Sierra Leone is located along the western coast of the African continent. It was a former slave country that saw many of the locals being sold by the colonialist to the different parts of the world. Although the remnants of the save trade business can still be seen in the country from the museums and the different towns that were the focal point of the trade, today Sierra Leone has tried to rise above their past to become one of the top tourist destination countries on the African continent. The official language spoken in Sierra Leone is English and therefore communication will be easy for you and the local people.
4 Days Sierra Leone Tour – Freetown, Tacugama, Bunce Island, and Tokeh Beach
6 Days Sierra Leone Tour – Freetown, Bunce Island, Tacugama, Banana Islands, Tiwai Island, and Beach Stay
8 Days Sierra Leone Adventure – Freetown, Tacugama, Banana Islands, Tiwai Island, Bunce Island, Gola Rainforest, and Tokeh Beach
Why Choose Sierra Leone For Your Tour
Sierra Leone offers West Africa’s finest Atlantic beaches at Tokeh, River Number 2, and the Banana Islands, the extraordinary Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary near Freetown, the Bintumani Peak highland trek in the Loma Mountains, and one of West Africa’s most historically significant colonial cities in Freetown, whose Cotton Tree at the centre of the city marks the point where freed slaves gathered on their return to Africa. The country has recovered significantly from the 1991 to 2002 civil war and the 2014 to 2016 Ebola crisis, and visitor infrastructure has been steadily developing. Mid-range guided tours cost approximately $100 to $180 per person per day. Sierra Leone covers 71,740 square kilometres, bordered by Guinea and Liberia, with a population of approximately 8 million people.
Where To Go in Sierra Leone
Freetown Peninsula
The Freetown Peninsula, a mountainous promontory south of the capital with dense tropical forest and a series of Atlantic beaches along its western coast, offers some of West Africa’s most beautiful and accessible beach environments. River Number 2 Beach, accessible by boat across a lagoon, is the peninsula’s most celebrated swimming beach. Tokeh Beach and Bureh Beach are popular with Freetown’s surfing community. The beaches combine old forest on the headlands with wide white sand and clear Atlantic water.
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, 15 kilometres from Freetown, rehabilitates orphaned chimpanzees rescued from the illegal bush meat and pet trade. The sanctuary holds over 100 chimpanzees in large forest enclosures and runs community conservation programs in the surrounding forest buffer zone. Guided visitor tours provide close observation of chimpanzee groups and information on Sierra Leone’s chimpanzee conservation challenges. Entry costs approximately $15 to $25 per person.
Freetown
Freetown‘s heritage includes the Cotton Tree, the Fourah Bay College (the first Western-style university in sub-Saharan Africa, founded 1827), the Old Fourah Bay Slave Market ruins, and the colonial architecture of the historic east end. The National Museum and the International Slavery Museum project document the city’s extraordinary role in the Atlantic slave trade’s legacy and the return to Africa of the freed community.
When Is the Best Time To Visit Sierra Leone
The dry season from November to April is optimal for beaches and wildlife. The wet season from May to October brings heavy rainfall (Freetown receives among the highest annual rainfall of any African capital), lush forest, and cheaper accommodation rates.
What is the Average Cost of a Tour to Sierra Leone
Mid-range tours cost approximately $100 to $180 per person per day. Hotels in Freetown cost from $60 to $150 per night. A Sierra Leone visa costs approximately $100 USD at the airport or embassy. Lungi International Airport (FNA) requires a ferry or helicopter transfer to Freetown (approximately 30 minutes by speedboat). Brussels Airlines, Air France, and Ethiopian Airlines serve Freetown. English is the official language. The Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL) is the currency.
Sierra Leone’s combination of the finest beaches in West Africa, the Cotton Tree’s emotional weight as the symbol of Africa’s most significant freed-slave return community, and a hospitality that has not yet been shaped by mass tourism creates one of the region’s most rewarding and uncrowded beach and heritage circuits.