It can be a bit complicated to get your Leones and payment options are limited. Not many enterprises accept credit card payments and debit cards are almost useless. The best way to go around is to have Leones in cash that you either get through exchanging on the black market or withdraw from ATM’s. Black […]

Getting around Freetown can be challenging and frustrating. Endless traffic jams at Lumley roundabout, trucks crashing in the narrow streets downtown, taxi drivers overcharging you because you’re a foreigner, police officers hungry for bribes at checkpoints; sometimes it pays to hire an SUV plus driver and leave the wahala behind. Still, taking local transport can […]

Bureh Town Named after the hero Bai Bureh, Bureh town is located along the coastline between Tombo and Kent, about a 1.5 hour drive from Freetown. The people of Bureh town are gems. They have faces carved with hard work, the sea inhabiting their eyes and smiles ready for anyone willing to receive them.  It […]

Paddle down the mirror-calm Kabba River, get up close to majestic hippos and hike the wildlife-filled trails of Sierra Leone’s first National Park. Over the coming weeks, VSL Travel (Visit Sierra Leone) is touring the country to set up new day trips, short-breaks and tours for you to enjoy come the dry season. We’re on […]

The brainchild of Sheka Forna, brother of celebrated author Aminatta Forna, Rogbonko Village Retreat is unlike any other accommodation available in Sierra Leone, offering not just the chance to wind-down in a truly magical forest setting, but also to live and immerse yourself in all aspects of rural village life. Following a stop for lunch […]

All over sub Saharan Africa from East to West, mini buses have a special name. In Kenya it is Matatu, in Nigeria – Danfor, Ghana – Tro-tro, Guinea – Magbana and in Sierra Leone – Poda poda. These are public minibuses which ordinarily are just modes of transportation, but interestingly they are dynamic modes of […]

Mobile telephone use is high which is no surprise seeing as landlines are notoriously unreliable. This makes it a “must bring along” item. However, there are cheap handset which can be purchased locally. Tip: Providers like Airtel and Africell offer cheap handsets that you can purchase in country if you do not want to bring […]