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Sierra Leona.
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Travelling to Sierra Leona: what to know before you go

Sierra Leone is a small West African country with long, empty beaches backed by green hills, offshore islands, rainforest reserves and a capital founded by formerly enslaved people. Tourism is still small-scale and infrastructure limited, but the people are welcoming and the coastline is striking. It suits independent travellers comfortable with simple facilities.

Where to go

• Freetown. A busy capital built on hills above a vast natural harbour.
• The Freetown Peninsula beaches. South of the city, beaches such as River No.
• Banana Islands. A group of small islands off the tip of the peninsula, reached by boat from Kent, with simple guesthouses, snorkelling, fishing and quiet walks to old colonial ruins.
• Bunce Island. The ruins of an eighteenth-century British slave-trading fort on an island in the Sierra Leone River, reached by boat.

Best time to visit

The dry season, from about November to April, is the best time to visit, with sunny days and easier road travel; December to February is the most comfortable. The Harmattan wind can bring hazy skies around December and January.

Staying online in Sierra Leona

4G coverage is available in Freetown and the larger towns, such as Bo, Kenema and Makeni, and along some main roads. Coverage becomes patchy or absent in rural areas, forest reserves, on islands such as the Banana Islands and in parts of the north and east. Wi-Fi is available in hotels and some cafés in Freetown, but power cuts can interrupt it. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land, and download maps offline before leaving Freetown.