Guinea notes - Notes gathered from the Thorn Tree, other travellers ideas & experiences

Here's a variety of excerpts from posters on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree that are going to be useful for my trip & hopefully other travellers. Another poster, Kanding has forwarded more info to me including a lot in German, which I can't translate but maybe some German travellers will find it interesting! Click here http://deeper-into-west-africa.blogspot.com/2006/10/detailed-trip-in-german.html

Starter points: A variety of websites for the region:

cheap flights to West Africa and Ruanda

Malaria & Lariam

Electrycity Plug Around the World Airline ticket Finder & More Currency Converter http://www.camelworld.com/resources_currency.htm : African Currency guide My Travel Site: story, pictures, infos, etc. | ABTT people's face

A great site for cheap flights from uk to Gambia : Nga Def got €190 return once

africaserver : general info on any african country (a dutch site, but also in english)

AllAfrica: I don't think anybody has mentioned this link for up to date African news

http://africana.ru/lands/Guinea_Biss/travel.htm - A random Russian site, but also in English, some excellent G.Bissau details of towns & villages

These five West African countries have an all in one visa called the visa touristique de l'entente (VTE). The visa costs CFA 25000, and allows you unlimed travel within the five countries for a period of up to 60 days. It is difficult to obtain the visa, some embassies will deny the existence of the visa. Some guidebooks will say the same. However, it still exists (october 2004). Below are confirmed points of sale: the Togo embassy in Paris the Benin embassy in Paris the Togo embassy in Accra the Cote d'Ivoire embassy in Ouagadougou A number of visa services on the internet that can deliver the Entente visa. Example: visaplus-service.com http://www.bj.refer.org/benin_ct/med/jo/jo15/mcatdec2.htm the visa treaty

Africa travel info and forum: There's some good info here, along with a discussion forum for expats and travellers in

TACV (Cape Verde airlines) numbers: Cape Verde Praia city (HQ)--(+238) 608200 Praia airport--(+238) 633982/84 Sal--(+238)411268, 411305 France-Paris--(+33-1) 5679-1313 Guinea-Bissau-Bissau--(+245) 206087 Portugal-Lisbon--(+351) (21) 323-0555 Senegal-Dakar--(+221) (8) 213968 USA-Boston--(+1) 617-472-2227

http://www.tracks4africa.com/ : For the most up to date and accurate digital maps of Africa that you can load onto your pc and gps-for navigation.

Good to hear that you've finally decided! 23.5 Euros a day sounds enough to me, I think I managed with less in all of the countries you're planning to go (that's travelling on a shoestring, though).

Fantastic sites by some cyclists on same route

http://www.worldriders2.com/Journal_15_1.asp

www.hansrossel.com