Hi
We have driven in 4X4 as far as Banjul but this trip is with 2 wheel drive ambulance to Freetown what are things like south of Banjul for 2 wheel drive in January our route will be through Guinea Bissau and Guinea
Any feed back most welcome on conditions and security

If you check my route map on my website (Take On Africa: A Journey by Bike from UK to Cape Town), I passed this region in december / january last year.
From Banjul to Bissau the road is all tarmac'd and in good condition
I did not take the main road from Bissau to the Guinea border (through Gabu) so cannot really comment on that. I did cycle along about 15km of it east of Gabu - it is tarmac but very badly pot-holed.
I think further on it may be earth road. From Bissau to Gabu I understand the tarmac is in much better condition. If you ask Peter Gostelow (www.bigafricacycle.com) I think he recently took this route and can tell you about the road in northern Guinea.
I know that the road from Labe south is tarmac and good condition. You could take this road all the way to Conakry and would be tarmac.
From Conakry south to Freetown I do not know (I took a different route unsuitable for a 2wheel drive or indeed anything other than a motorbike or cycle) but suspect it is also tarmac.

It will be the dry season and I think the earth road in northern part of guinea would be passable in a 2wheel drive but don't quote me on that. In parts, even though the tracks are hard and driveable then can be quite rutted depending on when they were last smoothed.

Safety and security was no problem for me. Keep abreast of current politics though, but generally these things only flare up in the capital. I avoided Conakry for this reason as it was shortly after the assassination attempt on the president. The rest of the country was unaffected although I heard rumours of rebels in the area....

The people in the Guineas are very kind and helpful and I never had any hassle (except from the military at the Guinea border; the military are another matter).
There was a heavy military presence in the Casamance region of Senegal, but they were just patrolling and left me in peace most of the time, only engaging to check I was ok. Again, check up on current security situation.

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Helen's Take On...

Hi,
From Conacry to the border of SL is a scenic tarmac road. From the border (Pamelap?) until Rogbere Junction is dirt road that is usually in passable condition. Some of this road is the only road access to Lungi airport from Freetown so it does recieve some attention. People are using this road all year round in 2 wheel drive, except in the high rain. During this time they will just wait for a couple hours for the surface water to drain away and then off they go.
From Rogbere junction (it will be very obvious) turn right for Freetown (tarmac), left for Makeni & Bo Town. They last time I traveled that border road was in 2007, it may well be tarmaced by now.
Do not go all the way into Freetown as you will get completely lost and could waste the whole day trying to get out again and the centre suffers from cronic traffic. Eastern Freetown is not the place to be when it gets dark & you don't know where you are.
If you need to now how to get to the West Side, Aberdeen and other beaches let me know. I know the place very well.
Enjoy Salone.

I did Zighenshore to Freetown and onwards to Monrovia
Some roads between Guinea Bissau and Guinea are very bad, a real challenge for 4x4s, at leasts some that I have taken.
Land inwards Tambakounda south into Koundara shoud be better, think it is about choosing the roads, 2 wheel drive taxis go all the time
this is what I did, plus maps.
Photography and Journey: Guinea|Guinee, Percussion, Djembe, African Dance.

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Manfred
www.thisfabtrek.com

Hi Guys thanks for info

We are thinking of taking a route through Senegal avoiding entry to Gambia And Guinea Bissau
This route would take us through Tambacounda and directly south to Guinea On a road by Parc National du Niokolo-koba

Any comments

Thank You
Maurice

That gets u into Koundara, on the stretch Tambakounda to Koundara I cannot comment, I think is fine, Koundara to Boke is good laterit (dirt, piste) a bit dependent on time of year. But as said 2 wheel taxis do it all the time. Boke to Conakry to Freetown is all tarmac.

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Manfred
www.thisfabtrek.com