Itinerary Highlights

  • Explore the country's bustling capital, Freetown, which is home to a 500-year-old cotton tree
  • See the inspirational work being taken out at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
  • Head to Bunce Island for a poignant insight into the country's history with slavery
  • Discover wildlife such as Diana monkeys in Tiwai Island's Upper Guinea rainforest eco-system

What's Included

  • Flights
  • Accommodation Throughout
  • Travel Guide
  • Transfers
9 nights from £3,145 per person

Candice Buchan

Travel Specialist

I'm here to tailor-make your perfect holiday. Give me a call and I'll use my expertise to create your personalised experience.

Immerse yourself in a lovely spectrum of natural and cultural highlights on this nine-night tailor-made tour of Sierra Leone.

The West African country has something special for most visitors: you start with an exploration of bustling Freetown and head to Bunce Island, during which you can gain a poignant insight into the county's history.

From here, be inspired by the ongoing work at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary – set up by Bala Amarasekaran and his wife Sharmila, and very highly praised by English zoologist and primatologist Dr Jane Goodall during her visit.

Continue to Tiwai Island, where visitors come to seek some of the resident Upper Guinea forest inhabitants such as western red and king colobus, Diana monkeys and sooty mangabeys, along with West African rainforest birds like emerald starling and Johanna's sunbird. Night walks may reveal interesting species such as the bizarre hammer-headed bats and, in the trees, Demidoff's galago and even a West African potto (Please note that the rainforest is dense and populations of wildlife are low additionally, it tends to be skittish due to persecution by poachers).

After your time at Tiwai, return to Freetown and head out to the Banana Islands for a night of simple but well tended camping at the friendly Bafa Resort. Enjoy the relaxed island vibe here (You can also indulge in some snorkelling, swimming and a boat trip around one of the islands).

End the trip at the sweeping, white sand beach of Tokeh, among the best of Sierra Leone's beautiful beaches.

During the holiday, you'll be looked after by one of our excellent and experienced driver-guides and transportation is in the form of a four-wheel drive vehicle. Accommodation varies from very basic (Tiwai Island) to smart and modern (The Home Suites).

Please note, this is an example tour. To create your own tailor-made itinerary, speak with our Travel Specialists by calling us today.

Itinerary

Depart from London on the daytime Brussels Airlines flight via Brussels to Freetown.

On arrival at Lungi Airport late this afternoon, you'll be welcomed by our local representatives and transferred on the Sea Coach Express boat across the mouth of the Sierra Leone River to Aberdeen.

Transfer to the comfortable Country Lodge, set on Hill Station with sweeping views over the city, with breakfast included.

After breakfast, you'll head to Bunce Island via private speedboat. Bunce Island was the largest British slave castle on the Rice Coast of West Africa. Founded around 1670, this is from where tens of thousands of African captives were transported to North America and the West Indies until the British Parliament finally closed it down in 1808.

While Bunce Island is left to decay, bringing about questions concerning its preservation, its appearance does add to its charm. It's authentic and, as our Sierra Leonean colleagues express it, 'raw - a painful history that's burying itself under layers of greenery'.

After Bunce Island, you'll be taken to see the highlights of Freetown. This includes the Railway Museum, St George's Cathedral, National Museum, the ancient Cotton Tree and Fort Thornton.

Transfer after lunch for a two-night stay in one of the eco-chalets at Tacugama Lodge, with breakfast included.

Staying at   Tacugama Lodge

Depart to Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, where you'll spend the night.

Learn about the inspirational work being conducted by Bala and his team. Chimpanzees are oftentimes cruelly/ignorantly kept as pets or sometimes hunted. More than 100 find a safe home at Tacugama, where you can watch them swinging from branches and grooming each other.

Afterwards, you can enjoy a forest walk to seek some of the 100-odd bird species that have been identified in Tacugama Forest Reserve. Accommodation is in one of the elegant thatched huts of Augusta Lodge.

Visit the tropical rainforest at Tiwai Island, one of Sierra Leone’s natural history highlights.

Surrounded by the wide Moa River, you'll find yourself immersed in the Upper Guinea forest ecosystem. Most visitors manage to see some of the species of forest-dependent monkeys for which the area is best known, along with rainforest-dependent birds. High on the list for visiting mammal watchers are the endangered western red colobus and the equally endangered, striking Diana guenon. Night walks can deliver some interesting and rare species too.

