust.  It's also not unbearably hot at that time.  I would recommend staying around a week or a little longer.
Of all my travels, my time spent with Hassan and his family exploring Douki was truly my favorite and most memorable trip of all time!

Diabakania is just one of hundreds of similar towns or villages that you can visit to see what Guinea and West Africa is like. friendliness takes you a long way and you are often offered a hut to stay in and the next morning you can have bushtea with the village elders and watch the village wake up - women lighting fires, children heading out and bringing back water, etc.

Another little village on the Guinea countyside. Stop for a while and allow yourself to feel the tranquility. Stroll around the village, let the local kids hold your hands, greet the village chief, eat a king's ransom of peanuts offered by everybody!

Dixinn is the area of Conakry where the national soccer stadium is at. You need to be brave, but you can watch some interesting soccer here, both local guinean and interafrican battles! Be careful though - the mob is easily stirred and if you're short on luck things can get ugly and thieves profit on the chaos to harass you.