Airlines flying to Guinea
- Cheapest: Air Afrique from NY to
Dakar, Senegal, connecting to Conakry. This
is connected to Air France.
- Second cheapest: Royal Air Maroc through
Casablanca. For free you can extend your layover
into a week in this lovely country.
- Most comfy: Air France, Paris
to Conakry
- Safest: Sabena, Brussels to Conakry.
This is a Belgian airline.
- Most adventuresome: Aeroflot.
Russian? They can be unpredictable.
- SN
Brussels Airlines is now serving
Guinea from Europe and Casablanca.
Air Afrique:
Their track record of safe flights from Dakar-New
York and West Africa - Paris flights attest to their
safety, but many PCVs complain about the food, the
service, and the general discomfort of Air Afrique
flights. Some even report 3-day delays and disappearing
luggage. Unreliability and poor customer service
probably help lower the price of the ticket.
Royal Air Maroc:
"New York to Casablanca, Morocco to Guinea.
You may have to spend a night in Morocco,
but if that's the case, they'll pay for the hotel.
I just flew RAM from Guinea to NYC for $1052 US.
that was a one way, but I believe their round trips
are also very reasonable. The airline is professional
and friendly. "
Air France:
"We flew Air France and it was wonderful.
Actually, we went from O'Hare to Paris and stayed
three days. Then flew from Paris to Conakry,
stayed nine days, then back to Paris and on to Lisbon
for five days, back to Paris and home. The
three loops on Air France were very efficient and
the service was excellent."
Recent airfares
July 2000: $1000-$1200.
Senegal: $800. Some travelers choose to fly via
Senegal to ease into the culture, and airfares to
Senegal are cheaper. Roundtrip Dakar - Labé
was between $180 and $200 in 2004.
| Wow! Flying to Guinea
is expensive!
In case you're wondering why the airfares
to Guinea are so high, there was an article
in the Guinean weekly, L'Ind�pendant, that
spoke of all the different expenses and taxes
required by the airport, government etc. It
estimated that for an average flight, the
airline has to spend at least US$15,000, which
is before considering staff costs and profits.
According to L'Ind�pendant, this makes the
Conakry airport "the most expensive airport
in the world." |
Purchasing tickets
Look into buying two sets of tickets: one between
the US and Europe (either Paris or Brussels) and
one between Europe and Conakry. I'm not sure why,
but this is usually cheaper than flying all the
way from the US to Guinea.
You might also try Spector
Travel of Boston. They specialize in
African travel. Their e-mail address is
[email protected] and their phone # is
617-338-0111.
Buying tickets in Conakry
You can buy air tickets in Conakry at a travel
agent used by Peace Corps, which is quite good.
Prices can be quite reasonable or even cheap,
but it depends on what deals might be around at
the time. Plan plenty in advance, maybe
recruiting a PCV to check around Conakry for you.
If the prices on tickets purchased in Guinea
are bad, you may want to buy the ticket in the
U.S. and send it via courier. (You can find Guinea
visitors on the Guinea list.) Most places
in Guinea (correct me if I am wrong) do not accept
credit cards, so travelers there must have enough
traveler's cheques or cash to cover their ticket.
One PCV says: "I found that the best
way to get Air Afrique tickets was through a U.S.
travel agent even when I was in Guinea.
The only problem is that they might not
have the flight numbers. You could have
your friend get the flight numbers you want
from a Guinean travel agent and then have your
U.S. travel agent book them. "
One parent said, in July 2001, "We just
brought our son home for a summer break and found
it was much cheaper to get round-trip tickets
from Bamako, Mali to Memphis than from Conakry
(we saved about $1000). What was neat, it turned
out the AirFrance flight he was catching in Bamako
actually originated in Conakry and for less than
$200 he was able to buy tickets in Conakry and
fly straight through."
One parent said: We were advised by our local
travel agent to purchase the ticket through Air
France and pay an extra $100 US to hold it at
the Air France office in Conakry. we bought the
ticket a couple of months ago and it came to $1,950
round trip. (2002)
Download the Visa Application Form by clicking
here. This is a PDF file, viewable in Adobe
Acrobat.
Contact the Guinean
Embassy in Washington for current requirements.
As of September 2005, here are the visa requirements.
