Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone Expedition

Day 1 – Arrival in Conakry, Guinea
Welcome to the Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone Expedition! On your arrival into the capital of Guinea, you will be met and transferred to hotel.
Overnight at the Hotel Onomo or similar

Day 2 - Conakry
Today we will have a brief visit to the capital. First-time visitors to Conakry are often struck by the city's lively atmosphere and its friendly people. The city is home to several interesting tourist attractions, including the National Museum of Guinea, the Botanical Gardens, and the Grand Mosque. Conakry is also known for its beautiful beaches, delicious seafood, and its lively nightlife. It is also renowned for dreadful traffic and, once we manage to leave the traffic jam, we will head to the outskirts of Kindia.
Overnight at the Hotel Moringa, bungalows with A/C, or similar (BLD)
(140 Km, driving time 4 hr)

Day 3 – Dalaba
The road will bring us to the heart of the Fouta Djalon massif. On arrival at our hotel, we will have lunch before we visit Dalaba. Of particular interest is the “casa a palabra” (the house of words) with fine bas-relief in a Peul style. Here the chiefs used to get together to meet the colonial administration. We will visit the villa built by the colonial governor and later used by the first president of an independent Guinea. The leader of the independence was Sekou Touré, one of the most radical activists against colonialism. Touré ended the relationship with the French and moved the country closer to the Soviet Union and socialist countries, becoming personal friends with Ceausescu. During Sekou Touré’s time, the country also became more and more isolated, and the government turned into a dictatorship. Some villas used by the ministers and by the guests of Sekou Touré are reminiscences of that time. In one of these villas Miriam Makeba met and married Stokley Carmichael, an exiled from America and a former militant in the armed wing of the Black Panthers.
Overnight at Hotel Safitel, comfortable air-conditioned self-contained rooms or similar (BLD)
(280 km, driving time 8 hr)

Day 4 - Fouta Djalon and the Council of Elders
We have a full day to discover the largest mountain massif of West Africa: Fouta Djalon. Here the mountains meet the savannah and in there are deep valleys filled with forests. Thanks to the local climate, this region was a popular holiday site during the colonial times. Peul people come from this region and are known for their stunning beauty and for being the best zebu breeders of West Africa.
Our group will take a 1.30h walk in the forest to discover the Ditin waterfall, the highest of the region at about 100m.
After having been introduced by our local connections to the elders, where we present traditional gifts, we will have the honour to be received by the chiefs and dignitaries siting in council. In a very large clay round hut with a decorated grass roof, dressed in traditional costumes the descendant of one of the oldest Fulla Kingdom will tell us the history of their people and answer our questions about the origins of their tribe and the traditional rules still practiced. A truly unique and authentic experience. Our journey then continues to Mamou, where we arrive early evening.
Overnight at Hotel Baylis, rooms with A/C and en-suite, or similar (BLD)
(180 km, short drives)

Day 5 – Stone Gods
Today is a day on the road. From Mamou, we leave the mountains to cross the arboreal savannah. We stop for lunch in Faranah where we will try the local cooked street food integrated with our picnic. At a nearby bridge, our expedition will cross the Niger River which starts in this region and flows north growing as it does thanks to the many tributaries. It then becomes the largest and longest river in West Africa, crossing Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin and ending in Nigeria at a large estuary more than 3000 miles from the original bridge that we crossed. We will come across the Kissi ethnic group, known for worshiping stone gods called Pomo and which have been mysteriously found in the local forest. Kissidougou (the city of Kissi) has a small but interesting museum which shows the ritual objects of the region.
Overnight at Hotel Rama, rooms with A/C and en-suite, or similar. (BLD)
(320 km, driving time 7 hr)

Day 6 – Markets and the Toma
This region is rich in markets ad we hope to experience the Guekedou market. Here on the borders between Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, thousands of people coming to trade every day and it is considered one of the largest markets in Africa. It is surely the most crowed! Our group will arrive at Macenta for lunch. In the afternoon we hope to witness one of the Toma girls initiation dances. The dance celebrates the end of puberty rites when a girl will be considered an adult woman ready to be married.
Overnight at Hotel Macenta (in Macenta), with A/C and en-suite, or similar (BLD)
(170 km, driving time 5 hr)

