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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. Let alone an Ebola outbreak which killed 4,000 and caused panic across the world. Or landslides which devasted some of the poorest in Freetown, the capital. Travel in Sierra Leone isn’t necessarily easy (although a new evisa system does simplify things). It will delight and annoy in equal measure. Yet for all that, it would be a real shame to miss the best things to do in Sierra Leone. Read on to find out why.
Where to find the best things to do in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone can be divided into two parts. Most of the top things to do in Sierra Leone are located on the country’s thin coastal belt. Edging the Atlantic Ocean, it includes the Freetown Peninsula. The attractions of the capital join with several historically important sites and a string of orange and white sand beaches.
Much of the rest of the country is covered in thick tropical rainforest. Here large cities are few and far between, and transport can get tricky. But it’s this inland region you’ll want to head to for untouched landscapes where chimps, elephants, and hippos roam.
What are the best things to do in Sierra Leone? You’re about to discover all….
The best things to do in Sierra Leone
1. Explore downtown Freetown
Freetown is Sierra Leone’s capital. Unlike many African capitals, its small downtown area is easy to explore thanks to its grid network.
Relatively safe to walk around by day, it’s downtown which has many of Sierra Leone’s most historic sites.
Founded in 1787 by 400 freed slaves arriving from London, it’s said one of the first sights they saw was the Cotton Tree. Sadly, this blew down in a storm on the night of May 24 2023. It’s expected that a fitting monument will be put in its place.
Its ancient trunk lay at the heart of downtown, beside the National Museum, colonial-era courts building, and Portuguese Steps. These stone steps are purported to be the steps slaves were led down before the foundation of the city.
The National Museum has a potted history well laid-out in the old railway station. Exhibits include Mende people helmet masks and mysterious Nomoli stone figures.
Other things to do in Freetown include the National Railway Museum in the Cline Town area. I’m no trainspotter, but still managed to have a blast.
2. Fish off the Banana Islands
When it comes to water sports of all sorts, the Banana Islands have to take top billing.
Located approximately two hours south of Freetown, access to the islands is via the village of Kent. There are two main accommodation options – budget friendly Dalton’s Banana Guest House and the more luxurious Bafa.
Between them, owners Greg and Wissam lead guests scuba diving, snorkelling, spear fishing, and line fishing. On land, there are several small historic attractions in the village of Dublin between the two sleeping options.
It’s also possible to take a boat or guided walks to the other end of the islands, eight kilometres away. Walks end at Ricketts, the Krio village facing Mes Meheux, an option for the most adventurously minded.
3. Hike Sierra Leone’s highest peak
From the coast, the interior of Sierra Leone has wave after wave of forested slopes. The highest of all of them is Mount Bintumani in Loma Mountains Forest Reserve.
One of the only ultras (peaks above 1,500 metres) in west Africa, Bintumani has a height of almost 2,000 metres. That makes it 500 metres higher than Ben Nevis, the UK’s tallest peak.
With lowlands covered by trees and uplands covered in grasses, you won’t need any ropes to reach the summit. A good level of overall fitness is a must though.
You’ll need at least four days from start to finish. The Sinekoro route is the easiest to organise, and most impressive.
The Sinekoro route starts in the village of the same name. Deep in the north and east of Sierra Leone, head first to Kabala from either Freetown or Makeni. Prepare for the roads to be terrible.
Given its remote location, it’s difficult to organise anything before you arrive. But it’s normally possible to arrange guides and porters in just a few hours.
Just to make things more complicated (this is west Africa after all) as yet, there’s no guesthouse in Sinekoro.
4. Play castaway on the Turtle Islands
The Turtle Islands must be one of the most beautiful places in Sierra Leone. For tropical escapes, they rival the Maldives.
And getting there is half the fun. Tours to the Turtle Islands can be arranged from Dalton’s Banana Guest House with a couple of days warning.
Slipping around the top of Dublin, the captain points the nose towards the deep blue, and away you go. My Turtle Islands write up for Africa Geographic provides all the evocative detail.
Low sand bars off Bonthe Island, Shebro islanders live traditional lives where outsiders aren’t common.
Most visitors stay overnight on Baki. However, each of the six inhabited islands offer something different, from pristine beaches and warm shallows to tiny hamlets.
Without electricity or mobile signal, the Turtle Islands are all about getting back to the basics of life!
5. Learn about the transatlantic slave trade on Bunce Island
Another small island? Yes, but one unlike the others on my list in every way. Bunce Island was one of the biggest centres of the transatlantic slave trade in west Africa.
