One of the best advantages of living in a “forgotten” country (Guinea), where no tourists are found, is the opportunity to discover landscapes that only few eyes have seen. Kambadaga falls are found in the Fouta Djallon and were described to us by a colleague as, “the most spectacular waterfall I have ever seen.”
We drove out to Kambadaga for the day which was surely an adventure. We started at the top with a classic picnic of local baguette bread and “laughing cow” cheese triangles, after which we then dived into the pools to cool from the hot African sun. You don’t quite realise the gravity of such a place however, until you drive out and view it across the valley. As you can see, Kambadaga is a humoungous cascade.
As you follow the river to the head of the fall, you pass a wire bridge that is used by locals to cross the falls. If you are daring enough, you can take up the river crossing challenge however neither one of us fancied risking the rickety bridge! Our colleague had a shot but as you can see, we stuck to the wooden ladder and went no further!
Finally, we followed the trail through the bush to the head of the waterfall. We payed a local guide to show us the way and spent so long standing in awe! We had the place to ourselves and with the supervision of our long-term colleagues, went right up to the edge and peered over…
What a drop! Lying down and peeping over the edge allows you to grasp the sheer incredibility of this place. You feel the mist rising against your face and the gushing sound of water fills you with adrenaline. I’m quite a dare devil and I loved it! When you stand up again, you view the surrounding valley of the Green Green Guinea.
Guinea is seen as “undesirable,” or “forgotten,” and even it’s natives are unaware of it’s beauty. As a result, tourism has never really hit this place. Whilst a few travellers may stumble across the beauty of this resource rich African land, it’s beauties will probably only ever be shared with a few, relative to large touristic tropics. In a way this is reassuring – Kambadaga will always be protected. Yet at the same time, I so wish that the people of Guinea would appreciate their own wonders and develop them!
Exploring Kambadaga really does make you feel like you’re on top of the world and I am incredibly grateful for the privelage I had to encounter this unknown wonder. If there’s anything I really took from this day, it was a desire to visit more “forgotten places.” To forget the generic tourist destinations, pick an “undesirable” spot on the map and just go. You never know what you may find. And you may just have it all to yourself!
Which country has always been at the bottom of your list?
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