Things to see and do Upper Guinea

In the urban commune, not far from the old bridge over the Niger, this pretty sandy beach, discovered only in the dry season (approximately from February to June), is an ideal place for swimming enthusiasts. It offers the opportunity to observe scenes of local life but above all to take a refreshing break to better withstand the ambient heat of the dry season; temperatures can approach 40°C at this time. To your bathing suits!

Located on the edge of Upper Guinea, the Maléah waterfall is impressive for its flow in the rainy season. But as is often the case in the region, it offers little interest in the dry season except for a climbing wall. As for the Lady, she is sculpted in the cliff. According to oral tradition, the Lady in possession of néré met a great marabout one day. She refused to give it to him, which would have helped him to cure a sick person. The marabout then decided to turn her into stone. This is just one version of the story of this lady.

In Sansandé, close to Kérouané, this sacred mare is the meeting place for young people in the surrounding villages.

At 7 km from the city, this waterfall of about 30 m high was built to supply the city with water. A bit of a pity for the beauty of the site, but necessary for the population. Coming from Kankan, you have to take the first track on the left, 1 km after the entrance arch of the city. The path winds through the forest before reaching the water treatment plant 5 km further on. You then follow the path that leads, after 30 minutes of walking, to the waterfall. You may hear the howling of chimpanzees that live around the Going Mountain. Always impressive!

The springs themselves offer no interest, except to think of yourself as Mungo Park, the Scottish explorer who discovered which way the river flowed at the end of the 18th century. But the area is beautiful. Granite sugarloafs emerge from the earth and forests of green giants rustle with bird and insect calls. The expedition takes about 2 days. The ideal is to be in a 4x4 car, the state of the tracks in this region changing very quickly according to the season and the years. The track starts on the Kissidougou-Faranah section, halfway through, in the village of Nianfourando.

Normally, it is necessary to ask the prefecture of this village for the authorization to visit the sources. We leave the car after 20 km of bad track in Forokonia. There, you have to look for a guide to show you the path to the springs. Count about 3 hours of walk to arrive on the site, where you will see only some not very impressive streams of water. But the walk is worthwhile especially for the symbolism and the imagination associated with the source of a great river like the Niger. Remember that the latter flows into the Atlantic Ocean 4184 km further after crossing Guinea, Mali, Niger, bordering northern Benin and finally Nigeria.

It is possible to get to Forokonia from Kissidougou or Faranah by bush cab, especially on the village market day which is Thursday. However, one must be motivated and patient as this remains a real expedition of uncertain duration.