SIERRA LEONE
Freetown & Western Area
The lively and energetic capital of Freetown lies in the Western area of Sierra Leone, which is on the foot heels of the majestic Sierra Lyoa mountains.
Tourist Attractions
• National museum
• Big Market
• Old King’s Yard
• Maroon Church
• And much more
Heritage
Dig deep in Sierra Leone’s rich heritage from her dark days as a slave post where thousands of Africans were transported to Europe and the Americas, to the establishment of as a colony for freed slaves.
Attractions
• Gateway to Old King’s Yard
• Maroon Church
• Cotton Tree
• Old Wharf Steps
• And much more
Tiwai Island Wild Life Sanctuary: This reserv is an inland protected area and eco-tourism destination supported by the local community, and has been on Unesco’s tentative list of World Heritage sites since 2012. Undiscovered Destination described it as a ”unique rainforest island where visitors can camp in prepared tents surrounded by an evergreen forest and the sounds of hornbills and monkeys calling from the canopy.
Bounce Island: This powerful site is the location of the 18the-century former British slave trading station, prom where people were bought and sent to the Americal.
Tacugama Chimps Sanctuary: This 100 acre chimps reserve was set up in 1995 and is home to orphan and abondoned champizees.
Mende Villages: The Mende people are expert woodcarvers and, according to Native Eye, which visited their villages on its tour of Sierra Leone, their work is famed among collectors of African Art.
Bintumani Mountain: Mount Bintumani rises to a height of 1945 metres within the core of the park and is the highest peak in Africa, west of Mount Cameroon. Vegetation comprises grasslands, savannah and mountain evergreen and low altitude tropical forests. Due to its altitude there is a rich bird fauna including many species not found elsewhere in the country. Ten species of primates are present including chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and sooty mangabees. Amongst carnivores and herbivores there are a number of threatened species including duiker antelope, forest buffalo, leopard, water chevrotain and hippopotamus. Principal threats to the habitat come from poaching and deforestation for agricultural purposes.
Gola Forest Reserv: The National Park was proclaimed in 2010 and is a former production Forest Reserve. It is the largest remnant of the Upper Guinea Tropical Moist Lowland High Evergreen Forest in Sierra Leone. The protected area extends to 71,000 hectares and falls partly within Kenema, Kailahun and Pujehun Districts. Surveys in 2007 and 2012 confirmed 49 species of mammals, over 500 species of butterflies, 41 species of bats and over 1000 species of plants. The Park is managed by a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS), the RSPB and the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone.
Northern Province
The northern province borders with Guinea. The largest city in the north is Makeni, which lies about 3 hours from Freetown. This region is a potential paradise for eco-tourism and adventure seekers. The region has a host of mountains, which among other Loma mountain, the highest point in West Africa. There is a vast savanna wet land with many endangered species of animals. The region is even home to the Outamba Kilimi National park.
Southern Province- Like other parts of West Africa’s south-western beaches, the cost line is vast. There are a host of very interesting islands like Bonth and Turtle which are drifting on the Atlantic Ocean. Further south, there is a vast, pure white sandy beach in the little port town of Sulima close to the Liberian border.
Eastern Province
This is an area that is known for its diamonds and gold mining activities in the heavy forest hills. It is a place of sharp beauty and home to a real bio diversity i the country’s first rain forest park (the Gola forest national park). With rare spices of birds, aging trees, chimpanzees and the odd pygmy Hippopotamus.