Sierra Leone

Understand

Sierra Leone was founded as a colony for freed slaves originating in the British Empire. Sierra Leone achieved its independence from Britain in 1961. Since the end of its civil war in 2002, the government, with considerable international assistance, has made noticeable improvements in the country's infrastructure which should help the tourism sector: most major trunk roads are tarred to a high standard and Bumbuna hydroelectric dam supplies electricity when water levels are high enough (completed in 2009). While the government sector still suffers from chronic shortage of resources, the private sector is booming. In 2014, the outbreak of Ebola virus, which crossed the border from Guinea threatened to set back the improvements in the countries economy and development. More than a year of development was lost whilst the country focused on the fight against the disease. The country had not recovered fully when it was hit by the global COVID pandemic.

Climate Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, typified by warm temperatures and high humidity. Night time temperatures rarely drop below 24 °C and daytime temperatures reach 30 °C throughout the year. From October to March the weather is generally dry with many fine, hot, sunny days. From April to September is the rainy season. The rainfall increases to a peak in July and August and then decreases until rain has almost ceased by November.

Terrain

The country has a coastal belt of mangrove swamps with wooded hill country, upland plateau and mountains in the east. The highest point is Loma Mansa (Bintimani) at 1,948 m. It has 402 km (250 mi) of coastline. From an approximate coastal belt 100 km (62 mi) long of low-lying land, the country rises to a mountain plateau near the eastern frontier rising 1,200 m (3,900 ft) to

See

The beaches of the Freetown peninsula are spectacular, and on an average day, deserted. There are at least ten that could be described as world-class. Bonthe Town, on Sherbro Island, is a former British Colonial Town, with several beautiful stone churches, and a rich culture. Tiwai Island (in the middle of a river in SE Sierra Leone) is teeming with rare wildlife. Rural West African villages: experience hospitality and the tranquillity of the bush. Snorkelling and scuba diving around Banana Island. The Turtle Islands, difficult to get to, but idyllic. Outamba-Kilimi National Park is a park consisting of savannas and jungles with diverse wildlife. Mount Bintumani is the highest mountain in Sierra Leone with excellent views from the summit. Sierra Leone has vast swathes of rainforests.

Buy

Money

The unit of currency is the Leone, denoted by the symbol "Le" (ISO currency code: SLE). On 1 July 2022 new bank notes were issued. The new notes are similar in design to the old ones but are physically smaller and revalue the Leone by removing three zeros. The former Le10,000 note is now a Le10 note. Th

Getting there

Yellow Fever vaccination certificates are required for most nationalities. Proof of vaccination might be required to get a visa and is checked at the airport on arrival.

Passport and visa Everyone entering Sierra Leone must have a valid passport or travel document. Citizens of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) do not require a visa to enter the country. All other nationalities will require a visa, which are issued online, at Sierra Leone's overseas missions and at the air/land borders. Visa prices vary considerably at the embassies/consulates. Contact the local embassy for current prices (UK, USA). For non AU countries a single entry visa costs $80 online and at the airport. The official web site for visas is www.evisa.sl. If you get an electronic visa and intend to enter anywhere other than Freetown airport, make sure to take paper copies of the visa confirmation. Land border posts do not have access to the online system

The Sierra Leone embassy in Gambia is a good place to get a visa, which costs US$100.

By plane The international airport is at Lungi, the other side of the estuary from Freetown. A new terminal was opened in 2023 which is modern and meets a high international standard. An airport security fee of $25 needs to be paid on arrival and departure. This should be paid online using the Securipass web site or in cash at one of the bank desks in the arrivals hall. Most people choose to use the water taxi services to get to Freetown. There are 2 main companies - Sea Coach Express (Pelican) which goes to Aberdeen Bridge and Sea Bird Express going to Murray Town. Both charge around US$50 for a single adult journey. Tickets can usually be booked online. The larger boats have air conditioning and WiFi. The hovercraft and helicopter

Getting around

By car

The road network fell into disrepair during the civil war. However, there has been a substantial reconstruction programme which means the main roads to regional cities such as Bo, Kenema and Makeni are in excellent condition. The road to Masiaka from Freetown is dual carriageway and has toll at Hastings, Songo and Masiaka. In January 2024 the toll for cars was NLe4 which will increase to NLe10 from 1st March 2024. The road to Kabala mostly smooth tar, with a few terribly potholed patches. The road to Kono/Koidu is for three quarters tar, but the remaining quarter is in mostly terrible condition. It means it takes as much time to cover 3/4 of the distance as it takes for the balance 1/4. Government has planned to upgrade the last stretch. The peninsular road is good from Eastern Freetown clockwise around the peninsular to Tokeh. Work is almost complete but at the beginning of 2024 the short section between No. 2 Beach and Tokeh being nearly impassable to all but high-clearance 4WD and motorbikes. The roads in Freetown are difficult to characterize. In central Freetown, the main roads are mostly smooth and pothole-free, having been constructed from high-quality asphalt a long time ago. Side streets are often a mixture of dirt and gravel, sometimes with large protruding stones, deep crevasses, and other potential dangers. Some main feeder roads are in atrocious condition. Wilkinson Road and Spur Road have been reconstructed as dual carriage ways. The Hillside bypass road has also been constructed. Work has also been completed on Regent Road through the mountains, Main Motor Road, Wilberforce, Signal Hill Road, Aberdeen/Sir Samuel Lewis Road and Lumley Beach Road. The ongoing reconstruction works mean that roads can be closed and alternative routes have to