- $100.00 for the visa fee
(money order or cash)
- Two completed visa applications
(click here for .pdf
of visa application)
- Passport valid for at least
6 months from the end of your visit with
at least two blank pages
- Two passport photos
- International Vaccination
Card showing vaccination for yellow fever
- Cover letter stating the
purpose of your travel
- You should also include
a cover letter from the Peace Corps available
by e-mailing Jessica Schweiger, the Country Desk Officer in Washington DC; [email protected]. Her phone is (202)
692-2317. Alternatively, you could email Ryan Derni,
Country Desk Assistant, [email protected]
- A self addressed stamped
envelope to return your passport (you may
also use a Fed Ex envelope for speedy return)
- For a Guinean Visa you need
to have 6 months left on your passport after
you leave the country. So check your passport
expiration date.
Embassy of the
Republic of Guinea
2112 Leroy Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 986-4300 |
Past Experiences:
October 2003: One parent says: "Travel tip
I was unaware of: when applying for a passport,
you need the 'long' form of your birth certificate.
Evidently, certificates that say 'abstract' on
them or have a baby footprint on them are not
acceptable. [The certificates] 'must have the
seal' I was told by our post office."
In July, 2000 a brief survey of travelers indicated
that it is all right for the visa applicant
simply to write a letter explaining that he or
she is a tourist. Send this to the Guinean embassy
along with a visa application.
In July 2001, a frequent traveler said: "There
is no need to pay an expediter fee for Guinea.
Send a self- addressed, stamped legal-sized envelope
to: Ambassade de République de Guinée
2112 Leroy Place North West Washington, DC 20008
requesting a visa application form. You need to
submit this in triplicate with original signatures,
with passport sized photo on each and $45 (if
you're American citizen) money order (NO checks)
with your passport & yellow fever proof of
vaccination, a letter stating your reason for
visiting, and stamped return envelope. The instructions
will tell you to send a letter of invitation from
someone in Guinea, but this is not necessary.
It usually takes them less than a week to process.
Their telephone number is 202-483-9420. Guinea
is a financially poor country; it is unlikely
the embassy is going to return a FAX."
Leave plenty of time, send the application and
passport(s) registered mail. If you have someone
in the DC area who can either drop off or pick
up, even better.
The CDC
Health Information for West Africa is the
gold standard for vaccinations you may want, as
well as other health considerations.
The only required vaccination (as of 12/2004)
is Yellow Fever -- you need your WHO card indicating
that you have been vaccinated against Yellow Fever
in order to enter the country.
You will need to take anti-malarial medicine
while you are there, and for 2 weeks prior (at
least). It is also good to get checked out
for any bugs you might have picked up once you
return.
One traveler says: "As far as immunizations,
we got yellow fever (required), hepatitis A, and
my daughter and I needed tetanus and a polio booster.
We took Lariam for malaria preventative, one week
before we went, while we were there and for four
weeks afterwards. My husband and I had varying
side effects from that drug. I really didn't
sleep well until I was finished with it and he
had some degree of anxiety attacks and shortness
of breath. We found out, after the fact,
that these are some of the known side effects."
Another writes: "I went to Ohio State travel
health clinic and they recommended the following:
hepatitis A, meningococcal, polio buster, tetanus
booster, yellow fever, prescription from malarone
and I took the live oral vivotif typhoid tablets.
They told me not to worry about hepatitis B."
Things
to bring to villagers |
Gifts are not expected, but you could consider
bringing small gifts for close associates and/or
friends of the person you are visiting. Since
giving gifts can set difficult (and sometimes
annoying) precedents that can sometimes hinder
development, you might first want to check with
a PCV or someone living in a community to gauge
how appropriate gift-giving might be.
Be modest with your gifts. A $20 gift is often
more than a month's salary, and it could easily
be inappropriate. If a more expensive gift
is to be given, it should be something given to
the entire village and for everyone's benefit.
Feel free to ask for suggestions if you want to
make such a gift to a village.
Gift ideas:
- Baseball caps are very popular. Check the
thrift shops
- Jasmine tea has been a big hit among young
men
- Matchbox cars, jewelry,
- Calendars and pens
- Markers and crayons for kids
- T-shirts (especially new ones). Soccer shirts
are a BIG plus.
- Nice baby clothes from the secondhand store
- Nice-looking watches (inexpensive, like $5-$10.
Thrift store again!
- For someone very special a $30 camera would
be a treasured gift.
- Officials sometimes like things for their
desks, like fancy-looking desk sets, clocks,
or a nice pens.
- Small photo albums with photos of you and/or
them.
- Books in French.
- Brightly colored silk scarves.
- Small change purses and key chains.
