From the Fouta Djallon, water flows in almost every direction - north, west and east - reaching the sea thousands of kilometres away. Imagine a rooftop in the rain: water slides down every side. The highlands work the same way, sending their rainfall as rivers to feed farms and cities across the whole of West Africa.
The landscape is a patchwork of grassy hills, valleys, forests and dramatic rocky outcrops. Cattle graze on the cool upland pastures while villages are tucked into sheltered valleys. The air is fresher and cooler here than anywhere else in Guinea, making it a very pleasant place to live.
The Fula people (also called Fulani or Peul) have called the Fouta Djallon their home for many centuries. They are known as skilled cattle herders and traders, and their music, crafts and traditions have spread across a huge area of West Africa from these highlands.
Hidden in the highlands are spectacular waterfalls, the most famous being the Kambadaga falls - a tall, lacy curtain of water nicknamed the 'Bridal Veil'. Hiking paths lead through the hills to viewpoints where you can look out over green valleys stretching all the way to the horizon.