Tourism Is Life

Nine days from Freetown into the north and south: Rogbonko village, the Wara Wara mountains at Kabala, agro-tourism at Senekedugu, Bo's markets, Tiwai Island, and Banana Island.

Duration: 9 days / 8 nights
Group: On request
Difficulty: moderate
Languages: English

Highlights

Rogbonko village, paying homage to the chief and joining local cooking and basket making
Wara Wara mountain at Kabala, plus a local cotton weaver and an evening folklore performance
Agro-tourism at Senekedugu and the gold mines around Kabala town
A dawn rainforest walk on Tiwai in search of pygmy hippos

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival
Met and assisted at Lungi International Airport, then transferred to Freetown by boat.
Day 2
Freetown city tour and Tacugama
The Railway Museum, Old Fourah Bay College, the Cotton Tree site, the Peace and Cultural Monument, the National Museum, the Peace Museum and the Gateway to the King's Yard, followed by Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, about 40 minutes from central Freetown.
Day 3
Makeni and Rogbonko village
Drive to Makeni for a city tour, then on to Rogbonko village to visit the chief and pay homage. A working village where visitors join in cooking, basket making and other daily activities, returning to Makeni for the night.
Day 4
Makeni to Kabala
An excursion to see Wara Wara mountain, where huge rocks merge into towering formations. In the evening, a visit to a local cotton weaver to take part in the process, followed after dinner by a folklore and cultural dance performance.
Day 5
Kabala and Senekedugu
The gold mines around Kabala town show how mining works here. An early drive three miles to Senekedugu for agro-tourism, welcomed by the chief, with a visit to the vegetable plantations.
Day 6
Kabala to Bo
Drive to Bo, the second capital, for the bustling city, the local market and a gari production site.
Day 7
Bo to Tiwai Island
Shoes off as a sign of respect before entering, then a locally sourced meal under the palms and a walk to the banks of the Moa River, where a boat crosses to Tiwai. In the early evening, a boat ride upriver for a chance of seeing a pygmy hippo.
Day 8
Tiwai Island to Banana Island
A pre-dawn walk through the rainforest in search of pygmy hippos, which come ashore at night to graze. Later, on to Banana Island via Kent beach, a former slave island with remnants of Portuguese infrastructure from the 1800s and home to a Krio community.
Day 9
Departure
Depart Banana Island by sea coach for the airport.