Freetown

Freetown is the capital city of Sierra Leone and is the heart of the Western region, with around a million inhabitants. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River. The city lies at the foot of the peninsula mountains and faces one of the best natural harbours on the west coast of Africa. The peninsula is home to some of the finest beaches in Africa - Lakka Beach, No. 2 River Beach, Bureh and Toke Beach are some examples.

Understand
Freetown, like the rest of Sierra Leone, endured some very difficult times during the civil war. It was occupied by rebels twice and the resident population and infrastructure suffered badly. As stability returned, many Sierra Leoneans fled the rural areas to the city to escape the carnage.

Though the country has been peaceful since 2002, the population of the city is still much higher than it was prior to the war. This has put pressure on land and local services. Many areas of jungle have been cleared to house the new residents. Some claim that the US government has not helped the situation with their new embassy development at Leicester. Some blame the new developments for severe flooding of the city during the rainy season. Deforestation has also been blamed for a shortage of water in the city.

Climate
Freetown has a tropical monsoon climate. Daytime highs normally averages around and nighttime lows around  around the year. December to April is the driest time of the year, with hardly any rain at all. During that time of the year, the dry Harmattan wind blows from Sahara. From May to November, expect heavy rain, especially in July and August each with more than a metre of precipitation on average, and rainfall practically every day.

By plane
Getting from the airport to Freetown can be a challenge and the safety of the various operators has been questioned. There are a number of fast boat services that cross the estuary, and most foreign visitors use this option for roughly US$45. To pick them up, just walk to the right after exiting the airport building. Sea Coach Express operate boats from next to Mahera Hotel to the Aberdeen bridge for NLe1,080 (leones)). Sea Bird Express can take you to Murray Town and Sovereign Ferries to government wharf. Sea Coach Express or Sea Bird are convenient for most foreign travellers as they avoid the slow route through the crowded east end of Freetown. Construction of a bridge is expected to start by the end of 2024.

Another possibility is on the overloaded Government ferry which runs to the main part of Freetown. A seat on a bus which uses the ferry costs Le60,000. The bus takes passengers to Rawdon Street in the center of Freetown. This trip can take 3 hours or more, and has been known to take 8 hours. By road it is at least 4 hours to the city, via Port Loko.

The ticket for Government ferry costs Le11,000.

Finally, some private boats cross the estuary. This is not recommended at night.

Because of possible thefts, especially when leaving the country, it is wise to carry anything of value in your cabin luggage. Having your checked baggage wrapped in cellophane at your point of origin is another good tactic.

By train
Sierra Leone's public railway service was closed in 1974. A railway museum has been opened at Cline Town and is well worth a visit. Many of the original railway buildings and signs can still be seen in and around Freetown, particularly at Hill Station and Congo Cross. It used to be possible to walk along much of the track bed, starting near the Hill Station Club and dropping down the hill via Congo Cross into Freetown, but road construction has made the route hard to find.

By car
Many roads in Freetown have been reconstructed and a bypass road has also been built to link the western part of Freetown to the rest of the country, cutting out the congested eastern part of town. The roads via Leicester and along the coastal part of the Freetown peninsular are also being reconstructed. Work has been completed on the roads through Aberdeen and Lumley, including the beach road. Regent Road from Wilberforce through Hill Station has been completed as a dual carriageway. Maintenance of other roads is often very poor.

By bus
Governmental buses by the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation run from major cities. Alternatively, get in by poda poda (minibus).

By boat
Some cargo ships, mostly from Conakry and Banjul also take passengers. From places in Sierra Leone, along coasts and waterways, it may be possible to get in by speedboat. Seacoach Express have a fast ferry service from Conakry.

By taxi
Local taxis run fixed routes and are shared rides. For the uninitiated, there is no real way to figure out where they are going, and they're busy making a living rather than trying to explain everything to foreigners. But they're so cheap (Le1,000), you can just hail one and see how long it takes you the right way before making a turn! Empty taxis will assume that foreigners want to charter a taxi (see below) and not share it. To let them know you prefer a shared ride, just declare "no cha cha" when you get on board.

