The Fouta Djallon highlands are the main reason most travelers come to Guinea. This vast sandstone plateau in central Guinea is cut by deep canyons and dotted with waterfalls -- Ditinn Falls near Dalaba drops 80 meters, and the falls at Kambadaga and Kinkon are equally impressive. The hiking is superb, passing through Fulani villages, across open grassland, and along river gorges. Dalaba and Labe are the best bases.
The Iles de Los are a small archipelago just off Conakry, reachable by pirogue in under an hour. Ile de Kassa is lively on weekends with Guinean day-trippers, while Ile de Roume is quieter and more relaxed. The beaches are not pristine Caribbean sand, but they are a welcome break from the capital.
Mount Nimba straddles the border with Liberia and Ivory Coast and rises to 1,752 meters. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to viviparous toads found nowhere else on earth and one of the last populations of West African chimpanzees. Access is from Nzerekore in the southeast.
Guinean music is a highlight you do not need to travel far to find. Guinea has produced some of West Africa's greatest musicians, and the djembe drum tradition originates here. In Conakry, live music is everywhere -- from formal concerts to impromptu sessions in neighborhoods. The balafon (wooden xylophone) ensembles of the Malinke heartland around Kankan are mesmerizing.
The Kakimbon Caves near Conakry are sacred to the Baga people and hold deep spiritual significance. The caves themselves are atmospheric, set among lush vegetation, and the stories attached to them give a window into Guinea's pre-Islamic traditions.
Kankan's markets and mosque offer a taste of the Malinke world. Kankan was once the capital of the Mali Empire, and while little of that grandeur remains, the Grande Mosquee and the bustling covered market are worth the long journey east.