Guinea is slightly larger than Britain, and you can get a handle on its geography by dividing it into four zones: the coastal plain (with Conakry on a peninsula thrusting out to the south-west); the north-western Fouta Djalon hill region (source of most of the Niger River); the northern dry lowlands; and the hilly, forested area of the south-east. Shaped like a boot sitting on its toe, Guinea basks on the shores of the equatorial North Atlantic near the bottom of the bulge of West Africa. Its neighbours are Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Liberia, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone, and it has 320km (198mi) of Atlantic coastline.

Guinea has no national parks; the forest elephants and other fauna have fended badly against poachers and loss of habitat through logging and the spread of cultivation. The eastern part of the country is heavily vegetated, although it is far from virgin forest because of fires and farming. The improving road system is a boon for travellers wanting to move around the country, but not so good for the forests as timber is now much more accessible than it was in the past.

Guinea is one of the wettest countries in West Africa, and May to October is the rainy season. Conakry receives over 4m (13ft) of rain a year, but the centre of the country receives less than half that. The cool weather falls between November and February, and from December to February the

Conakry is expensive, but out in the country you can get by on the smell of an oily rag. You'll need about US$15 or $20 a day if you regularly stay in the cheapest hotels and eat street or market food. Because some of the lower end accommodation can leave a lot to the imagination, you may want to move up a few rungs and pay more for luxuries like running water and electricity, in which case you should budget on spending around US$50-60 a day. If you want to stay in international-style hotels - although there are precious few of them outside Conakry - and eat at the best restaurants, count on spending around US$150 or more a day.

Service in banks in Conakry is usually good, although in banks up country it can be a lot slower. Black marketeers usually offer a rate about 5% better than the official exchange rate, but only for cash. In the banks you'll get a better exchange rate on travellers' cheques and cash for French francs or US dollars than for any other currency. There is a bank at Conakry Airport, but the exchange rates for travellers' cheques there are very low. None of the banks will change Guinea francs back into hard currency, but the street changers will; it all seems above board but you would be wise to be discreet. Most of the larger and western shops, restaurants and hotels accept credit cards, but you should rely on cash in the smaller towns.

In the more 'European' restaurants you normally tip about 10% of the bill, but otherwise try and find out what locals are tipping, if they are at all. Bargaining is normal in the markets, and even in some places to stay, but not, of course, in top-of-the-range hotels.

The cool, dry period between November and February is the best time.