Now safe but notorious for war and "blood diamonds" in the 1990s, this English-speaking West African country has been recovering nicely and is a real tourism up-and-comer, with abundant wildlife/ecotourism, heritage sites, and among Africa's best beaches.


Cover photo: Leasmhar

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Why Sierra Leone is an up-and-coming destination

viti One of West Africa´s smaller countries – a bit more wee than Scotland and a smidge bigger than Delaware plus West Virginia – the landscape of Sierra Leone (pop. 8.9 million) is a tropical mix of rainforests and savannahs. It was originally founded by the British in 1808 as a refuge – like next-door Liberia – for freed slaves (although its curious name dates back to 1462, when explorers sailing the coast from Portugal dubbed the mountains they spotted the “Serra Leoa,” which means Lion…

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Started by Helen Brown
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A Sierra Leone shout-out in 'West Africa Christmastime'

In the UK we usually associate Christmas with family, eating and drinking (often to excess!), giving presents, Father Christmas and a Christmas tree. But how is the tradition celebrated in West Africa, a region of the World where Christianity is at its freshest, where missionaries have only been preaching for about 150 years? West Africa is a culturally diverse region; comprised of 16 countries, where Islam and Christianity dominate thousands of different tribes speaking hundreds of different…

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Started by Tripatini
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  • Joseba Basabe December 7, 2025 at 9:59am
    An interesting innovation: the first Freetown upscale eatery to focus exclusively on Sierra Leonian cuisine: https://travelnoire.com/sierra-leone-first-gourmet-restaurant-natio...
    Sierra Leone's First Gourmet Restaurant Focuses Only On The Nation's Traditional Dishes - Travel No…
  • Maria de los Angeles December 6, 2025 at 6:31pm
    Tiwai Island and its wildlife sanctuary in the south of the country just made the UNESCO World Heritage Site list this year, and that´s one reason it tops the list recently put out by the aptly named Intrepid Travel tour operator of "not hot" destinations, defined as "less-visited with lower awareness, demonstrated tourism readiness with new initiatives, and have particular relevance in 2026." https://www.travelandleisure.com/intrepid-not-hot-underrated-destin...
  • José Balido November 4, 2024 at 10:29pm
    An interesting article in AFAR about people behind SL´s nascent tourism industry: https://www.afar.com/magazine/people-growing-tourism-in-sierra-leone
    Sierra Leone Is Building a Tourism Industry. Meet 3 People Paving the Way.
    A chimp-saving conservationist, a child soldier turned tour guide, and a tradition-bucking fashion designer are helping to put sweet Salone on the tr…
  • Helen Brown August 31, 2024 at 3:22pm
    Travel Noire takes a look at SL as it finally opens more fully to tourism: https://travelnoire.com/sierra-leone-ready-for-tourists
    Sierra Leone Is Ready For Tourists. Treat It With Care While Visiting - Travel Noire
  • María José November 21, 2023 at 12:09pm
    Wow, here´s an interesting development you wouldn´t think about SL: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220609-a-gourmet-revival-of-si...
    A new take on ancestral African cuisine
    Sierra Leone recently got its first traditional fine-dining restaurant: a buzzing oasis where West African history and culture meet haute cuisine.
  • Jordan Simon July 31, 2023 at 1:02pm
    I read Forbes fairly regularly, and was bemused to see their endorsement the other day of Freetown. What do you think? https://www.forbes.com/sites/joeyogerst/2023/07/25/alternative-afri...
    Alternative Africa: Freetown Should Be On Your Bucket List
    It’s not the most obvious choice for your Africa bucket list. But with awesome beaches, an emerging food scene, and vibrant local culture, Freetown,…
  • Helen Brown December 26, 2022 at 11:03am
    Among SL’s greatest allures are its gorgeous Atlantic beaches, and Italian-Australian travel bloggers Margherita and Nick gave us a nice look at nine of the choicest a year ago on their site TheCrowdedPlanet.com: https://www.thecrowdedplanet.com/beaches-in-sierra-leone/
  • Paul Varmuza May 2, 2022 at 8:50am
    I recently caught this which provides a pretty good overview of Sierra Leone in 2021 - worth a look! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmkn2_gmRcU
  • Mountain Tourist Group August 24, 2012 at 6:10pm

    Sierra Leone is the hidden paradise in the world most peaceful and friendly nation in the world .Come to Sierra Leone and learn more

  • West Africa Discovery September 28, 2011 at 5:56pm

    9012334854?profile=originalThomas, West Africa Discovery's CEO, will be travelling to Sierra Leone for a research project he is conducting for his MSc in Responsible Tourism Management. As part of his travels, he wants to involve all of you in his journey of discovery (itinerary, experiences, photos, facts, stories, videos, etc...). To start things off, he has plotted his planned itinerary including information about the places he will visit and the things he hopes to do. Regular updates will be posted on this page to keep you involved in his journey.  

     

    To view the Itinerary, click here

    We are also raising funds to buy school material for the communities Thomas is visiting. Here is a break down of the items that we will buy.

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