- Nice handkerchiefs for men and American bandanas.
These tips are direct quotes mostly
from parents of PCVs who have been to Guinea. Not
every tip will be helpful to every traveler! Click
on the desired link below:
What
to pack? - Money? - Health
Tips - Food - When
to Go -Arriving
at Conakry airport - Taking
photos - General Comments
What
to pack?
We assume you'll only be in Guinea short term.
If not, check out our packing
suggestions for Peace Corps Volunteers. It's
a much more thorough list, and you'll undestand
better what is and what items are and what items
are not available in Guinea.
You should definitely get the one and only available
map
of Guinea. We don't make any money on this.
We''re only promoting it because it's useful!
One parent writes: We took soft sided suitcases,
but when I go again, I'll take a backpack. There
are very few roads to wheel suitcases on and then
you just have to carry them. We found backpacks
better. Good clothes for Dakar/Paris were in a
suitcase we left at the Labé house to pickup
on our return from the village of Sannou. The
less you pack, the better you'll feel ,because
you have to lug it everywhere and taxis charge
for each bag on board as well as for the passengers.
Another says: Suitcase limits are 50 pounds now
either way. We were "almost" charged
$600 extra by Air France because we had checked
the limit in bags plus we each had two carry ons.
Put you purse inside of the carry on and keep
the carry on small as possible (40 lb. limit).
And, you are only allowed one.
Bring a day pack.
Take a good camera, comfortable pants and
loose shirts (it is humid/hot even in the rain).
For shoes: Tevas work well. If you plan on hiking,
running shoes are better than hiking boots cause
they are lighter. Bring comfortable shoes (dirt
road and paths have lots of rocks) that you don't
mind getting muddy or full of red dust. Same holds
for clothing.
You don't need to worry about taking all the
right clothes, as you can get cheap used clothes
in the local market.
We brought a polaroid camera and this was an
incredible hit with the locals, don't show the
polaroid until you're getting close to leaving
or you will be constantly asked for pictures.
We left the camera at Labé house, so if
anyone wants to use it, they are welcome to do
so. You will need to bring film.
We brought book lights for ourselves and left
one for our volunteer. It gets hard reading with
a candle at night. Headlamps are also useful for
the same reason. Many prefer the ones with LEDs.
Collared shirts are important because the people
expect you to be dressed up at some level. I also
brought a large hat which helps with the sun.
I suggest bringing an old wallet with an expired
credit card and a minimal amount of cash. This
way, if you get confronted and have to give up
a wallet, you can give that up without experiencing
any loss.
We bought a chocolate
mousse mix from REI. All you did was add water
and had a dessert. This was a God send in the
village. I would recommend bringing this or similar
items to enliven the meals at the village. I would
also bring small cans of tuna fish which you will
also appreciate if you are in the village.
Money?
One parent writes: We took cash only, on a tip
from another parent and they were right. We used
the money belts and changed money at the hotel
in Conakry and in the bank in Labé. There
is a Western Union there in Labé, as well.
No Traveler's Checks and the one time I tried
to use my credit card in Conakry, it didn't work
because of the electricity going out.
One traveler writes: We did use Master Card
to pay for hotel rooms at the the Riviera in Conakry
but this was a mistake. The hotel will gladly
take your card but before they process the transaction
(by hand - not electronically) they manually convert
the bill to Euros and and then send it through
who knows where to actually get the processing
done. We felt it cost about 30% extra to use plastic.
One parent writes: You won't want to bring travelers
cheques, bring cash, just stash it all over your
body! You'll be amazed at how creative you
can be! Credit cards only work in Conakry and
only in the expensive places.
Another says: We found that $1,000.00 per person
was more than adequate for our two week stay.
We took U.S. $100.00 bills. We had this changed
into Guinea Francs by our daughter who went to
currency changers on the downtown streets of Labé.
and Conakry (leaving us behind because she could
get a better rate if there wasn't a group of "tourists"
hanging around while she negotiated.) Exchange
rates are negotiable with these folks and you
get much better than the going bank rate.