It predates the foundation of Freetown as a home for freed slaves by two centuries. Siting in the mouth of the Rokel River and Port Loko Creek, Bunce Island is reached via Pepel.
Its fort was constructed in the 1670s, and used to imprison enslaved people captured inland before their journey to the new world.
It’s estimated that many tens of thousands departed Africa from the island. Most were transported to South Carolina, Georgia or the French islands of the West Indies.
The fort was abandoned in around 1840, with the abolition of the slave trade. It wasn’t rescued from oblivion until the 1940s. Although in ruins, the island has been massively improved as a tourist attraction in recent years, making it one of the region’s most powerful reminders of the worst of human history.
6. Drift by hippos in Outamba-Kilimi National Park
Better known as OK National Park, Outamba-Kilimi is as far north as you can go in Sierra Leone. It’s also one of the best places for a Sierra Leone safari that I know of.
A national park since only 1995, it lies close to the Guinea border, between Mount Outamba and the Kilimi River.
Generally occupied by woodland savannah, a mix of grassland open spaces and thick forest, it’s a major habitat for chimpanzees.
Canoeing along the river will put you within arms reach (pretty much literally) of hippos. Elephants are other regular visitors.
Unlike the extravagant safaris of east Africa, facilities are as basic as on the Turtle Islands. Accommodation is simple, drinking water comes from canisters accompanying you, and electricity minimal.
Even so, everyone who visits Sierra Leone’s OK National Park raves about the experience.
If you don’t fancy the schlep up to OK National Park, you can spend the night in the presence of chimps at Tacugama.
This dedicated chimp sanctuary sits in Regent, an area of charming Krio architecture on the edge of Freetown.
Tiwai used to be a favourite for other primate species, such as Diana monkeys and black and white colobus. However, a lack of maintenance has made itself known in recent years.
7. Learn to surf the Atlantic waves
With just over 400 kilometres of coast, excellent beaches aren’t hard to find in Sierra Leone. Even Freetown has its fair share of soft white sand – though perhaps not as clean as most would like.
Lumley-Aberdeen Beach stretches for several kilometres along Cockerill Bay. Home to family-friendly resort hotels and even a golf course, it’s particular popular with locals on weekends and public holidays.
You’ll need to get there early to secure the best spots on these days. Lumley Beach Road is the place to head for a great Friday night.
Further south, Bureh Beach has cleaner sands cleaved by a little river. Although there’s plenty of choice when it comes to accommodation here, most stick with the surf club.
Not only can they teach you to surf, but they also have some great value rooms for budget travellers. The downside is a small entry fee onto the beach on weekends, which helps keep it clear of rubbish.
Elsewhere, Rivers No 2 Beach (combining with Tokeh Beach) is one of Sierra Leone’s most celebrated stretches of sand. This is the place you come to get away from it all.
Between Bureh and Kent beaches there are a succession of small coves. Very secluded (so don’t go alone), they’re also quite hard to reach because of the quality of the road. Most vehicles use the tarred inland route instead.
8. Scour the stalls of Makeni market
Every Salonean town of any size will have a market, often two or more. Makeni is no exception. Located in the centre of the country, its largely free of the stress of Freetown. It makes for a useful stop off on the way to Mount Bintumani too.
Makeni’s market is a great way to get to grips with modern-day culture in Sierra Leone. You’re unlikely to find any souvenirs. For those, you’ll need to head to the large building housing Freetown’s Big Market.
But among the Chinese-made electronics, vegetables and toothpaste tubes, there are merchants selling stunning wax cloths and traditional gara cloths.
Prices for a bolt of wax cloth start at around 80,000 Leones (around £3 or $4). Homemade gara will cost somewhere near twice that.
9. Go whale watching
Still in its infancy as an activity in Sierra Leone, whale watching is slowly becoming better known.
The numbers spotted vary from year to year, probably due to the exact location of their food. The whale watching season can also last from as little as two weeks to two whole months.
Humpbacks are the most common whales sighted on boat trips. Sierra Leone is one of the spots where these creatures routinely breach. More rarely, sperm whales are encountered.
To arrange a whale watching tour, it’s best to get in touch with the folks at Dalton’s Banana Guest House. It’s they who have pioneered whale watching in Sierra Leone.
If it’s not whale watching season, keep an eye out for dolphins. They regularly accompany boats through Sierra Leone’s waters, demonstrating just how rich in fish they must still be.
The best 9 things to do in Sierra Leone?
Hopefully I’ve already proven that there are an incredible range of things to do in Sierra Leone. Whether you’re after a beach vay-cay, animal encounters, or to learn more about the region’s history, you can do it in Sierra Leone.
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