Sierra Leone
Travel Guide > Africa > Sierra Leone
In this Article
- Introduction
- Brief History
- Geography
- Regions
- Cities
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting there
- Getting Around
- Red Tape
- Money
- Work
- Study
- Language
- Eat
- Sleep
- Drink
- Health
- Safety
- Keep Connected
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
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Introduction
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
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
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 Train
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
Red Tape
Money
Work
Study
Language
Eat
Sleep
Drink
Health
Safety
This is version 7. Last edited at 14:00 on Jul 25, 08 by Utrecht (+2758). 8 articles link to this page.
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