Packing list for Guinea, travel insurance for Guinea and taking your belongings

What to take to Guinea: brief

To pack and check:

• Documents and money: a passport that is valid for at least 6 months and a visa. For many travellers, this can be applied for online as an e-visa, but check which procedure applies to your nationality long before you intend to travel. Bring a printed copy of your visa, passport and vaccination certificate, as well as a digital backup. Proof of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry. Guinea uses the Guinean franc (GNF) and bringing cash is important, as ATMs are difficult to find outside Conakry.
• Clothing: lightweight, breathable and covering clothing for the warm climate and protection against mosquitoes. Choose light-coloured, quick-drying clothing for possible heavy rain showers.
• Shoes: comfortable shoes or sandals for Conakry. For walks in nature, for example around Fouta Djallon, sturdy hiking shoes with good grip are much more practical than ordinary trainers.
• Toiletries and hygiene: high-factor sunscreen, lip balm, hand sanitiser, tissues and wet wipes.
• Packing and protecting your belongings: during the heavy rainy season (May to October), a good rain cover for your backpack and waterproof bags or pouches for your phone, passport and electronics are very important.
• Insects and animals: an effective insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin is important.
• Sleeping: an insecticide-treated mosquito net is advisable if you are staying in basic accommodation or travelling extensively in rural areas.
• Medication and travel first aid kit: bring a well-stocked travel first aid kit with ORS, plasters, blister plasters, painkillers, medication for diarrhea, hand sanitiser, period products, a thermometer and any personal medication.
• Outdoor and useful items: sunglasses, a sun hat or cap, a reusable water bottle with a filter and a small daypack. A water filter or water purification tablets can be useful when travelling outside the larger cities for longer periods.
• Technology and equipment: a universal travel adapter for type C and F power sockets and a power bank and possibly a headlamp for power cuts.
• Safety and theft: a bag that closes securely and/or a money belt. Carrying a passport or a copy is important, as you may be asked to show identification. Photographing military locations, police, checkpoints, government buildings, airports and other important or sensitive locations is often prohibited.

To consider:

• A lightweight rain jacket or poncho, especially during the rainy season.
• Binoculars for birds and other wildlife in natural areas.
• A few words of French can always come in handy.
• Offline maps and a translation app.

Are there mosquitoes in Guinea?

• Yes, and there is a high risk of malaria throughout the country. Dengue also occurs, and there is a risk of yellow fever and other diseases that can be transmitted by mosquitoes.
• Malaria mosquitoes are mainly active between dusk and dawn, while dengue mosquitoes, for example, are mainly active during the daytime.
• It is therefore important to protect yourself not only in the evening but also during the day. Lightweight long clothing, insect repellent and a mosquito net will go a long way towards protecting you.
• More about protection against mosquitoes and insects.

Are there sandflies in Guinea?

• There is limited information available about the distribution of sandflies and leishmaniasis in Guinea. Sandflies do occur, and leishmaniasis is also likely to be present.
• Lightweight long clothing and an effective insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin can help protect you against sandflies as well as mosquitoes.
• More about sandflies and sand fleas.

Are DEET, or other insect repellents, available in Guinea?

• Insect repellents can sometimes be found in Conakry, but the selection is limited. It is therefore best to bring your own DEET or picaridin from your homecountry, and make sure you bring enough to last for your entire trip.
• More about DEET.

Is it legal to buy a joint or weed in Guinea, or bring it with you to Guinea?

• No, absolutely not. Drugs are treated very seriously, and drug offenses can carry severe penalties. Bringing cannabis, CBD products, or any other illegal drugs into Guinea is not so smart to do.