Advice on traveling to Guinea
May 14, 2013 6:53 AM Subscribe
Our daughter is going to a dance intensive program in Guinea, Africa. While my wife and I have traveled quite a bit in Europe and Asia, Africa is new to us.
She will be getting all necessary shots, travel insurance, etc., but we're more interested in the less than obvious. While she will be in and out of Conakry, from our understanding she will also be helping to build a school and traveling around other parts of Guinea. Does anyone have any advice for our daughter about Guinea, travel to Africa, cultural dos and don'ts or logistical information about communications, phones, or anything else?
Thanks!
The biggest takeaway for me after spending a summer working in Ghana was: be patient. Things may happen on a completely different timescale to what she expects having lived in the US, and things may not be explained to her, so as not to upset or confuse her or cause social awkwardness. Ghana is obviously not Guinea, but working on being patient (and present!) and enjoying the slower speed of things really, really made my life much easier once I got it.
posted by mdonley at 9:11 AM on May 14, 2013
posted by mdonley at 9:11 AM on May 14, 2013
Conakry is dangerous and some experienced travelers to Guinea that I know felt uncomfortable traveling in the capital and have felt that the situation has degraded over the years. It should go without saying that she brings practically no valuables, and ideally she should travel with a companion for her trip. If she has had instruction in North America (and ideally she has, the masters teach fast) she should be able to find a companion from her class to travel with.
Gifts to the locals are welcome, bringing things like flip-flops or other practical but cheap giveaways will make her much more welcome with local hosts. She need not bring too many non-western clothes as suitable attire can be purchased cheaply on arrival.
posted by crazycanuck at 9:19 AM on May 14, 2013
Gifts to the locals are welcome, bringing things like flip-flops or other practical but cheap giveaways will make her much more welcome with local hosts. She need not bring too many non-western clothes as suitable attire can be purchased cheaply on arrival.
posted by crazycanuck at 9:19 AM on May 14, 2013
I have helped to run a volunteer program in Africa for the past 10 years and what pretentious illiterate says is spot on! Especially the last paragraph. The first time I went to Africa I got scammed left and right, was totally naive, gave away all my spare money to the people who asked me for it, etc. Wish I had known this.
Also, my program's in a different part of Africa, but I have had the same experience that shorts, tank tops, and sandals are seen as fairly inappropriate by Africans who dress nicely on the regular (freshly pressed clothing, dresses for women, collared shirts and slacks for men). In the part of Africa where I work, showing your legs is far more frowned upon than revealing tops. I typically wear long skirts or at least 3/4 length pants (lightweight) and 3/4 length blouses (not t shirts) or at least shirts with short sleeves (not straps) and covered toe shoes - bonuses are that these types of clothing can protect pale skin from the sun and help prevent malaria. I am not sure if this dress code applies to Guinea but I suggest she asks someone there for what sort of clothing is appropriate.
I suggest using typical travel common sense: the buddy system, not traveling after dark in sketchy areas, not flashing wads of cash, not carrying fancy electronics, making copies of her passport and other key documents. Register with the American embassy. Read all the information on the U.S. Dept of State safety webpage for Guinea. I also suggest putting her money into a travel money belt. Yes, thieves know about money belts for tourists, but they sure are a hell of a lot more difficult to steal from (I got my wallet stolen last time I went to Africa on the ride from the airport to my hotel, before I had changed my money from the wallet to the travel belt).
I also recommend that she has a local host/friend teach her how to negotiate and help to ensure that she gets a fair price on things she buys, until she gets a sense of what appropriate prices are. Foreigners get told high prices and get ripped off if they don't know these things.
I also strongly suggest that she be very aware of road safety. In my experience, road safety is one of the biggest threats to travelers in Africa. The road are not safe, and there are a lot of motorcycle and bicycle taxis. If there are bicycle or motorcycle taxis where she is traveling, please, help to ensure that she has a bicycle helmet and/or full/face motorcycle helmet that meets European (not US) standards for crash safety and that she will wear it EVERY time she rides.
