Guinea & Guinea-Bissau

Arriving in Conakry, the priority is getting to the hotel and resting up. Gathering in the Guinean capital gives us time to connect and prep for the drive into the highlands.ns.

Visiting Lake Samaya and the surrounding palace structures kicks off the day, with time around the lake edges and nearby areas where locals gather, and small roadside activity unfolds. Once the visit is finished, our group stays the night in Walia, getting closer to the Fouta Djallon foothills, where the landscape begins to open, and the pace softens

After watching artisans in Kindia craft traditional bridal veils, the drive pushes up into the cooler highlands of Dalaba. It is a solid 5-hour journey up the mountains, leading to a town known for the intricately carved doors of the Casa à Palabres

Exploring Doucky reveals a remote village sitting on the edge of steep canyons. Hiking around the Fulani huts leads to rock formations where locals navigate the cliff faces using bamboo ladders.

Labé serves as the region’s main commercial hub, noticeably busier with steady movement through the town. Exploring the local markets lets us check out traditional indigo-dyed lepi cloth and regional honey, with tightly packed stalls and active bargaining shaping the experience.

Crossing the border into Guinea-Bissau involves some rougher roads, taking around 6 hours. Once the paperwork in Buruntuma is finished, our night is spent in Gabou, the historic center of the old Kaabu Empire.

Meeting a Mandinka Griot community in Gabou offers a look at a storytelling ceremony that preserves their oral history. Once that is finished, a 3-hour drive brings us into the capital city of Bissau.

Visiting Quinhamel, the center for the Papel people, uncovers their animist traditions. Seeing local shrines and learning how they produce traditional sugarcane rum fills the afternoon.

Getting out of the vehicles, a private boat takes us out into the Bijagós Archipelago to stay on Bubaque Island. This shifts the trip into a completely different island rhythm.

Watching the Canhabaque traditional dance is the highlight here. Once the island performance is finished, the boat heads back to the mainland to return to Bissau.

Departure day. Flights head out of Bissau.