Hi Guys.

Looked for as much advice as I can find on this but info is outdated or sketchy.

Has anybody got any up to date info on the following route:

Start in Mali.

Bamako - Siguiri (Mali - Guinea border) - Kouroussa - Dabola - Mamou - Conakry (I believe this is mostly sealed road?)

From Conakry head into Sierra Leone and stop at Freetown.

Intention is then to head north through Sierra Leone to Makeni - Kabala - Falaba, then crossing back into Guinea at Gberia-Fotombu.

Head upto Faranah, then head south east to Kissidougou - Macenta - Nzerekore - Lola, then cross into Cote Divoire towards Man.

Particularly interesed in:

1. Roads upto Gberia-Fotombou from Freetown
2. Road from here all the way to Man in Cote Divoire.
3. Sierra Leone - Giuinea border, and Guinea - Cote Divoire border....are they a particularly tricky bunch?!

Any links to pictures of the road would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Can't really help you much, but I have a few links on the region in general for you:

Travelling across Guinea - is it at all possible? - Lonely Planet travel forum
Cost of living / accomodation price in Senegal, Guinea and Sierra Leone - Lonely Planet travel forum
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-guinea-41210

Hope they're of some help,
cheers, Julian

__________________
Where is Julian?

Thanks ejuilian I appreciate it.

Not alot of information to be found. This report is from 2006 but things since then seem to have improved a little if you read other peoples blogs:

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=55082

Just found this very recent updated blog (feb 2010) of somebody who did the Freetown to Faranah stretch on a push bike, then carried onto Bamako.

Freetown to Faranah - Bangs, Bees and a Boat

And this very promising report that the road from Conakry to Nzerekore in he east of Guinea took 17hrs by car, and that they are working on the last stretch which is always been rated as terrible. Good news.

Guinea report (Maliville-Labé-Pita-Telimeli-Kindia-Conakry-Nzerekore) - Lonely Planet travel forum

Below is an email I receieved from Helen who wrote the travel blog and rode through Guinea/Sierra Leone on a bike......sounds very promising, and hope this information might help others planning a similar journey. Thanks again Helen if yure reading this again here! :

Hi David,
Good to hear you'll be visiting Guinea!! Sierra Leone and Mali too of course, but Guinea for me has been a real highlight.
Now to try and answer your question....
- Freetown to Kabala is indeed paved all the way.
- Kabala to the turning for the border at Gberia-Fotombu is dirt road and quite rough but certainly passable in a truck (besides some local vehicles I saw some overlanders in MASSIVE, bright orange trucks coming the other way but I don't know if they had come from Guinea or south-east Sierra Leone - they even had a website for their trip plastered on the sides but I don't remember it - from the Netherlands I think).
- From the turning to the border at Gberia-Fotombu, the road was certainly narrow and very rough. I don't recall seeing any trucks pass (but that's not to say they didn't), but if the route was only ever used by motorbikes/cycles I think the road would be narrower/more overgrown than it was. From my memory, I think it might be do-able in a truck but I really wouldn't like to say for certain.
- On the Guinea side of the border it is dirt track again, but in good condition - plenty wide enough and relatively smooth. Of course, this then joins up with the tarmac'd road (Mamou-Kissidougou) into Faranah.

Also note that I travelled during the dry season - the conditions in the wet season could be very different.

I'm sure you've already considered this, but it is easy to get a multiple-entry visa for Guinea which would be the best for you as you plan to enter the country twice.

I have done many of these
not the Man into Ci though

used Conakry to Freetown crossing at Pamela
Photography and Journey. Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Gotten my Visas and vehicle allowances in Conakry for SL and Liberia.

I have crosssed into Siguirie twice, Visa and Laissez Passe in Bamako
was expensive
All sealed to Conakry, Conakry stay at Mission Catholique
Been three times in Guinea. Guinea is a highlight.
Enjoy

Photography and Journey. Guinea|Guinee. Pictures Gallery.

Rgds Manfred,in Cyprus

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Manfred
www.thisfabtrek.com

Thank you very much Manfred. You have an excellent website and some brilliant photos. Thank you for the very useful information.

The roads in Liberia look like good fun!