6 reasons you need to visit Sierra Leone
21.07.2023 - 08:50
/ roughguides.com
Sierra Leone has everything adventurous travellers could want – exquisite, empty beaches fringed by palms, rainforest jungles with monkeys swinging through the trees, a fascinating heritage and warm, welcoming people. But its troubled history of civil war and Ebola means that few visitors actually make it here.
Now fully reconciled and recovered, this beautiful West African country is moving on and it’s time to return – before everyone else does…
Sierra Leone has had a rough ride in recent years. First, there was a bitter civil war from 1991 to 2002, leaving more than 50,000 people dead and 2 million displaced. Graphically portrayed in Leonardo DiCaprio’s film Blood Diamonds, the conflict was fuelled by the diamond industry and characterised by extreme violence, kidnappings, child soldiers and horrific human rights abuses.
At the end of the war, Sierra Leone was one of the poorest countries in the world. Peace brought political stability and democracy, a vastly improved economy and a remarkable reconciliation of its people that still stands strong today. By 2014, the country was back on its feet, tourists were returning and the future looked bright.
Then came Ebola. The deadly virus took the lives of nearly 4000 people and the entire country ground to a halt in a state of emergency and fear. In March 2016, the nation celebrated as Sierra Leone was finally declared Ebola-free. Intrepid travellers are slowly returning, drawn by the beaches, islands and jungles of this beautiful country – but it’s the people themselves, their warmth, spirit and sense of fun, that leave such lasting memories.
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Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Moa River, is just 12 square kilometres. But it's home to around 80 rare and elusive pygmy hippos and an astounding 11 species of primates – one of the highest primate concentrations in the world.
Sierra Leone’s first ecotourism enterprise, the sanctuary's profits benefit the eight communities that live near the island. Walking trails take you deep into the forests where chimpanzees, red colobus and Diana monkeys cavort in the canopy.
Take a boat trip along the gentle river to see some of the 135 species of birds on the island, amble to the pristine honey-coloured beach on the northern shore, or explore the caves in the nearby village of Niahun where bats – and spirits – live.
There’s just one simple camp here, with dome tents under shelters and limited solar power, but it adds to that wonderful feeling of escapism that Tiwai is all about.
© Brendan van Son/Shutterstock
Known by locals as 'Sweet Salone', Sierra Leone has a rich food culture. Although there are plenty of international restaurants in the capital Freetown, it’s worth sampling some typical