Sierra Leone: Getting there & around

SN Brussels has twice-weekly flights from Brussels to Freetown and is your best bet from Europe and the US. British-based Astraeus airlines fly twice a week from London Gatwick and Bellview fly three times a week from London Heathrow. Kenya Airways connects to Nairobi through Lagos twice a week.

Bellview also connects Freetown to Accra, Banjul, Dakar, Douala and Lagos; Slok Airlines to Accra, Banjul and Monrovia, Gambia International to Banjul and Dakar and GR-AVIA to Conakry. The airport departure tax is US$40.00 . There continues to be talk about reviving the passenger ferry between Conakry to Freetown.

The main overland route to Guinea is via Pamelap and the road is sealed most of the way to Conakry. All other crossings to Guinea require more patience and less comfort. To Liberia (inquire locally before making this trip) the only practical option is via Zimmi and Bo (Waterside) and this journey takes two days in the dry season.

It's getting easier to get around Sierra Leone. Bush taxis and poda-podas (minibuses) connect most towns, though not always frequently to the smaller ones, and large comfortable buses link the cities. There is some advantage to renting a vehicle (which always comes with a driver) in Freetown, though the convenience comes with a high cost.