Arrive to Freetown’s Lungi International Airport, which is one of the world’s most uniquely situated airports, located on the northern coast of the Freetown Estuary. On arrival, disembark and enter the arrivals hall for baggage reclaim. You will be met by our local representative who will have a signboard with your tour name on it after customs. They will be available to deal with any immediate questions then get you on your private vehicle for transfer to the dock from where you take the 30-minute boat ride and make a charismatic entry to the city catching a glimpse of the towering hills over Freetown.
Today enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and start the day by having your first look around the vibrant city and dedicate quality time on a journey through its historical core. With the car and guide at your disposal you will visit prominent historical sites such as the Railway Museum, St. Georges Cathedral, National Museum, Peace Monument, the Maroon Church, the Cotton Tree, The Gateway to the Old King's Yard and Fort Thornton (where the Presidential State House now stands). Exploring this wonderful city seldom visited by tourists, taking the time to walk the streets, markets, mingling with locals is the perfect introduction into daily life here in West Africa.
After lunch you will head for Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. You will see the amazing work being done by Bala and his team. Chimpanzees are often cruelly or ignorantly kept as pets, or sometimes hunted for their meat. Today however, more than 100 primates find haven at Tacugama, swinging from branches, hooting with happiness, throwing things at passers-by with the petulance of children, nuzzling each other with tenderness of mothers attending to newborns, and picking bugs out of each other’s furs with the attention of Madonna’s manicurist, even the least animal-friendly of visitors gets sucked into the magic within minutes of arriving at the sanctuary. Apart from the Sanctuary there are other attraction sites available in this area to occupy your time among which is the viewing of over 100 bird species that have been identified in and around the Tacugama Forest Reserve. After the chimp’s tour, you are transferred to your hotel with the remainder of the evening.
This morning after breakfast go to Bunce Island with a private speedboat, viewing the city from the coast as you go by. Bunce Island was the largest British slave castle on the Rice Coast of West Africa. Founded around 1670, it exported tens of thousands of African captives to North America and the West Indies until the British Parliament finally closed it down in 1808. Bunce Island is left to decay, and although this raises questions of preservation, it does have a certain charm. After an emotional thought-provoking time on the Island, we head down to experience some of the best beaches in West Africa around the Freetown Peninsula, arguably the best in the sub-region.
A visit to Lakka, Hamilton, and River Number, where you will enjoy lunch in this stunning location before returning to your hotel for the evening.
Drive from Freetown to Kabala, departing 8AM. Lunch at Choices in Kabala (or similar).
In the afternoon, we climb Gbawuria Hill for fantastic views across Kabala Town and the Wara Wara Mountains beyond (5.5km, approx. 1 hr 30 mins total walking time, low-medium difficulty).
Today we will pick you up for the trip to Robgbonko Village Retreat which will take around 3 hours. You will stop in Makeni with your guide to have a look around this provincial town after which you will have lunch before setting off for the final hour to Rogbonko via Magburuka. Rogbonko Mathaka (meaning "The Place in The Forest"), is located 30 mins from Magburaka Junction. With no electricity, running water, telephones, and little contact from the outside world, you will be meeting the villagers, eating their food, witnessing their culture and sharing their daily lives.
The tour guide will accompany you for forest walks and a tour of some of the farms and explain the relevance of daily life in the village. Learn about the different activities that keep the villagers occupied and satisfied with such a humble life. You will also be welcomed with a cultural performance. An outstanding aspect of Rogbonko experience is the basket weaving. The basket woven at Rogbonko is closely similar to the sweetgrass basket woven by the Gullah/Geeche and this skill is widely believed to have been retained by enslaved Africans from West Africa but especially Sierra Leone.
This morning, head to Kent Village on the peninsula to catch a boat to Banana Island, for a chance to explore this scenic paradise. Three islands make up the Banana Islands: Dublin and Ricketts are linked by a stone causeway. The third Mes-Meheux is uninhabited. We will be going to Dublin, with its backyard gardens, big breadfruit trees and rare and delightful butterflies. You will be welcomed by the sleepy but friendly community and go on a tour of this quiet paradise.
These pristine islands are a wonderful place to experience laid-back Sierra Leone and there will be various optional activities available for everyone, including hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing and or a scenic boat trip around the island. This is an opportunity to have an insightful land tour of the island and set aside some time to explore on our own around this virtually unknown area of West Africa. Lunch will consist of locally caught fresh fish, prawns and lobsters (all subject to availability) as we relax in paradise.
Spend the full day exploring the Banana Islands, you can take the two hour hike to Ricketts, go fishing with local fishermen or go snorkeling. Alternatively, you could always just chill on the beach.
After breakfast we depart Banana Island for Tokeh via a stop at Bureh Beach to talk to the guys at Bureh Beach surf club and maybe give surfing a go before settling down for a delightful seafood lunch. A relaxed lunch and time to explore at your leisure before we set off At for Tokeh Beach. Tokeh is a small coastal village settled on the Western Area Peninsula and has one of the most beautiful beaches Sierra Leone has to offer. Tokeh beach has a backdrop of lush, green mountains and the old wooden pier that runs into the sea make this place a visual spectacle. You can explore the area or spend your time on the beach or pool area. The remainder of the day is at your leisure as we enjoy the atmosphere of this beautiful part of Western Africa.
This morning you can enjoy a relaxed breakfast before we set off back to Freetown. On arrival you can enjoy some last-minute shopping at one of Freetown’s craft markets for gifts and souvenirs before we transfer you to the airport for your trip home after a wonderful cultural and wildlife tour of Sierra Leone.