Final note, I am not sure I agree with crazycanuck's point regarding gifts. This may have been just my experience but I found that giving away stuff (even cheap stuff) just encouraged people to ask me for more stuff and it became more divisive between us, like I was the great wealthy white person who would throw my leavings to the poor local people in need. Kids would come up to me with palms outstretched repeating "[Foreigner], give me money, give me money." I found it much more useful to do things like cook an American dinner for my hosts as a gift (I bought all the groceries), or to bring things that could be shared, like bubble stuff to blow bubbles for kids, or a soccer ball (which I could deflate and take with me wherever I went). These sorts of gifts allowed me to play with the kids and have fun, and did not end in accusations from some people that I had not given them stuff etc, and helped people think of me as a friendly, sharing visitor and not a vending machine.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:55 AM on May 14, 2013 [4 favorites]
Also, my program's in a different part of Africa, but I have had the same experience that shorts, tank tops, and sandals are seen as fairly inappropriate by Africans who dress nicely on the regular (freshly pressed clothing, dresses for women, collared shirts and slacks for men). In the part of Africa where I work, showing your legs is far more frowned upon than revealing tops. I typically wear long skirts or at least 3/4 length pants (lightweight) and 3/4 length blouses (not t shirts) or at least shirts with short sleeves (not straps) and covered toe shoes - bonuses are that these types of clothing can protect pale skin from the sun and help prevent malaria. I am not sure if this dress code applies to Guinea but I suggest she asks someone there for what sort of clothing is appropriate.
I suggest using typical travel common sense: the buddy system, not traveling after dark in sketchy areas, not flashing wads of cash, not carrying fancy electronics, making copies of her passport and other key documents. Register with the American embassy. Read all the information on the U.S. Dept of State safety webpage for Guinea. I also suggest putting her money into a travel money belt. Yes, thieves know about money belts for tourists, but they sure are a hell of a lot more difficult to steal from (I got my wallet stolen last time I went to Africa on the ride from the airport to my hotel, before I had changed my money from the wallet to the travel belt).
I also recommend that she has a local host/friend teach her how to negotiate and help to ensure that she gets a fair price on things she buys, until she gets a sense of what appropriate prices are. Foreigners get told high prices and get ripped off if they don't know these things.
I also strongly suggest that she be very aware of road safety. In my experience, road safety is one of the biggest threats to travelers in Africa. The road are not safe, and there are a lot of motorcycle and bicycle taxis. If there are bicycle or motorcycle taxis where she is traveling, please, help to ensure that she has a bicycle helmet and/or full/face motorcycle helmet that meets European (not US) standards for crash safety and that she will wear it EVERY time she rides.
Final note, I am not sure I agree with crazycanuck's point regarding gifts. This may have been just my experience but I found that giving away stuff (even cheap stuff) just encouraged people to ask me for more stuff and it became more divisive between us, like I was the great wealthy white person who would throw my leavings to the poor local people in need. Kids would come up to me with palms outstretched repeating "[Foreigner], give me money, give me money." I found it much more useful to do things like cook an American dinner for my hosts as a gift (I bought all the groceries), or to bring things that could be shared, like bubble stuff to blow bubbles for kids, or a soccer ball (which I could deflate and take with me wherever I went). These sorts of gifts allowed me to play with the kids and have fun, and did not end in accusations from some people that I had not given them stuff etc, and helped people think of me as a friendly, sharing visitor and not a vending machine.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:55 AM on May 14, 2013 [4 favorites]
Oh and for communication, I second the point about buying a cheap GSM phone on arrival (i.e. the kind with SIM cards), if you don't already have one of these from your other travels that she could bring. You can contact her by Skype or Google Hangouts for video if she has a good internet connection some places, but otherwise you can purchase a cheap phone card online and call her mobile phone. I have found the Nobelcom website to have supercheap rates for calling Africa, but there may be others.