And another says: For money, take US cash or
EUROs. These can be exchanged at the banks or
on the black market in Guinea. You are right,
traveler's cheques are useless. Since you are
coming through Mali, probably Bamako, which I
did also, I found the Hotel Le Compegnard (sp?)
would take VISA and US traveler's cheques. It
is also has an association with Hotel Le Refuge
which operates through Hotel Le Compegnard. One
Bank (sorry I don't remember the name) had an
ATM in Bamako where I used my VISA card to get
CFA's. Use this information as you like. They
are both located not far the the Bamako Peace
Corps House. I'm sure you will do as I did and
give any "leftover" CFA's and Guinean
francs to your PCV. They can use them, but once
you leave Africa, they are useless to you. No
bank in the US will exchange the money for you.You
will change 5 CFA's (Mali money) for Guinean francs
at the border. At least they did for us. CFA's
can also be exchanged at banks and on the black
market in Guinea.
I also took about $1,000.00 with me because
I wasn't sure how much I needed. I left
$700.00 behind with my son. If you
stay at the hotels, of course it will cost you
more. The Hotel Camayenne runs about $125.00
per night (in NOV 99), it is where all the
diplomats stay while they are in Conakry.
It's a touch of home away from home. I would
say that there are no hotels at your friend's
site. I would attempt to save $3,000.00
for my airfare and $500.00 for spending.
"I believe that my mom spent about $500 excluding
airfare for an 8-day trip. She stayed
in my village, Tougué, for a few days,
so our only major expenses were souvenirs
and hotels in Conakry and Dalaba. "
Before leaving, call
your credit card companies and tell them where
you're going to be. Otherwise, you may find that
your card will be refused in either Guinea or
Senegal.
Health
tips
I had prescription medication along and never
was questioned or challenged. I carried it in
the prescription bottles in which they were dispensed.
I also had a letter from my physician concerning
my need for them. No one ever asked to see the
letter. Over the counter medication should be
in its original containers. Don't put things in
other unlabeled bottles, or mix things up.
Throughout the trip, we took low grade antibiotics
which I think helped greatly in fending off disease.
We also brought prescribed Lomotil which also
helped a lot when sickness came on.
Trim your nails; long nails are a source of infection.
We continuously used anti-bacterial solutions
for our hands. I think this helped us avoid illness.
You are constantly shaking hands with people which
is a source of potential infection
We used Malarone as
anti-Malaria protection. After spending a lot
of time on CDC and other web sites, we decided
it had the least side effects, it was easier to
remember to take a pill once a day than once a
week, and cost was covered by our health plan.
Food?
Take lots of food with you (light-weight packages),
but don't take much luggage. We wore,
pretty much the same clothes the entire time we
were there. One becomes much like the PCV
natives, quickly. Remember, what you put
on that luggage check-in counter you'll be carrying
with you the entire time in Guinea! I would
suggest taking clothing that you can toss out
or leave in your PCVs village. This way you can
return with a case full of fabric, mementos, stuff
your PCV has purchased and will want you to take
home with you, and the enormous amount of mail
PCVs need sent home.
"Drink only Coyah (bottled water), take a camel
back of water, and take some food (snacks) every
where you go, you never know when you will get
stuck someplace."
"As far as water
in Guinea goes, there are plenty of places to
buy bottled water, just watch the seal. Be sure
it is solidly sealed. Don't do as the PCVs
do and buy water and funny little juice baggies
from children and women on the streets. The veteran
PCV stomach is made of iron and has lots of little
things in it to eat up the bad stuff in the liquid
(shudder)!
When to go
"Rainy season (our summer) is
good except the roads might be in worse condition.
Still, if you've got more than just a couple weeks
to spend there, it shouldn't pose too much of
a problem." In June (early rainy season)
road will not be in as bad condition as in August,
when they might be more washed out. April
is the hottest and driest time of year.
May/June turned out to be a
good time to visit. It was end of dry season and
beginning of rainy season in the Fouta. This meant
that the countryside was turning green, mango,
avocado and banana were in full bloom and delicious,
the small rains kept the red dust in check but
the pot holes and mosquitoes had not yet taken
over.
If your PCV is a teacher,
they will be off school from June - August.
What
will happen when I arrive at the Conakry airport?
The Guinean
airport is one of the worst in the world.
It can be a bit overwhelming. You
will first go to a checkpoint to show your passport,
visa, and WHO card. Woe to the traveler
without the right documents! Then you go
to the section to claim your baggage. People
will try to get you to let them take your
bags. They're not stealing them (usually), but
want to get paid to wheel the cart for you.
If you have a lot of bags, you might want to accept
this. I wouldn't pay more than $1-$2 for
this. PLEASE don't pay more, or you make
it more difficult for all the other travelers
They'll take advantage of your naïveté.
