I adore Sierra Leone. It’s hard to explain exactly why. But much of it comes from the fact Sierra Leone is nothing like you might image after watching Blood Diamond. In fact, walking the streets it would be difficult to tell there had been a civil war lasting 11 years…. Continue reading
I was recently invited to discuss travel in Sierra Leone for the Curious Pavel podcast, the first time in 33 episodes it went to Africa. You can listen by following this link: https://curiouspavel.com/travelpodcast/. Continue reading
Something that worried me in the past was whether it’s okay to travel during Ramadan to Muslim countries. I needn’t have worried, but there are certain things to keep in mind if you plan to do the same yourself. What exactly is Ramadan? Ramadan is the ninth month in the… Continue reading
Is Sierra Leone safe to travel to? Those who don’t know the West African nation will probably shakes their heads in despair for anyone even asking. But those who do will give you a very different answer. There’s little point denying that Sierra Leone has had it tough. But that’s… Continue reading
Sitting around the African continent like the jewels on a necklace are some truly exquisite islands. Here’s my personal guide to the top small islands in Africa to visit! Almost always unique in one way or another, some are nation states. Other are autonomous regions. Still more just happen to… Continue reading
10 minute read Sierra Leone’s Turtle Islands: the ultimate digital detox, on the Africa Geographic magazine blog (click to keep reading). Continue reading
Does it feel odd being back in Britain, where everything is familiar and I don’t have to worry about whether the milla tank holds enough water for everyone’s needs until the next full moon*? I’ll be honest. It doesn’t. It almost feels like those five months on a tiny island… Continue reading
I get most of my news second- or third-hand from guests where I’m volunteering in Sierra Leone. I’ve seen a television set once in my four months here (the headline on the screen was ‘Trump Victory’), and heard the comforting sounds of the BBC World Service just twice, from other… Continue reading
A week may be a long time in politics, but sometimes a day of Banana Island politics can feel like more than a lifetime’s worth. At times it is as if Dublin village, just five minutes from the guesthouse I am volunteering in, is enacting a modern day version of… Continue reading
Not many people head to Freetown to relax. Africa’s capitals, its cities even, and those of West Africa in particular perhaps, have a reputation as big, dirty and chaotic masses of humanity. And they are. In the same way that London or New York could be so defined. And yet… Continue reading