A final point that I thought of that I would say to anyone traveling to a foreign country for a prolonged period - try as hard as you can not to hang out with other travelers, even though that seems like the most natural thing. Ask them to teach you vocabulary in the local language, to explain customs and holidays, to discuss their views on politics and relationships, to show you the places the locals hang out and things they like to eat and do. Foreigners tend to cluster together and talk to each other, and that can be valuable too, to discuss feelings of culture shock and so forth. It is hard to go outside your comfort zone and to spend time talking to and learning from the local people who have a different language and a different culture, but based on what I have seen it is the best way to have the most meaningful experience.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:26 AM on May 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
A final point that I thought of that I would say to anyone traveling to a foreign country for a prolonged period - try as hard as you can not to hang out with other travelers, even though that seems like the most natural thing. Ask them to teach you vocabulary in the local language, to explain customs and holidays, to discuss their views on politics and relationships, to show you the places the locals hang out and things they like to eat and do. Foreigners tend to cluster together and talk to each other, and that can be valuable too, to discuss feelings of culture shock and so forth. It is hard to go outside your comfort zone and to spend time talking to and learning from the local people who have a different language and a different culture, but based on what I have seen it is the best way to have the most meaningful experience.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:26 AM on May 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
My husband went to Guinea five years ago, for the summer. I'll have him weigh in later, but here are some things he told me.
Conakry has a few hours of power every day. Unless you are staying somewhere with a generator you should bring s solar phone charger with a bunch of ends on it. He said everyone in the camp was using his to keep up their power.
Obviously water in going to be something that you need to buy. He was happy to have brought some of those packaged drinks mixes for something sweet and familiar to drink. He bought the probiotic ones and that was helpful for travelers diarrhea.
If I was going to Africa again I would definitely take a Diva menstrual cup.
I would also take something to treat water, like those water treatment tablets, because sometimes you just aren't near a store and no one is thirsty but you, and you don't want bother anyone.
That being said dont expect meals times to be well timely.....I'd bring some granola bars, seriously. But I'm a total wimp about eating three times a day.
posted by aetg at 3:34 PM on May 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Conakry has a few hours of power every day. Unless you are staying somewhere with a generator you should bring s solar phone charger with a bunch of ends on it. He said everyone in the camp was using his to keep up their power.
Obviously water in going to be something that you need to buy. He was happy to have brought some of those packaged drinks mixes for something sweet and familiar to drink. He bought the probiotic ones and that was helpful for travelers diarrhea.
If I was going to Africa again I would definitely take a Diva menstrual cup.
I would also take something to treat water, like those water treatment tablets, because sometimes you just aren't near a store and no one is thirsty but you, and you don't want bother anyone.
That being said dont expect meals times to be well timely.....I'd bring some granola bars, seriously. But I'm a total wimp about eating three times a day.
posted by aetg at 3:34 PM on May 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Ateg's husband: I think the biggest thing I took away from my time in Conakry was would poor the area was and how quickly they know people are outsiders. As a 200lb white man with a beard I knew they would know I wasn't from their country. But what was more surprising was how quickly the knew my Professor (my host) was an outsider and he had grown up there and travelled back every summer.
I second the traffic issues. The cars seemed to drive how every they wanted to and followed a crowd mentality for traffic laws. I hardly saw many bicycles but one would be taking their life in their own hands ride a bike down the roads. I also second the scammers. If someone is being overly friendly be wary but most people are far from being hostile. Never once did I fear I would be harmed but many times I was worried of being pickpocketed and/or scammed.
Don't expect beautiful sandy beachs, they have mud flats all round Conakry.
Expect armed soldiers every where. I was there during military ruleand the country still couldn't pay their soldiers very well. When travelled we stop frequent to pay "tolls" (aka bribes) to the local military soldiers. For most of them it was their only source of income.