You can also wheel a cart yourself, you
don't have to pay them. On your way out,
you pass by a desk with grumpy looking people
in uniforms. This is customs. Be sure
you know what you have and if it should require
customs charges. They will often ask for
some money ($5 should do it), and just let you
through. That's often easiest. Otherwise,
they might go through your bags and ask for stuff.
This is worst case scenario. I usually just
said "peace corps", waved an ID, brought
my bag on the table in a gesture of cooperation,
and they waved me on. Smile, and look
dumb.
Hotels in
Dakar
Continental and Provencal both
around $28. Continental atmosphere and friendly
staff was slightly better at Continental, but
many PCVs go to Provencal.
Hotel Independence is better
than both, right downtown, beautiful rooms, pool
on roof.
Soifel Teranga Hotel was expensive
but accommodations were fantastic, even had hair
dryers in the rooms. THere are only rooms with
one bed. The rooms were around $100 or more and
then in Dakar they gave us a Peace Corps discount
bringing it to $90. Olympic size pool along the
beach, wonderful but expensive restaurant overlooking
restaurant, friendly and helpful staff.
Sofitel is supposed to be clean
and basic.
Taking
photos
I understood that you have to be careful when
use a camera, people do not like to be in front
of camera. I saw you took a lot of pictures, please
comment.
I took a lot of pictures because I lived in a
village, knew the people, and could as them
in their own language if it was ok. Each
was a difficult negotiation. Often, people
will let you take their picture if you promise
to give them a copy. That's not a bad deal,
if you have the money, and can remember where
you saw them. Be respectful. Ask first.
Learn how to say "Can I take your picture" in
the local language, and they'll love you and take
you in. Actually, if you learn any local
language at all, they'll give you anything you
want. It's the key to friendship.
I'm talking about merchants and local people,
not the educated people at the factory.
General
Comments
One traveler says: "In retrospect, nothing
was that bad and all the advice from this newsletter
was very good. Everyone has their own spin
on what was helpful. Most women said don't
take too many clothes, but I wish I had stuffed
more t-shirts in, at least to feel fresher.
It's hard to achieve that without running water!
I think Purell was invented for Guinea.
The little village was far more tolerable, despite
the lack of amenities. Everyone was so nice. "
Have your PCV prepare a back-up plan for arrival
in case they're not there to meet you at the airport.
On the cultural issues theme - just remember
to clear your throat if you hear someone approaching
the latrine while you are using it and to stay
away if you hear someone clearing theirs as you
approach.
Don't try to see too many places - pick a few
and stay there. Traveling takes a long time and
can be exhausting.
Please offer to carry letters or small packages.
Hand-couriers are invaluable means of communication
between parents and PCV's. Send your travel dates
to saabrian @ yahoo.com for inclusion on the list.
With respect to bathrooms, I
suggest you all start practicing squatting as
low as you can to the ground. Remember, lower
is better. The real natives can squat with their
feet flat on the ground. Good luck.
As far as traditions or customs
- one thing they do constantly in a very friendly
manner is greet you over and over again.
It is rude to pass someone without greeting
and shaking their hands. You may also expected
to bring small gifts and your friend can tell
you what to bring.
Make sure any taxi you get into
has working doors and a complete exhaust pipe
and that the windows go up. If you encounter a
roadblock, do not give up your passport.
We were only hit up once for a bribe
- that was at the airport just after we arrived
and we were trying to get out of the building
with copious amounts of luggage - duffel bags
of "stuff" that we had brought over
for our daughter and other volunteers. One of
the "security guards" began to do a
"search" of the bags for contraband,
but before she got too far another one who appeared
to be a supervisor came over and asked us why
we were coming to the country. Our daughter explained
she was with the Peace Corps and those were the
magic words. The supervisor reprimanded the first
person and let us go. Our daughter was very strict
with us - not allowing us to pay a bribe or give
up easily when we were dickering for an item we
wanted to purchase because she felt it would set
a bad precedent for those who would follow.
If you get a chance, visit Doucki
-- the only ecotourism spot in the area -- near
Pita. Hassan speaks English, French, Pular, and
other African languages. His hobby is hiking.
He built some "cases" (round houses
with thatched roofs) and leads the best narrated
hikes ever to great canyons, rainforests, and
waterfalls. It was physically challenging, but
Hassan sizes you up before selecting the hike.
He provides good food, tea, and wonderful hospitality
in a breathtaking part of the Fouta. Ask him to
make the "green banana dish (one of the best
dishes we had in Guinea and a treat for vegetarians).