You can charter a taxi (cha cha) for a few hours, a day, or even days if one wishes. A decent price per hour is about US$5, for a day around US$50. Taxis can be hired for a complete journey, which really should not exceed the equivalent of US$4 for a trip within Freetown. The drivers do expect to be negotiated with, so don't be scared—be cheeky and negotiate! A very convincing bargaining tactic is to let the driver know that if he gives you a good price and you like his service, you will keep him on your speed dial for longer chartered rides. Having a trusted taxi driver on your phone shortlist is generally a very good idea for female travellers, anyway.

By poda-poda
Poda-podas (minibuses) are a more miserable shared ride option, but are more straightforward for longer trips, as they display their start and end points on the front of the vehicle. If only you knew what those landmarks meant! "Lumley" will take you to Lumley Beach via the southern bridge, "Aberdeen" will take you to Aberdeen via the north bridge from Murray Town, "Eastern Police" will take you to the big clock tower at Kissy Road on the East Side (this is a good place to get dropped off to find a poda-poda to Waterloo). If you are looking for downtown, locals call it "Tong".

However, if you feel this isn't the route for you, hotel taxis are usually available in much better condition; and they are regulated. These will also cost up to around US$10.

By rental car
Car hire is possible and can normally be arranged through the hotels or local car dealerships. They will normally come with a driver. Journeys outside of Freetown often may require a 4-wheel drive vehicle and will cost more, typically US$150 plus fuel per day, including driver.

However, if you wish to mingle with the locals—which is encouraged, as it creates more social inclusion—you may be surprised. Local people can help you find your way around town, hire taxis for you, and introduce you to their friends and families and, in some cases, ceremonies taking place. They can also cook for you, as Sierra Leoneans are very hospitable people. Many tourists tend to fall in a trap where they visit and hang around with only familiar people. It's better to see visiting Sierra Leone as a social/cultural holiday, allowing visitors and locals to exchange customs and at the same time experience the "diamond in the rough". Seeing the good and bad parts is what makes visiting Sierra Leone an experience to remember.

See


Many of Freetown's attractions are underdeveloped and not well publicised. The relatively low numbers of tourists visiting has meant there was not adequate incentive or financial reward for developing them. However, there are many hidden gems that can be well worth finding. It is not unusual to be the only visitor to some of them.

A visit to the Aberdeen district will give a break from the busy city centre. It's a short drive from any part of Freetown by car or taxi. The roads are now very good, but watch the speed bumps on the beach road and Sir Samuel Lewis Road. There are small stalls along the beach road selling 'tourist' fare. There are some more modern shops on the beach road at various points. There are plenty of hawkers on the beach selling sunglasses, fruit, peanuts, clothes, etc. Just behind the Tourist Office is a good craft market and is much less hassle than Big Market.

There are several colonial stilt houses at Hill Station. Most are in a poor state but offer insight into how Colonial Officials lived in the past. Downtown the old board houses are typical Krio architecture showing influence from the Caribbean.

Wilkinson Road is home to many larger businesses and retail outlets. Also some of the more popular restaurants.







Beaches
The beaches are beautiful and mostly unspoilt. Most popular places like Lakka Beach, No. 2 River Beach and Bureh Beach offer simple but descent accommodations. Poda's (minibusses) will only take you until Lakka junction. If you want to continue with public transportation you'll need to go by okada (motorbike). If you're driving yourself a good vehicle will be required as the road conditions are pretty bad once you leave the main road. The peninsular-road is being reconstructed and it is complete from Lumley to Sussex. The beaches are often not well sign-posted, so watch carefully or use GPS. The tracks to the beaches can also be very poor.

The following beaches are listed counter clockwise around the peninsular, starting at Aberdeen.

As from Tokeh junction you'll find yourself driving on an excellent, modern and smooth paved road. However, the following beaches are also well reached driving around the other side of the mountains (Bai Bureh Rd or Regent Road), depending on your starting point from Freetown. If you take this route, turn right at Waterloo.



Bunce Island
is one of the most important historical sites in Africa with regards to the history of the United States. Attempts by African Americans to find their ancestry via DNA testing have shown more ties to Sierra Leone than to any other country, and the slave forts of Bunce Island were the busiest in the then-called Rice Coast of Africa, sending countless numbers of captured slaves to the Southern US.

While the ruins are fairly large, they are completely overrun with vegetation, and long-awaiting restoration. There is no development of tourist infrastructure here whatsoever, unless you count the guestbook.

