Whilst waiting for a motorbike driver to arrive to take me on the next bit of the journey, I sat amongst the villagers as they emerged after the party the night before.

The sounds during the night were incredible - never silent and very much alive. In the morning I watched a colony of tiny monkeys in the trees close by.

I found myself locked in to the guest house in the morning. As the only guest, the manager had obviously thought it best to lock me in and take the outdoor door key with him!

I moved hotels to the small Auberge Seidi 11 round the corner, where I was the only guest. This room cost 140,000GF and felt better.

I left the relative comfort of my hotel in Conakry to hit local transport again and a trip up country. I had decided to head for the hills of Guinea and visit one of the hill station towns which was once popular with Conakry's more wealthy citizens wanting to escape from the city heat.

It has been great to be based in one place for a few days getting to know the immediate area around where I'm staying and experiencing something of life in Conakry.

Today was one to remember - it's hard to believe that you can pack so much into just a day!!

Staying in Jemberem gives an incredible insight into traditional village life in this part of Guinea Bissau. There is so much to take in

Arriving in Jemberem was like ending up in another world. On a dusty road side next to a small number of shops, I needed to get orientated. There was a map showing the layout of the NP and the location of the villages.

I spend a morning with a group of military officers based at the Fortaleza d'Amura in the centre of old town Bissau - its the original fort encampment used as the military base and currently surrounded by the development of an upgraded road system funded and managed by a Chinese company.

This island stay is certainly conducive to deep sleep and beautiful scenes. This morning I woke up to the most incredible sunrise over the sea and total solitude on the beach. I was filled with an incredible sense of gratitude and expansion.

Today I just walked on the beach for miles; its endless, empty except for the few cows and flocks of birds.

This evening I walked the length of the beach and could have walked all around the island - the beach is unbelievable. Clean, fringed by palm trees and mangrove and full of different birds. I saw lots of herons and eagles just on this one walk. The sunset was amazing.

I took a shared taxi to Bissau from the garage in Ziguinchor for 4000CFA. The driver needed to navigate a potholed road, swerving on and off the tarmac to try to keep it as smooth as possible for the passengers.

I took a shared taxi to Bissau from the garage in Ziguinchor for 4000CFA. The driver needed to navigate a potholed road, swerving on and off the tarmac to try to keep it as smooth as possible for the passengers. There were numerous police checks along the way, all of which the driver managed smoothly.

I really enjoyed my short stay in this town on the banks of the Casamance River.

When exploring the village, I came across the entry to the meeting place of the local king. He resides in Oussouye and makes himself available for the local people from 06:00 to 18:00 each day.

The walk back to Abene was along the unspoilt and clean beach. It was clear to see how precious this coast line is to preserve and how challenging that will be for the local people going forwards.

I stayed at the wonderful home of Regula Trutmann, a Swiss / Senegal artist; painter, sculpture and puppeteer. Her home is a labour of love - personally designed and made in the local materials.

Today I have been shown the range of projects that Saikhu, my host, is eager to develop within his village community. As one of the active members of the village association, he has been working to develop the facilities of Tujering area.