In the eastern interior, five hours from capital Freetown, this ethnically diverse city of 128,000 is rough-hewn and has limited tourism infrastructure but offers adventurous travelers an unvarnished look at local culture, with a vibrant public market, shops selling handicrafts; venues staging traditional dance performances; and landmarks such as the Koidu Clock Tower, Central Mosque and St. Andrew´s Cathedral. In the hills surrounding the city, visitors can go kayaking and canoeing on the Selwa River; go hiking through the forests; and experience rural communities of the Kissi people. But one must here is to explore the area´s diamond-mining heritage. Diamonds were first discovered here in the 1930s, and became an important source of national income, with most mining done by small local outfits  manually in open pits. During the civil war, the mines were taken over by rebels and used to finance war and terror, earning them the moniker “blood” or “conflict” diamonds (you may have seen or at least heard of the 2006 movie Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo di Caprio, set here during that tumultuous time). These days you can find local guides who will take you to one of the pits where you´ll see diamong miners hard at work.

Read more in my post Why Sierra Leone Is an Up-and-Coming Destination.