Nzerekore

Forested southeastern Guinean city and regional market gateway to Mount Nimba country.

Nzerekore is the largest city in Guinea's forested southeast, a region that feels quite different from the rest of the country. The landscape here is dense tropical forest and rolling hills, and the ethnic groups -- Manon, Kono, and Guerze -- have distinct cultures from the Malinke and Fulani of the north.

The town itself is a busy market center with a frontier feel. The Grand Marché draws traders from across the forest region and from Liberia and Ivory Coast. The main reason to come is access to Mount Nimba, the 1,752-meter peak on the border with Liberia and Ivory Coast. Mount Nimba is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of West Africa's most important ecological zones, home to endemic species including the viviparous Nimba toad and wild chimpanzees. The Diécké Forest Reserve to the south offers another window into the Upper Guinea forest ecosystem.

Getting to Nzerekore from Conakry is a serious undertaking -- the road is long and rough, especially south of Kissidougou. But the forest region rewards those who make the effort with some of the most spectacular and least-visited wilderness in West Africa.

Guide

Getting There

Getting to Nzerekore from Conakry is one of the more demanding overland journeys in West Africa. The distance is roughly 900 km, and the road condition — particularly south of Kissidougou — is poor and deteriorates further in the rainy season (June through October). The overland journey by bush taxi or private vehicle takes anywhere from 12 to 20 hours in dry conditions, longer if roads are washed out.

The more practical approach is by air. Nzerekore has a small airport with occasional domestic flights from Conakry, though service is irregular and schedules change frequently. Check with local airlines when planning, and have a realistic backup in mind. The town is also accessible from the Liberian and Ivorian sides for those entering from those countries, though border crossings in this region carry their own complications. Whatever route you take, build in extra time and carry sufficient cash — ATM access in Nzerekore is limited.

Guide

Things to Do

Nzerekore's main draw is as a gateway to the forested highlands of southern Guinea. The city itself is a busy commercial hub without many conventional sights, but the surrounding region offers some of West Africa's most impressive natural scenery, including access to Mount Nimba and the Nimba Range.