Nagged by the notion that everyone else got there first? Pining for the old days of bushwhacking adventure? Get to Guinea. This West African country with unmapped rain forests, waterfall-rich mountains only partially explored, and villagers who have never heard of tourism had been closed to travelers for decades. Off-the-radar is an understatement here, which is why Mountain Travel Sobek—the outfitter known for exploratory trips—is marking its 40th anniversary with a 15-day Guinea expedition. It begins with a float down the Niger River from Mali, and once across the border, voyagers can expect an audience with a Bissandougou tribal chief, bone-jarring 4x4 action across Fulani territory and the Fouta Djalon plateau, and an ocean passage finale to the Bijagós islands of neighboring Guinea-Bissau, where villages are built along white-sand beaches ($4,395 per person; offered February 11-25, March 15-29, and December 5-19, 2009; mtsobek.com).