Sierra Leone travel guide

Sierra Leone’s tropical sands and lush interior have made far fewer headlines than the Ebola crisis or the decade long civil war, but once upon a time this diminutive country was known as an off-the-radar vacation spot rather than a place of political and social upheaval. Declared Ebola free in 2016, the country is ripe to explore once again, and, for the moment at least, you can do so with few other tourists in sight.

What’s on offer? Well, first off there are the beaches: a string of golden and powder white bays a short hop from the nation’s energetic capital, Freetown. Then there are the little visited wildlife reserves, where you can track chimpanzees and bed down in rudimentary shelters, lulled to sleep by the sound of the rainforest. And all around you the country’s fascinating and sometimes brutal history is reflected in its ruined slave forts and colourful clapboard houses, built by freed slaves returning from the Americas.

Sierra Leone’s diverse habitat ranges from savannah to rainforest but the highlight is its beaches: sweeps of white sand stretching along the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, with a smattering of islands anchored offshore. Much of the rest of country is green and lush: to the east, rainforests and hills skirt the border with Liberia, while up north the Loma Mountains form a ridge near the Guinean border and are home to the country’s highest peak, Mount Bintumani (1,945m). Other than a few main highways, roads outside urban centers tend to be poor and can be impassable in the rainy season. Guided, small group tours keep things simple as you’ll be driven in a private vehicle and visit communities without disrupting local life.