Is Sierra Leone safe? Hidden gem country with 'world-class beaches' becoming increasingly popular destination - where is it?

A lesser-known destination that has “world-class beaches” and “incredible wildlife” including chimpanzees and the elusive pygmy hippo is rapidly becoming a sought after holiday hotspot for this year. Sierra Leone is one of west Africa’s hidden gems and the country has made extraordinary progress in the last ten years.

It opened a new airport in the capital, Freetown, last year widening access to the country and its beaches are a particular talking point. The country’s dry season runs between November and April, with locals and visitors alike taking to the beaches to surf, snorkel or simply kick back and soak in the coastal atmosphere. 

Highlights include the surfer’s haven of Bureh Beach, which is home to a renowned grass-roots surf school and  the remote and off-grid Banana Islands for snorkelling and swimming. Nature lovers will particularly enjoy visiting the ecolodge at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which works to protect the country’s national animal, and exploring Gola Rainforest National Park, a pioneering conservation project for the country in partnership with the RSPB and home to a plethora of rare and endangered species of birds and animals.

Those keen for culture can earn about the country’s sobering past at Sierra Leone National Museum and Bunce Island, a key location in the Transatlantic slave trade or simply immerse themselves in the buzzing and vibrant city life of Freetown. Two tour operators, Rainbow Tours and KE Adventures, are launching new tours to the country for 2023/2024. 

Holidaymakers can book a guided tour to Sierra Leone through Rainbow Tours. Rainbow Tours’ ten-night Sierra Leone Discovery trip is priced from £3,992 per person, including flights, accommodation, meals and transfers as specified, activities and excursions as listed and a private guide throughout.

In order to enter Sierra Leone, the Foreign Office says that your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date of your visa application.  You can check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements.

The Foreign Office also states that you must have a visa to enter Sierra Leone. You can get a visa to visit or for business travel either when you arrive in Sierra Leone for 80 US dollars, paid in cash in US dollars or before you travel by applying online for an e-visa. Single entry visas are valid for 90 days from date of issuing for visits up to a maximum of 30 days. Multiple entry visas are valid for 365 days from date of issuing and are valid for multiple separate trips for up to a maximum of 30 days for each visit. 

To enter Sierra Leone, you must also have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination, and all passengers arriving and departing must pay a 25 US dollar airport security fee. The Foreign Office does not warn against travel to Sierra Leone, however be sure to keep up to date with the government’s travel advice and warnings.