Excursion to Guinea | Magbana.com

	Master drummer and dancer, M’Bemba Bangoura, invites you to accompany him on a visit to his native country of Guinea, West Africa for a 3-week workshop in drumming and dancing led by artists of Guinea’s internationally acclaimed national dance troupes, Les Ballets Africans and Djoliba. (Two weeks is possible, we can pro-rate the costs). In addition to workshops, you will observe various traditional ceremonies, visit markets, explore beautiful beaches, and attend rehearsals of some of Guinea’s performance troupes. Also, enrollment permitting, we will take a trip to the village of Kindia, birthplace of M’Bemba’s mother and home of beautiful, traditional Indigo-dyed fabrics. Students will live in a large villa in or around Nongo, a village about 15 miles from downtown Conakry.
Accommodations are simple, but comfortable, with bedrooms and bathrooms shared by workshops participants. Meals will be prepared by M’Bemba’s sisters during our visit. The delicious local cuisine is based on rice, with fish, vegetables, meat and a variety of sauces. Fresh bread, salad and bottled water will be served with meals.
	REGISTRATION AND FEES $1600 (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) This includes: Transportation To and From Airport in Conakry (there will be a $25 pick-up fee if outside our specified dates) Lodging and Meals Outing To The Beautiful Beaches On The Island of Roume 2 Drum and 2 Dance Classes daily (Mondays- Fridays) Trip To Kindia (enrollment permitting)
Please contact us prior to purchasing flights so we can help advise you. You should make plans to arrive in Guinea on December 27, 28, or 29, 2008 and depart on January 17, 18, or 19, 2009. There is a $25 fee for students arriving and/or departing outside of these dates. You will also need a visa for Guinea. For an additional $30, we can arrange your visa for you and mail it back to you before the trip. This includes postal fees, but not the cost of the visa itself. The visa is $100, no matter where you get it. We must have your paperwork before December 1, 2008 in order to have your visa processed.

REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS TO OBTAIN VISA TO ENTER GUINEA

Entry Visa
* Submit your original, valid U.S. Passport—NOT A COPY
* 2 visa application forms, fully completed and signed (we can e-mail these to you)
* 2 passport photographs
* International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever
* Letter of invitation from M’Bemba Bangoura

Your registration will be confirmed when we have received your initial deposit of $800 and your signed registration form. Please register as soon as possible, so we can best inform you of details for your trip.

*There is a $500 fee for cancellations made once you are registered. This does not include a penalization from the airline company if the ticket has already been purchased.

PREPARING FOR YOUR TRIP
You will need a valid passport. There is a mandatory vaccination for Yellow Fever. Several other shots and medications are recommended. For information, call the Center for Disease Control at 404-639-3311 or visit the website at: www.cdc.gov.

Upon completing the registration form, a list of necessary/suggested items to bring will be e-mailed to you. If you have any questions, please call Michael Markus at 718-486-3230, or e-mail info@magbana.com.

DAILY SCHEDULE

Morning	Breakfast	Dance/Drum classes
Afternoon	Lunch	Dance/Drum classes
Evening	Dinner/Free Time	Night Activities

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

We are not responsible for lost or stolen items, injury or sickness.
We reserve the right to deny access to any applicant we deem unfit for this trip.
You must have your immunization card as proof of having your Yellow Fever shot with you to gain entry into Guinea.
No refunds will be made to anyone who is denied access to the country due to lack of required documents.