Kankan Travel Guide

Kankan is an absolute highlight for Malinke travelers on a spiritual journey. For all others it is just a stop on the road from Conakry to Mali.

Although you wouldn't suspect it when you arrive Kankan is the second biggest city of the coutry. It is the spiritual centre of the Malinké (Mandinka) people in the region. You find Madinke in Guinee, Mali Senegal and Gambia. Kankan was capital of the former Mali Empire, but not a lot of what you see right now today reminds you of a capital. There is no grandeur whatsoever. There is an interesting open market with arched entrances, a covered market and a Grande Mosquée that is worth a visit.

Kankan is 500km east of Conakry, and buses and bush taxis make the trip on a regular basis.