Day 7 – Lianas Bridges and the Bird Men
Today our group will have the honour of assisting at one of the more spectacular, and less well-known sacred dances of the West African forests. The bird men with their faces painted in white Kaolin and dressed in feathers belong to a special initiation that has passed secretly from father to son for centuries. The bird men are believed to have magical powers that can make them invisible and during tribal wars, this makes them the best messengers as they are able to cross the enemy lines. Tom-tom drummers and all the village will participate to the event. For our lunch we will experience a variety of local gastronomy prepared by the women from the village.
These remote mountains with their impenetrable vegetation also hide other secrets. A small track will bring us to a remote village and to a spectacular liana bridge that crosses a large river in the jungle. Liana bridges are masterpieces of a tribal technology and can measure up to 70-metres in length. They are built with local organic materials, wood, and lianas without the use of nails or rope or any other materials foreign to the forest. Only the initiated are allowed to harvest the liana and wood. It is then left in the forest and it is believed that a powerful spirit will build the bridge in one night. During the preparation of a new bridge, women and the non-initiated are not allowed in the forest, to guarantee the secrecy of the technology. Our expedition will arrive in Nzerekore, the capital of the forest region.
Overnight at Hotel Bethanie, rooms with A/C and en-suite, or similar. (BLD)
(160 km, driving time 4 hr, various drives)

Day 8 – The Rubber Tree Forests
It is a full day driving on the rough road through a spectacular forest. We will travel through the large wild Hevea plantations that cover hundreds of miles of forest. Hevea belongs to the Euphorbiaceous family and grows in tropical and sub-tropical climates that can offer more than 1,200 mm. (50 in) of rainfall per year. To harvest the latex, incisions are made across the bark and the latex is collected in small buckets. We will stop to visit villages and markets before we arrive at the Liberian border.
Overnight at Alvino Hotel, rooms with A/C and en-suite, or similar (BLD)
(200 Km, driving time 7 hr, various drives)

Day 9 – Liberia 
Liberia is the only country which has never been either a colony or a protectorate. It was founded by Krio, the freed slaves who came back to Africa from the US and it is from this that the name Liberia comes, ‘the country of freemen’. Krio are now 5% of the population and they control a large part of the economy and the political power. They are considered the creator of the nation and of the modern economy. 80% of the population speaks the Krio language, a sort of Pidgin English. In the afternoon we will arrive in Monrovia. A comfortable, ocean-view hotel on the West Point of the capital will be the base for two nights. It is now time to relax.
Overnight at Cap Hotel or similar (BLD)
(270 Km, driving time 7 hr)

Day 10 – Monrovia and the Mende People
Our hotel is the best starting point to visit the city. By foot, we will visit one of the main symbols of the town, the temple of the Masonic Lodge. The temple is the most significant symbol of the Krio culture and of its economic power. Another symbol of the city is what is left of the Ducor Palace Hotel, the extremely luxurious hotel with a swimming-pool facing the ocean. The hotel has hosted the local politic elite and its parties. According to the legend, Idi Amin used to swim while carrying a gun in his belt while his friend Miriam Makeba was singing. After being looted several times, the hotel is now abandoned. In 2008 the government made a deal with Libya’s Ghaddafi to rebuild the hotel. However the project never came to a conclusion due to the overthrow Ghaddafi. The National Museum building contains a great collection of masks and ritual objects and a photographic show about the civil war which took place from 1989 till 2003. Lunch in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon we will visit a village to experience a unique mask dance. In most parts of Africa, the masks are a male’s prerogative, however among the Mende people and neighbouring populations the Bundo masks are a female’s domain, and they have crucial role in the girls initiation rites. The dance is an event that calls for a colourful and enthusiastic crowd.
Overnight at Cap Hotel or similar (BLD)