After a lunch stop at Bo, you'll arrive in Tiwai in the mid-to-late afternoon.

During an afternoon or early evening boat trip up the Mao River, you can enjoy spectacular views of Tiwai Island and the neighbouring mainland. Keep an eye open for monkeys and some of the 135 species of birds, as well as the occasional crocodile.

In the evening, the camp staff will cook a superb dinner for you.

After breakfast, enjoy a guided walk in the forest of Tiwai Island.

With luck, you'll see forest-dwelling monkeys such as Upper Guinea red colobus and Diana monkey as well as some birds such as the piping hornbill and many species of butterflies.

Departing after an early lunch, take a boat transfer back to the mainland and explore the culture in the rural villages of Kambama and nearby Nianiahun. You'll be shown sites of traditional sacrifice, meeting points for the ceremonies held by village elders, birth ceremonial sites and the ‘blood stream’ hiding place for knives and weapons of ancient warriors.

In the late afternoon, take a stroll into the forest to seek more wildlife. We recommend a second night walk after dark to try to encounter some more of the scarce, nocturnally active species which have been recorded from the area.

After breakfast, depart Tiwai Island and head to Freetown via Bo.

If you wish, you can also have lunch in Bo before continuing to Freetown.

You're then taken to Kent Village to catch a motorised boat to Banana Island, where you'll enjoy an overnight stay in the simple, friendly Bafa Resort.

Enjoy the relaxed ambience in this lovely corner of the country. Optional activities include hiking, snorkelling and a scenic boat trip around the island.

Staying at   Bafa Resort
Tokeh

After breakfast, depart Banana Island for Tokeh with a stop at Bureh Beach to meet the residents at Beach Surf Club and have a seafood lunch.

Then depart for Tokeh, a small coastal village on the Western Area Peninsula, where you'll find one of Sierra Leone's loveliest beaches. Backed by lush, forested mountains, the beach makes for a wonderful place in which to relax.

Alternatively, you can chill out by the pool. Overnight at The Place Resort, with breakfast.

Enjoy your morning relaxing at the beach.

This afternoon, you'll be taken back to Freetown to stay overnight in the Home Suites Boutique Hotel, with breakfast included.

After a sightseeing trip, which can include some shopping today, you'll be transferred back to the airport in time to check in prior to the departure of your overnight Brussels Airlines flight back to Brussels.

On arrival in Brussels Airport, remain air side and connect with the Brussels Airlines flight back to London Heathrow.

Candice Buchan

Travel Specialist

I'm here to tailor-make your perfect holiday. Give me a call and I'll use my expertise to create your personalised experience.

Pricing Information & Dates

9 nights from £3,145 per person

Candice Buchan

Travel Specialist

I'm here to tailor-make your perfect holiday. Give me a call and I'll use my expertise to create your personalised experience.

Price Includes

  • Return International Flights as per the itinerary
  • All airport taxes and security charges
  • Accommodation and meals as specified
  • Transfers as specified
  • Activities and excursions as specified
  • All entrace fees on sightseeing tours as specified
Return economy class Brussels Airlines flights from London Heathrow to Freetown via Brussels. Airport taxes. Accommodation as per itinerary with meals as listed. Services of a professional, experienced, private guide and driver throughout. All transfers and private transportation. All entry fees and local guide fees. All excursions and activities as outlined.

Price Excludes

  • Travel Insurance
  • Any meals not specified in the itinerary
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Optional excursions
Sierra Leone entry visa. Drinks. Lunches and dinners. Gratuities. Travel insurance.

Pricing Notes

Fares are quoted on a best buy basis so are subject to change until flights have been issued. All our Sierra Leone itineraries can be modified/tailored to suit individual interests and requirements.

Why Choose Us?

Passionate travel experts

  • We've been leading wildlife travel since our first South Africa tours over 25 years ago
  • Our Travel Specialists have lived in their specialist area for years
  • We work with local guides to immerse you deeper in our diverse range of experiences

Personal & tailor-made

  • You'll speak to your own expert who'll share their first-hand knowledge
  • We'll make your itinerary seamless with 24/7 emergency contact available
  • Your Travel Specialist will listen to ensure you have the best chance of seeing the wildlife you love

Responsible by nature

  • We take care to actively contribute to the conservation of environments we visit
  • For select countries, we make a charitable donation on your behalf when you make your booking
  • We've partnered with conservation experts and NGOs to curate responsible tours
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