Most of the photos in this gallery are from Banana Island, and some of them are from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.
Local boats sleeping at the bay of Banana Island
This is what the ‘streets’ look like on Banana Island. No motor vehicles allowed. Upon arrival, I had to check in with the island’s chief and make a monetary contribution (a few bucks). That ritual is not required by the government’s law. Instead, it is a well-preserved and respected tradition.
It is hard to tell whether you are trespassing on private property. And it really doesn’t matter. There is no crime and conflict on this small island.
Some parts of Freetown can look a little bit chaotic
While I was waiting for the bus, these smily girls were keeping me company
Interested in my Stories from traveling in Africa? You may wanna check out some of the posts like Togo or Senegal.
There is no grocery store on Banana Island. If you need something, you need to ask around to find out who’s selling it today. Here I was in the backyard of some lady’s house, waiting to find out if she had enough bread to sell me one. By the way, this is the toilet in the photo.
Keep scrolling. There’s more
West Africa has plenty of variety. For instance, Burkina Faso is not far away from Sierra Leone, but it looks surprisingly different!
There are two guesthouses on the island. Not very cheap. The lowest fare is about $25 / night. I stayed with the locals for the friendly fee: “You decide how much you want to pay me.”
Sierra Leone has a lot to offer. The government is aware of it and is trying to develop the tourism industry. I found a very nice government-sponsored video that nicely promotes tourism in the country.