Day 11 – Sierra Leone - Borders, Rivers and Forest Villages
The Mano river is the southern boundary between Liberia and Sierra Leone. After crossing the border, we visit a traditional village escorted by our local friends who are proud to introduce us to their homes and way of life. A new road will take us through a landscape of lush rainforest, and large rivers, as we are enter the area rich in diamonds for which this country is famous. In the afternoon we will arrive in Bo, the second town of the country. Bo is a friendly place with colourful markets and the many diamond shops. These diamond shops are not for you to buy diamonds but a place where you can purchase shovels, sieves and all the necessary equipment to dig for diamonds. Some of these diamond shops do also have a licence to buy diamonds. With a bit of luck and through our close relationships with the locals, we will be able to see some of the rough diamonds.
Overnight at Hotel Dohas, room with A/C and en-suite, or similar (BLD)
(310 km, driving time 7 hr)

Day 12 - Diamonds
Diamond seeking is as addictive as gambling, however the chances of finding a fortune in the soil become true only for the most lucky. We will follow a track to reach a village with huts made by clay and straw. After greeting the chief, some villagers will take us to the site where we can meet the diamond seekers in action. A villager will explain to us the techniques of artisanal mining and sand washing. From Bo we drive to the coast to reach Kent village where a local boat waits for us to cross to Banana Island.
Overnight at the Bafa Lodge that will be our base for two nights: these are fixed tents hidden in the forest facing the sea. Fine cuisine based on the catch of the day (other meals available, ask in advance) BLD
(260 km, driving time 6 hr)

Day 13 – Banana Island
Our boat will take us on a pleasant circumnavigation of the most mythical island in Sierra Leone. Banana Island has mountains that are covered by a primary forest. The journey on this wooden boat allows us to witness the local life in this spectacular landscape. We visit many tiny creeks where we find Crio fishermen’s villages that have an old Caribbean feeling. In the afternoon we will return to our comfortable camp and relax. For the more adventurous there is the possibility to experience two hours of walk in the shade of the forest. For those that want to relax, you can remain at the camp, enjoy the shade of the forest, the breeze of the ocean and the calm water of the beaches (and the well-furnished open-sky bar!).
Overnight at Bafa Resort (BLD)

Day 14 – Freetown Peninsula
Once we reach the mainland, we will drive along the coast and the slopes of the Freetown peninsula mountains. Sierra Leone has been named after these mountains, the Sierra (mountains) of Lions.
After 14 days of tracks, through savannah, forest and islands, we have a day dedicated to relax or some more soft adventure. The Freetown Peninsula beaches are considered the bests in West Africa and we will stop at the spectacular beach of Bureh and the wild River Number Two beach for a delicious lunch. In the afternoon there is a choice between relaxing on an organized beach with deck chairs and umbrellas, or you may prefer to take a short walk to discover a wild beach, sand banks, natural pools and an estuary. We finish the day with a drive to Freetown.
Overnight at Swiss Hotel similar (BLD)
(30 minutes navigation plus 50 km drives, driving time 1 hr)

Day 15 - Freetown
Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is a city with a rich and complex history. Founded in 1792 as a settlement for freed African slaves, Freetown has played a significant role in the abolitionist movement and the development of West Africa. Despite its troubled past, Freetown is a vibrant and resilient city. Today, it is a major port city and commercial centre, and home to over a million people. Freetown is also a cultural melting pot, with influences from all over West Africa, as well as Europe and the Middle East.

First-time visitors to Freetown are often struck by the city's natural beauty. Situated on a peninsula surrounded by mountains and ocean, Freetown is a feast for the eyes. The city is also home to a number of interesting historical and cultural attractions. We will leave Freetown by ferry to travel to Lungi, where the international airport is located. Here there are day rooms available until it is time to transfer to the airport. You have now completed the Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone Expedition!
Airport Hotel day-use until 18h00 (BL)