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Sierra Leone Highlights and Events

Travel in Sierra Leone with Intrepid

Long absent from the tourist map on account of the decade-long civil war that devastated the country during the 1990s, Sierra Leone is now slowly coaxing travellers back with its lush jungles, palm-fringed coastlines and resilient people. Set against the verdant mountain range that inspired the country’s name, the Freetown peninsula offers plenty of opportunities for seaside lounging, beach combing and wildlife spotting, while traditional arts and customs can still be observed in the inland villages. Tourism here is raw and very much in its infancy. But as far as real life experiences go, it’s one that can't easily be pipped.
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Experience Sierra Leone's highlights on these trips

West Africa Overland

Palm trees under blue skies, Benin
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70 days
Basix
  • USD $5,140
    CAD $5,170
    AUD $4,995
    EUR €4,005
    GBP £3,115
    NZD $6,405
    ZAR R39,945
    CHF FR4,635
    Trip Price tool tip
  • USD $1,590
    Kitty tool tip
  • USD $6,730*
    CAD $6,713*
    AUD $6,516*
    EUR €5,114*
    GBP £4,084*
    NZD $8,313*
    ZAR R51,003*
    CHF FR5,892*
    *     Total price tool tip

Dakar to Freetown

Boats in Dakar, Senegal
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23 days
Basix
  • USD $1,880
    CAD $1,895
    AUD $1,830
    EUR €1,465
    GBP £1,140
    NZD $2,345
    ZAR R14,620
    CHF FR1,695
    Trip Price tool tip
  • USD $545
    Kitty tool tip
  • USD $2,425*
    CAD $2,424*
    AUD $2,351*
    EUR €1,845*
    GBP £1,472*
    NZD $2,999*
    ZAR R18,410*
    CHF FR2,126*
    *     Total price tool tip

Senegal to Ghana

Friendly children of the Ashanti region, Ghana
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50 days
Basix
  • USD $3,885
    CAD $3,910
    AUD $3,780
    EUR €3,030
    GBP £2,355
    NZD $4,840
    ZAR R30,200
    CHF FR3,505
    Trip Price tool tip
  • USD $1,180
    Kitty tool tip
  • USD $5,065*
    CAD $5,055*
    AUD $4,909*
    EUR €3,853*
    GBP £3,074*
    NZD $6,256*
    ZAR R38,406*
    CHF FR4,438*
    *     Total price tool tip

Accra to Freetown

The rare Pygmy Hippopotamus, Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary
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28 days
Basix
  • USD $2,295
    CAD $2,310
    AUD $2,230
    EUR €1,790
    GBP £1,390
    NZD $2,860
    ZAR R17,825
    CHF FR2,070
    Trip Price tool tip
  • USD $765
    Kitty tool tip
  • USD $3,060*
    CAD $3,052*
    AUD $2,962*
    EUR €2,323*
    GBP £1,856*
    NZD $3,778*
    ZAR R23,145*
    CHF FR2,675*
    *     Total price tool tip
* Refer to booking conditions

Highlights


Sierra Leone's Top Picks

 
Sierra Leone claims one of the world's most concentrated levels of biodiversity
 

Top 5 Best Beach Escapes in Sierra Leone

  1. River Number 2 Beach: Lauded fairly unanimously as the country’s finest beach – and one of the best in the entire West Africa region – this white-sand, crystal-watered, palm-fringed haven is only 16 km from Freetown’s bustle. Sure, it may be the country’s most crowded stretch of sand, but don’t let that bother you – you’ll hardly be vying for a plot of sand to lay a towel. And as the locals will proudly tell you, it was here that a 1970s Bounty chocolate bar advertisement was filmed – a gloat-worthy drawcard if ever there was one.
  2. Banana Islands: Only a short boat ride from Freetown, an outing to the Banana Islands makes for the perfect day trip or overnight stay. Aside from being a place of remarkable natural beauty, an old church and the still standing slave-trading dock bestow the islands with some historical poignancy. A collection of canons in shallow water – remnants of a bygone Portuguese shipwreck – can be explored through snorkelling or diving expeditions, while the islands’ forests, caves and ruins should be enough to enthrall landlubbers. Dublin and Ricketts, the two main islands, can simply be strolled between during low tide, though the considerate construction of a causeway will prevent the stranding of hapless tourists.
  3. John Obey Beach: White-sand beaches lapped by warm waters and backed by lushly forested mountains… with no one about? The throngs have yet to reach this secluded piece of beach bliss, so – for the moment at least – you can bank on having the sands, fresh seafood and local village interactions pretty much to yourself.
  4. Bureh Beach: As well as being a spectacular beach in its own right and the departure point for boat trips to the Banana Islands, Bureh Beach now has a further claim to fame – it’s the place of the country’s very first surf club! Jutting out from the southwest point of the Freetown Peninsula, this small subsistence fishing village of just 200 people is seeking to capitalise on the warm waters and mellow waves that have long graced its shores with the establishment of the nation’s premier surf school. Clock-up some tube time as the smell of your barbecuing seafood lunch wafts over from the shoreline. As the clubs logo aptly puts it, ‘Di waves dem mak u go feel fine’. You betcha!
  5. Tokeh Beach: Before the war years left Tokeh Beach’s resorts in tatters, its expansive powder-white sands and crystalline waters had been known to lure even the most uppity of international supermodels and Hollywood buffoons. With the country now on the mend, they could well be set to return. Get there before they do!

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Sierra Leone at a glance

  • 6
  • Freetown (population 1.2 million)
  • 6 million
  • English (official), Temne, Mende and Krio
  • SLL
  • (GMT) Casablanca
  • Type D (Old British 3-pin), Type G (Irish/British 3-pin)
  • +232

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