11 Reasons Sierra Leone Should Be Your Next Adventure

Forget Everything You Think You Know About West Africa

Picture this: a quiet, palm-lined beach. A rescued chimpanzee watching you from the treetops. Rock formations where people were said to turn invisible, and legends older than any guidebook. And not a tour bus in sight.

This is Sierra Leone. Most travellers still can't point to it on a map - which is exactly why you need to go now, before everyone else catches on. Here are 11 reasons (one for every day of our Sierra Leone Encounters tour) why this could be the best trip you ever take.

1. Your adventure starts on a boat, not in a taxi queue

Lungi Airport sits across the water from Freetown, so your first ride in Sierra Leone is a sea-coach across the Sierra Leone River. Wind in your hair, your first views of the coastline and the capital ahead. Name another trip that opens like that.

2. You'll stand where history changed two continents

Bunce Island was once a major British slave-trading fort on the West African coast. Walking its ruins is sobering, powerful and impossible to forget. Then you'll cruise on to tranquil Tasso Island to stroll the beach, meet local residents and take a moment to reflect.

3. You'll sleep in the jungle beside a chimpanzee sanctuary

First you'll conquer Sugar Loaf Mountain on forested trails, with sweeping views over Freetown, the coastline and the surrounding hills. Your reward? A night in eco-lodge chalets in the jungle surrounding Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, where orphaned chimps are rescued and rehabilitated. Yes, your neighbours tonight are chimps.

4. You'll spend a day fully off-grid (and love it)

Rogbonko Mathaka means "The Place in the Forest". No electricity, no running water, no phone signal - just real village life. Share traditional food, join forest walks and farm tours, and discover basket weaving with techniques strikingly similar to the sweetgrass baskets of America's Gullah/Geechee people, a skill believed to have been preserved by enslaved West Africans, particularly from Sierra Leone.

5. The mountains nobody told you about

The Wara Wara Mountains around Kabala are all granite outcrops, green valleys and cool highland air. Watch a local weaver spin raw cotton into cloth by hand, then spend the evening swept up in drumming, colourful costumes and folklore told through dance.

6. You'll meet a village led by a female chief

Boma Village is run by a female chief and wrapped in legend. You'll hear about the grave of the so-called giant, see the sacred Boma Cotton Tree believed to protect the village, and spend the night in Boma Village (camping equipment provided).

7. The rocks where people were said to turn invisible

This one sounds made up. It isn't. On a bush walk from Boma, you'll reach Kote Wulehun, where large rock formations are linked to stories of invisibility and refuge during tribal conflicts. Shoes off, elders gather, and the myths and spiritual traditions of this place come alive.

8. Pygmy hippos. Need we say more?

Tiwai Island is one of Sierra Leone's most significant conservation areas, where you'll search for pygmy hippos, chimpanzees, monkeys and birdlife. Explore by boat safari and guided rainforest walks, then spend the night on the island itself.

9. A tent between the forest and the ocean

On Banana Island you'll stay at Bafa Resort in pre-erected tents right where the forest meets the shoreline. Take a guided heritage walk to learn about the island's Krio roots and village life, then do absolutely nothing but swim, read and listen to the waves.

10. One of Sierra Leone's most beautiful beaches

River No. 2 Beach is one of Sierra Leone's most attractive stretches of sand, with views of the ocean and the river mouth. The rest of the day is yours to swim, walk the shore or relax at your lodge. No sunbed wars, no regrets.

11. Freetown saves the best for last

Your final full day covers it all: Old Fourah Bay College (one of the oldest Western-style universities in Sub-Saharan Africa), the site of Freetown's famous Cotton Tree, the National Museum, the Peace Museum and the buzz of Big Market. Add a traditional lunch at Way Li Restaurant, then roll up your sleeves for a hands-on cooking class with a local chef at Treat Food Concept - and sit down together to enjoy the Sierra Leonean feast you just made.

Is This Trip for You? (Be Honest)

This isn't a resort holiday, and that's the point. You'll move almost every day, and a few nights are gloriously basic: camping near Boma Village, shared facilities on Tiwai and Banana Islands, and poor internet and the odd power outage outside Freetown.

The most active days are the Sugar Loaf hike, on paths that can be steep and muddy in places, and a bush walk to the Moa River, so pack a good pair of hiking boots. If you want stories nobody at the dinner party can top, you're in the right place.

You'll also be in safe hands: a local, English-speaking Sierra Leonean guide travels with you the whole way, and departures only run November to April, avoiding the rainy season.

The Tour at a Glance

Eleven days, a small group and almost everything taken care of - including your visa.

Go Now, Before Sierra Leone Becomes Everyone's Bucket List Destination

In a few years, everyone will be talking about Sierra Leone. Right now, you can still be the one who got there first.

Groups are capped at 12, so spots go fast. Secure your place today with just a $250 deposit and pay the rest later.

Book Sierra Leone Encounters now