Getting to Bunce Island is simple enough if you are willing to drop at a minimum $150 to charter one of the long wooden fastboats from Kissy Ferry Terminal. For a nice speedboat from Aberdeen, where the speedboats leave for Lungi Airport, you'll need about US$300. Neither option guarantees much guidance when you arrive, though.

So, if you are a solo traveller without US$150 to blow, this becomes a gruelling adventure. The most sensible way to do this (and it's anything but sensible), is to catch a passenger boat (one of the long dugout wooden motorized fastboats) from Big Wharf (to the east of Kissy) in Freetown straight to Pepel (~US$2). There will in all likelihood be only one of these per day, only on weekdays, and it should leave around 3PM or so, so you would need to be there earlier to make sure you get on it. Try to see Bunce Island upon arrival, so you can catch the fastboat back early in the morning, after staying in Pepel with the permission of the chief (budget at least US$15-20 in leones so that you are able to pass 10,000 notes to all the necessary hands). Realistically, this won't work, though. So plan to spend the morning going to the island, then return to Pepel and hire a moto-taxi to take you on the 90 minute dust-choked journey back to Tagrin (~US$5-10) to catch the Ferry to either Kissy or Government Wharf in Freetown. The boat back and forth to Bunce Island from Pepel, including waiting, is going to run at least US$30 in leones. Budget travel to Bunce Island doesn't really work.

Do





 * Search out the remains of the railway infrastructure, from Hill Station, via Congo Cross to the center of Freetown.


 * Discover colonial warship wrecks by scuba diving or snorkeling at Banana Island and a bbq on Jonobo beach


 * Sport fishing Charter a boat for some world class game fishing or join the amateur angler's short fishing trips from Banana Island's fishing lodges.

Buy
Local crafts are relatively expensive and little is unique to Sierra Leone (some items on offer not actually made here) except country cloth, gara (tie-dyed) cloth, batik pictures and wood carving.

Eat
Freetown has a few high-quality restaurants, but very little in the tier below that. Being on the Atlantic coast, some excellent seafood is on offer. Barracuda, grouper, and lobster are readily available. Freetown has a large Lebanese community. Consequently, some very good Lebanese food is available at most restaurants. Following the opening of an ice-cream factory, ice cream cafés are becoming popular.

Budget

 * Fresh peanuts called "Granite" (ground nuts) from the local sellers on Lumley beach and throughout Freetown.

Drink
Apart from the hotels and restaurants, there are many bars along the beach road.

There are countless small bars along every street, often catering for just a handful of customers.

A former "must-see" for any visitor was Paddy's on the road into Aberdeen which was renamed as Quincy's. This bar was famous and was the only place to be consistently open during the war. Now only the derelict entrance remains and is likely to be replaced with an apartment block. Star beer is available on tap in better bars. Also worthy of a visit is the Hill Station Club at Hill Station. This old gentleman's drinking club was looted during the war, but the building survived and the bar will be opened for visitors. If you are lucky you will be allowed to see the snooker room, where the tables appear untouched for many years and old champions' names are still on display.

On Sir Samuel Lewis Road (same as Paddy's) there is also a small local pub, called Tribes, with a pool table.



Sleep
Freetown has some high standard hotels. All in the splurge section will offer air conditioned rooms with power available 24 hours per day. Hotels in the Aberdeen area are closest to Lumley beach. There are very few options in the main part of the town itself. During the busiest time of the year (December–March) it can be hard to find a room in the better hotels. Booking ahead is advised.

Embassies

 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇷🇸 Serbia
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Stay safe
Violent crime is rare in Freetown. However, there have been some incidents in Lumley and Aberdeen at night, near the clubs and bars. Petty crime is common - take care of possessions and be wary of leaving valuables in rooms. Thefts from luggage at the airport on the way out of Sierra Leone aren’t as common anymore, but do not leave luggage unattended.

Cope
The unrelenting heat and humidity can make life uncomfortable. For anyone not used to this, an air-conditioned room to sleep in will be almost essential.

BBC World Service can be heard on 94.5MHz (FM) and Western style commercial station Capital Radio on 104.9MHz.

Connect
Orange, Africell and Qcell have fast 3G and 4G/LTE coverage in Freetown.

Go next

 * Government buses depart for Bo at 06:00am. Le150,000.
 * Banana Islands
 * Makeni