Guinea

Guinea is called the water tower of West Africa - the Niger, the Senegal, the Gambia all rise in its Fouta Djallon highlands, a plateau of waterfalls and green valleys and a cool that feels borrowed from a different latitude. Conakry, on its peninsula, is chaotic in the way of port cities that have grown faster than their plans. The forest region in the south is one of the most biodiverse corners of the continent, largely unvisited and for that reason alone worth the effort.

Our guide is being written from the ground up, with the time this place deserves.

We are still gathering the notes that make a guide worth keeping: Fouta Djallon trekking routes, Conakry's waterfront, highland guesthouses and the palm wine trails through the forest region that no guidebook has properly mapped.