I know she won't be in charge of but they need to get outside of Conakry. Conakry is crowded, dirty, crazy.... Much like most large cities. The country side is AMAZINGLY beautiful. The small towns outside Conakry are much easier to visit and enjoy. While in Conakry I never travelled outside our compound by myself (partly from fear of simply getting lost). In the small towns I did much more by myself (while sticking out like a 200lb bearded white man).
If she has any input on where to visit go to Kindia and visit the Veil of the Bride. It is a beautiful waterfall in a "resort" near Kindia. Another amazing site was a 500 foot waterfall near Kinkon but it is only reachable on motorbike.
Hopefully she has a open attitude because it will open her eyes to how other people live.
posted by aetg at 8:20 PM on May 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
I second the traffic issues. The cars seemed to drive how every they wanted to and followed a crowd mentality for traffic laws. I hardly saw many bicycles but one would be taking their life in their own hands ride a bike down the roads. I also second the scammers. If someone is being overly friendly be wary but most people are far from being hostile. Never once did I fear I would be harmed but many times I was worried of being pickpocketed and/or scammed.
Don't expect beautiful sandy beachs, they have mud flats all round Conakry.
Expect armed soldiers every where. I was there during military ruleand the country still couldn't pay their soldiers very well. When travelled we stop frequent to pay "tolls" (aka bribes) to the local military soldiers. For most of them it was their only source of income.
I know she won't be in charge of but they need to get outside of Conakry. Conakry is crowded, dirty, crazy.... Much like most large cities. The country side is AMAZINGLY beautiful. The small towns outside Conakry are much easier to visit and enjoy. While in Conakry I never travelled outside our compound by myself (partly from fear of simply getting lost). In the small towns I did much more by myself (while sticking out like a 200lb bearded white man).
If she has any input on where to visit go to Kindia and visit the Veil of the Bride. It is a beautiful waterfall in a "resort" near Kindia. Another amazing site was a 500 foot waterfall near Kinkon but it is only reachable on motorbike.
Hopefully she has a open attitude because it will open her eyes to how other people live.
posted by aetg at 8:20 PM on May 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Some friends of mine have been living in Conraky for the past 2 years. Here are their blogs:
http://ewasadventure.blogspot.com/
http://jimswestafricanparadise.blogspot.com
posted by reddot at 8:56 AM on May 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
http://ewasadventure.blogspot.com/
http://jimswestafricanparadise.blogspot.com
posted by reddot at 8:56 AM on May 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
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As for cultural do's and don'ts - they may have covered this, but I'd recommend bringing a few long skirts and cover-ups or scarves, and in general to be prepared to dress nicely on more than one occasion. Sometimes people traveling to Africa get the impression that they can dress like dirty hippies since everyone is poor there and you'll be hiking through sweltering jungles (or something) but in fact my sense is that people tend to dress more formally than people -especially students- do here: bring a pair of nicer shoes, not just flip flops, and don't count on wearing shorts every day. In most places, tourists can wear what they want - no one's going to arrest her, or even necessarily say something - but it's nice to fit in.
The only warning I would give is that when your daughter first arrives in Guinea and comes face to face with a kind of poverty she has never encountered before, she may feel shocked and upset and feel as though it is immediately necessary for her to do something about it - to help in any way she can. This is of course a laudable impulse, and seeing more of the world and the way that other people live is a good thing. That said, travel groups like these, full of idealistic young people, are often targets for locals who, while not scammers, exactly, know how to work the system and play on the emotions of those who are new enough to the country that they can't see the complexities of it yet. When you first arrive, everyone seems poor, everyone seems in dire need - but the truth is more layered than that. Hopefully, the leaders of the group will guide the students thoughtfully and empathetically through these kinds of encounters. I wouldn't encourage your daughter to be cynical, at all... just to be thoughtful about where her money goes.
I think she will have a wonderful time.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 7:36 AM on May 14, 2013 [6 favorites]