Sierra Leone Suggested Trips

If you go to Freetown, the airport is a long drive from the city - they're physically close but on either side of the mouth of a deep broad bay, so it can take 4hrs on poor roads to get there or back. There's a helicopter shuttle service into the city that takes only 15mins or so and runs several times an hour. It's fairly inexpensive, a little 'exciting' (ex-Russian military choppers!) and well worth the few dollars for the time saved, and a good story for dinner with friends!

The diamond centre of Sierra Leone, this is an orderly town (or appears so if you are coming from Freetown) and features many Lebanese and Indians here. There are some pretty buildings which will make you feel you are in the wild west, which maybe you are in!

Street food, street food, street food!  Don't pass up the awesome street food sold throughout Sierra Leone.  My personal favorite is the fried plantains, but there is so much to taste.  Don't pass anything up.  Sierra Leone has some of the best fruit in West Africa (along with Ghana).  Added bonus - it's super cheap!
For those of you worried about your stomaches, I ate anything and everything I pleased and never had a single problem.

Give several days to get to and from and bring more triple what lonely planet says in the W. Africa guide. It is time consuming to get there, the poda-podas only leave when they are full, as is the way in all of W. Africa. It took me over 2 days to get there, and it is very difficult to get back because it is a small town you are trying to leave from, arrange for transportation before hand, or make it an adventure and find your own way back. I rode a motorcycle with a 17 kilo backpack on for 2.5 hours.

Go to the Fatima Institute Canteen for some refreshment, to Talented Sisters restaurant for some local food, or even better ask Chairman James at the Independece Square for nice food for early lunch...