Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea and the economic, commercial and trade center for the area. of Guinea. Its population as of 2014 was 1.7 million.
Understand
[edit]The city's economy revolves largely around the port, which has modern facilities for handling and storing cargo, through which alumina and bananas are shipped. Manufactures include food products and cement, metal manufactures, and fuel products.
Climate
[edit]Conakry has a tropical monsoon climate with a wet season and a dry season. Conakry's dry season is dominated by the harmattan wind between December and April. As a result, almost no rain falls in the city during these months.
Conakry's wet season sees an extraordinary amount of rainfall, averaging more than 1,100 millimetres (43 in) in both July and August. However, the dry season is still dry, with January and February only receiving 1 millimetre (0 in) of rainfall on average. Sunshine is lower in the wet season than the dry season, with August receiving the least sunshine and March receiving the most.
Get in
[edit]
- 1 Conakry International Airport. There are daily flights from Paris CDG with Air France and three a week from Brussels with Brussels Airlines. Most West African cities are connected by local airlines, Casablanca and Dakar have several daily flights and good further connections.
Get around
[edit]Situated on a peninsula, Conakry is thin and long. Although many tourist sites are situated in the old centre on Tombo Island at the very end of the peninsula, distances can be long. Taxis are the best option for tourists.
A popular way of traveling for locals is the Conakry Express, a commuter train that runs the length of the city. Generally not recommended for tourists it can still be an interesting way of experiencing daily life.
The street numbering scheme of Conakry labels all roads with a two-letter code for the urban district, followed by a three digit number: odd for north-south streets and even for east-west, e.g. KA002 for a northbound street in the Kaloum district.
See
[edit]- 1 Grand Mosque of Conakry (Grande mosquée de Conakry). Built by Guinea's first president Ahmed Sékou Touré in 1982, it is one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa.
- 2 Sandervalia National Museum (Musée national de Sandervalia). The national museum of Guinea. Established shortly after independence in 1960, the museum contains displays of the ethnography and prehistory of Guinea and has a collection of masks and fetishes and a range of art.
- 3 Conakry Botanical Garden. Noted for its kapok-trees
- 4 Monument du 22 Novembre 1970. Commemorates the victory over the attempted coup led by Portuguese troops in 1970, named Operation Green Sea.
- 5 Palace of the People (Palais du Peuple).
- 6 Soumba waterfalls (Two hour drive out of the city a short distance past Dubreka). Have a swim to work up an appetite. There is also a restaurant to enjoy a nice meal with the roar of the water in the background.
- 7 St. Mary's Cathedral (Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Conakry).
Do
[edit]- Îles de Los (Loose Islands) have nice beaches and dense forests. Boats leave from the fish market behind the Novotel Hotel.
- Football: the counry's top tier for soccer is Guinée Championnat National or Ligue 1 Pro. This has 14 clubs and half of them are based in Conakry; the playing season is Oct-June.
- The national team, "The Elephants", play at General Lansana Conté Stadium (capacity 50,000) or at Stade du 28 Septembre (capacity 25,000).
- The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is to be held in June / July in Guinea, with 24 nations participating. Games will be played in Conakry, Kankan, Labé, Nzérékoré and elsewhere.
Buy
[edit]There are several large markets in Conakry.
- 1 Marché Medina. One of the largest markets in West Africa.
- Marché du Niger. It is slightly smaller than Marché Madina. It sells fruits and vegetables. Beware of pickpockets.
Eat
[edit]- Jardin de Chine. Very safe bet with good food and quaint atmosphere.
- 1 Mouna Internet Cafe. Has very nice croissants for "on the run" snack.
- 2 Le Cedre, 6th Ave. This Lebanese restaurant is a bit hard to find (near Mouna Internet) but has nice food.
Budget
- 3 Restau King. Authentic Syrian/Lebanese food, located in a street with a lot of other budget restaurants and street food stands
Drink
[edit]The nightlife starts quite late - just past midnight.
- Timi's. Good venue, small but alive.
- 1 Le Loft. Quieter and can be visited early in the night for a good vibe.
Sleep
[edit]Budget
[edit]- 1 Maison d'Accueil (close to stade de la Mission), ☏ +224 621752939. Simple but clean rooms at the Conakry Catholic mission. €13.
Mid-range
[edit]- 2 Grand Hotel de l'Independance, BP 287 2nd Ave, ☏ +224 622 35 19 07. Located at the very tip Kaloum Peninsula and offering great views, this modernist hotel was built by the French colonial administration in 1954. Today it is a somewhat run-down hotel with pool, dining room, bar and decent rooms.
Splurge
[edit]- 3 Hôtel Mariador Palace.
- 4 Hotel Palm Camayenne.
- 5 Riviera Royal Hotel, ☏ +224-64223301, fax: +224-64532447, info@rivieraroyalhotel.com. Low key hotel with a half Olympic size pool and good gym.
Stay safe
[edit]Over the past two decades, significant growth in the city has led to overwhelming population density and infrastructure problems. Elections in 2010 led to protests and violent clashes between Guinea’s citizens and the military. According to the U.S. Department of State, the worst is over, but “there is residual potential for violence.” The State Department further warns that “While not specifically targeted, U.S. citizens have been victimized in the past. Motorists traveling outside of Conakry have encountered improvised checkpoint-barricades manned by persons in military uniforms who demand money and search through personal belongings, confiscating items of value.”
Embassies and consulates
[edit]
1 Nigeria, Almamyah, Kaloum B.P. 54, ☏ +224 30 411 681, info@foreignaffairs.gov.ng. M-F 08:00-17:00.
Go next
[edit]Freetown, Sierra Leone
Take a taxi to Bambeto gare and plan to arrive around 06:00 to avail of the first car to Freetown. A seat costs 130,000 GNF as of July 2019. Buying 2 seats automatically gives you first dibs on the front passenger seat (unless it is a minibus where you can comfortably sit in front just for paying a seat). The travel time takes about as short as 5 hours depending on military checkpoint stops and border crossing. Plan your travel dates accordingly as the border to Sierra Leone is closed until 12:00 every last Saturday of the month for clean up day in Sierra Leone. During this time, all vehicles usually stop in Pamalap, Guinea. You may notice other passengers leaving their respective taxis and riding moto taxis to cross the border to the border town of Kambia, Sierra Leone for food. Don’t be surprised if many of your fellow passengers are nowhere to be found. They are already waiting on the other side.