When visiting Sierra Leone, a trip to Banana Island is a must. The main features of the guest house are the amazing location, the wonderful staff and the unspoilt and beautiful environment. We enjoyed our walking tour around Dublin and the boat trip around the island, including a visit to Ricketts, was marvellous. Everywhere we were treated as visitors rather than tourists which made it extra enjoyable. Our room had the usual facilities (except hot water, but we didn't expect that), but the condition of everything was not as good as it clearly had once been. The bathroom was basic, a bit rusty and the light didn't work (we were given a battery operated lantern), the bed, after 3 nights, was sagging so much in the middle that we found it difficult to be comfortable. Having said that, the linen was clean and the mosquito net sound. The food was very simple, but the freshest fish we have every tasted, including amazing lobster. Everything - food, guides, the boat - arrived exactly at the time we asked for it, and always with a smile. Be prepared for a life style that goes back to basics, but an experience that will stay with you for ever.

I was there visiting from Australia in January this year, along with a visiting friend from Canada and my best friend, a local, from Bureh Beach. It was an exceptional stay and the locals and staff so very friendly. We didn't want to leave. I highly recommend it. So wonderful were they, that, upon our departure, instead of taking us back to Kent on the boat, for a small extra fee, they took us (including the other 8 guests) on the boat all the way along the peninsular to River No. 2, our final destination, with stops along Black Johnson and other out of the way places that one would never ordinarily get to see. FANTASTIC. I'm heading back for another special trip this year!!!!!!!!!!! Do yourself a favour, and just go there!!! Oh, the local "Poyo" (palm wine) is wonderful too. A must try.

Banana Islands Guest House was a fantastic place to stay. As with the rest of our experience in Sierra Leone the staff were extremely accommodating and very friendly. I'm not quite sure of the earlier reference to being a place for backpackers, we certainly found the accommodaction very clean - gorgeous hardwood beds with crisp white sheets, fans, clean toilet and showers, and mosquito nets and screens.

The location is great, framed by a small picturesque beach with a lovely view over to Kent and the mainland. The boat trip to Ricketts is well recommended with some lovely Krio buildings there. The staff of the Guesthouse will gladly take you on a walk around Dublin (where the Guesthouse is based) and to Big Sand Beach. It's hard not to notice evidence of the Islands' historical involvment in the slave trade - sobering but well worth seeing.

Overall a highly recommended place to stay!

Although we could only manage a 2-day escape from Freetown, the restorative effect of the Banana Islands and the Banana Island Guesthouse were such that we left with the sense of having a real holiday.

By the time we stepped off the canoe, awed by the island’s majestic canopy and blissful waters, the city was a distant memory. Simply gazing at the ocean all day would seem perfectly justified in such an island paradise, but there are plenty of very affordable activities for the restless. Snorkelling and walking-tours to immerse ourselves in the stunning aquatic and forest wildlife were our favourites, although fishing trips and bat-caves were also tempting. Despite the impressive efforts of nature to totally reclaim the island, echoes of its tragic past mingle with the flora: canons, graves and lamposts are the only relics of the thousands of lives stolen by the slave trade.

The guesthouse has sourced local materials as well as staff and as such does not feel a blight on the local community, who are nearly as welcoming as the guesthouse staff themselves. The accommodation comprises thatched huts with stunning sea views and the luxury of electricity, water and crisp white sheets. Served on the sands, the dinner menu was limited but fresh and tasty. All in all, I was impressed with the efficiency and simple style of the guesthouse, and urge its patronage so that other Sierra Leonian tourism destinations might take a banana leaf out of its book.

This should be marketed more towards backpackers as most other people would want more comfort. It suited me, but was expensive for the quality.