Sierra Leone

Join the Hipporoller Challenge

Help the Travel Guide reach 20,000,000 characters and we'll donate 63 hipporollers worth over $6000. Read more.

Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Freetown

Population

6,018,000

Government

Constitutional Democracy

Religions

Islam, Indigenous beliefs, Christianity

Languages

English, Mende, Temne, Krio

Calling Code

+232

Nationality

Local name

Contributors

• Utrecht (86%)
  from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com

as well as Peter (11%), dr.pepper (2%), Sam I Am (1%)

Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.

Introduction

Back home from Bo!

© All Rights Reserved Frosticles

The Portugese discoverer of this stretch of African coastline somehow regarded its mountains as similar to lion's teeth, thus giving it the name Sierra Leone (Lion Mountains). While these original perceptions may be sharply contested by critics who think the mountains bear greater similarity to tiger's teeth or leopard's teeth, the name has stuck. And as hotly contested as these canine arguments are, the main spheres of tension in modern-day Sierra Leone are not teeth-related. A civil war in the early nineties and ongoing conflict over diamonds and drugs has hurt the nation's stability. Things appear to be improving, but Sierra Leone is still a questionable destination. Might have to wait a while before deciding for yourself whether the Portuguese discoverer was right in his assessment.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

Sierra Leone is made up of 3 provinces and an "area".

• Northern Province
• Eastern Province
• Southern Province
• Western Area

Cities

• Freetown - The capital
• Bo
• Kabala
• Sulima
• Kenema
• Falaba
• Shenge
• Lungi

Sights and Activities

Banana Islands

The Banana Islands are located just off the coast and if it is diving and snorkelling you are after, this is the place to be. Coral and some cannons of shipwrecks can be seen here. Apart from the beach scene, there is some cultural stuff to explore, like the remains of an 1881 church, and old slave docks as well. The best way to get here is by speaking to the local fishermen at the mainland near Tokeh Village.

Kabala

Kabala is really off the beaten track, like much in this former warzone. It's situated in the north of Sierra Leone and although there aren't many places to stay, one guesthouse is more than enough to cater the adventurous travellers that come here. It's a good place for hiking and the town is surrounded by lushy hills, rivers and waterfalls.

Mount Bintumani

In the Loma Mountains Forest Reserve you will find the highest mountain of Sierra Leone: the Bintumani or Loma Mansa, at 1945 meters above sea level. When the weather is clear the views from the top are absolutely fabulous but there is more to explore in the region. The nature reserve is a good base for a very rewarding safari, much less crowded than the ones in the east or south of the continent. There are many special species of animals, but many of them are also endangered. Lately, things are getting better though, as people see the advantages of tourism as a source of income. Animals include several species of monkey, elephants, bongo's, crocodiles, warthogs, duikers, porcupines and buffalos.
There are several routes to the top and both routes offer wildlife viewing opportunities. Best to bring a guide.

Outamba-Kilimi National Park

The Outamba-Kilimi National Park is a beautiful park containing both savanna and jungle and wildlife viewing is excellent here. Chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, hippos, bongos, buffalos, elephants and lions can be seen, and there are over 250 species of bird. There are two sections to explore, the northern consisting of rolling hills, grasslands, flood plains and rainforests, while the Kilimi section is flatter and less interesting. You can spend the night at the headquarters and arrange guides as well to make the most out of your trip.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Sierra Leone has a tropical climate with hot and humid weather year round. From late November to April, the weather is generally dry with many fine, hot, sunny days. From May to October is the rainy season. The rainfall increases to a peak in July and August and then decreases until rain has almost ceased by November. Along the coast, total annual rainfall is usually between 3500 mm and 4000 mm. July and August are extremely wet in Freetown for example with around 900 mm of rain during these months! Temperatures usually average around or slightly above 30 degrees Celsius during the day, almost 25 degrees Celsius at night, with little variation. Inland, temperatures can be higher during the day (especially from March to May) and a bit cooler at night.

Getting there

Plane

Sierra National Airlines is the national airline of the country and is based at Freetown-Lungi International Airport (FNA) near the capital Freetown. International services are limited on the other hand and other airlines like Brussels Airlines (Accra and Brussels), BMI (London), Kenya Airways (Nairobi) and Royal Air Maroc (Casablanca) have better services. Other airlines are mainly within the West African region. Bellview Airlines has flights to Accra, Conakry and Lagos.

By Car

Travelling to and from Sierra Leone by your own car is possible and you cross at most points mentioned below. Only the crossing at Koindu is recommended only by car as there is little traffic going this way.

By Bus

To Guinea, the main border crossing is at Pamelap. Bush taxis run between Freetown and Conakry, Guinea frequently taking around 7 hours for the journey. There also is an SLRTC bus twice a week. You can also do the trip in stages an get to the border from other towns and easily continue to Conakry from there. The route is now almost completely paved.
From Kamakwie to Kindia, Guinea, there is little transport on the Sierra Leone side and the road is not a good condition. Once you get to Medina-Oula in Guinea moving on is better though.
Also, the road from Kabala to Faranah, Guinea, is rough and only a few taxis make this trip a week.
Another crossing is from Kailahun on toward Guéckédou. Roads are bad and there might be some hassles with Sierra Leone border officials.

To Liberia, the main route between Freetown and Monrovia is via Kenema, Zimmi and then Bo. The journey takes a massive two days in the dry season already! You first need to go to Kenema as there is no direct transport from Freetown. It is a little quicker via Bo but there is less transport.
Technically, there are border crossings from Zimmi, Koindu and Buedu but roads are extremely bad and there is almost no traffic along these routes. Also it might not be safe, so check the security situation before using any of these crossings.

By Boat

As for now there are no ferry connections, but in the near future probably the ferry service between Freetown and Conakry in Guinea will start again.

Getting Around

By Plane

There are no scheduled flights in Sierra Leone, although there are helicopter transfers possible from the international airport near Freetown to the centre of the city. Private airlines offer several charter connections but at a price.

By Car

Rental cars always come with a driver. Rates are relatively high but if you are with several persons, it can be a great way of getting around. Be sure to get a 4wd vehicle as roads to the interior, north and east are not always in a good shape. Traffic drives on the right.

By Bus

Buses, minibuses and shared taxis all ply the main routes in the country, travelling from Freetown to most major cities and towns. Some routes have more frequent links than others, especially the one to smaller towns don't leave every day.

By Boat

Several ferries travel along the coast and to some islands, but many other places, like the islands off shore southeast of the capital Freetown, can only be reached by renting a local boat with a fisherman for example.

Red Tape

All nationals, except people from ECOWAS (most West African) countries, need a visa for Sierra Leone. Officially, a yellow fever vaccination is needed to get a visa, though this is rarely checked.

Money

See also Money Matters

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post