Freetown

Sierra Leone's capital, with a string of white-sand beaches such as River Number Two and Tokeh along the peninsula; Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the slave-trade site of Bunce Island and the Banana Islands are all easy day trips.

Freetown, the capital of the West African nation of Sierra Leone, lies on the north side of a mountainous peninsula on the Atlantic coast, backed by rainforest-clad ridges and facing the Sierra Leone River estuary, one of the world's largest natural harbors. In 1792 British abolitionists resettled freed slaves from Nova Scotia here, giving the 'City of Freedom' its name; Jamaican Maroons and Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy followed, forging a distinctive Krio culture. Sightseeing falls into three parts: the city center (the National Museum, St. John's Maroon Church, St. George's Cathedral and the Big Market, plus the old Fourah Bay College site and the Railway Museum in Cline Town to the east); the hotel district and city beaches of Aberdeen–Lumley in the west; and, stretching south along the peninsula road, the white-sand beaches of River Number Two, Tokeh, John Obey and Bureh, as well as Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in the hills. Boats run to the slave-trade ruins on Bunce Island in the estuary, or from Kent village to the Banana Islands. The best time to visit is the Nov–Apr dry season, with temperatures of 28–32°C; May–Oct is the rainy season, with extremely heavy rain in Jul–Aug, muddy roads and frequently canceled boats. Arrival: international flights land at Lungi Airport across the estuary, from where you take a water taxi (about 30 minutes) or the long way round by road into the city. In town, taxis, motorbike taxis and hired cars are the main options; for the peninsula beaches, hire a car for the day. Allow 4–6 days. Note: arrange a visa in advance (e-visas are available), get a yellow fever vaccination and bring malaria prophylaxis. The city is generally reasonably safe, but avoid walking alone at night; US dollar cash is widely used.

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