Sierra Leone

[mangoskin]

so at work I have the opportunity to travel to Sierra Leone for a few days in November.

The conference is at Bintumani Hotel, the country's largest with 150 rooms, suites and villas. Many of the reviews are bad though.

Anyway, at virtual travellor I saw this interesting piece:
Languages: English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), <span style="font-weight: bold">Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)</span>

I would like to visit Africa, but am nervous about Sierra Leone - has anyone been there?

[R00TS]

Re: Sierra Leone

Looking forward to hearing about this. Only beleive about half of those reviews mangoskin. Did you check tripadvisor?

[mo_fire]

Re: Sierra Leone

I am a big world traveller, but to be honest, I would be nervous as well about this destination... would I avoid it if offered the opportunity?? Likely not. I wouldn't take my daughter as I usually do, but I would go. Just take a lot of precautions, listen to the local people about curfews and places not to go.
Also, I would adhere to your government's website for travel advisories (In Canada we have that anyway).
Also, Lonely Planet Thorntree forum might be a place where you could get soome solid information from some experienced travellers to the region.
If you do go - please show us and share with us what you can when you return - and most of all STAY SAFE!!

[mountaingal]

Re: Sierra Leone

i went in 83 before all the troubles. at the time it was a quiet rather bacwaterish place. met some krio (creole) folks who held themselves a little apart from the other africans. don't know if that's the case today. the krio sounded very much like patwa, except for some odd reason seemed to have more spanish words.

[Magician]

Re: Sierra Leone

Use to have a co-worker from there. I heard it's nice.
I would go if I were you.

[RichD]

Re: Sierra Leone

so Mangoskin..did you go?

[Magician]

Re: Sierra Leone

An if yuh nuh go post pikcha an trip report an you went still mi suggest yuh neva tell wi so.

[mangoskin]

Re: Sierra Leone

LOL
no I didnt get to go after all

I hope I get the chance to go somewhere in Africa in the near future though

[rufian]

Re: Sierra Leone

your pm box full up or i would have said happy new year

[Marielle]

Re: Sierra Leone

Oh, pity you didn't get to go......

I have heard Freetown is a great place, great beaches.....

Yea, dunno if it is still dangerous.

Have a friend from there, but he left before the war which probably saved his life (or limbs!).

I also worked for Medécins sans Frontiéres (Doctors without Borders) who were there during the war. They were forbidden entry through Freetown so they just went in through the northern border with Guinea (that's why they are &quot;without borders&quot. They are also in Congo at the moment. Amazing organisation.

West Africa is an amazing place to go to. Have been in Senegal, Mali and Gambia, travelling 3 months. Ahum, met my (now ex) husband in Mali, which is where he comes from.

If you want to check out some amazing photos of Mali surf here:

http://www.dogon-lobi.ch/index_1280.htm

also, check these sites:

http://www.festivalsegou.org/homepage.htm

http://www.festival-au-desert.org/

[Marielle]

Re: Sierra Leone

oh yea, and talking of guinea.....

friend of mine from there who came to visit me....

[Magician]

Re: Sierra Leone

Nice pictures of Mali Marielle!

It's on my to-do-list.

I've always wanted to answer the question &quot;where you going?&quot; with &quot;Timbuktu&quot;

[Marielle]

Re: Sierra Leone

Yea, I would love to go there one day, wish they had passport control, so I could get a stamp

The &quot;best&quot; time to go there is between November and January cos then you can go by (the Niger) riverboat, I think it takes about 5 days or so.
Even so, the river Niger now is something like 10 km/miles from Timbuctu itself (natural meandering over time/desertification), so well, not sure how you get there..
(4-wheel drive? camel? ).....

Did meet a guy there who went in March, was a 10-day trip by 4-wheel drive through the desert ......not for the faint-hearted or those who can't do without their creature comforts like running water etc....)

Did you hear about the ancient texts &quot;re-discovered&quot; there, and now hastily being preserved for posterity?

http://www.afrol.com/articles/21302

&quot;The Timbuktu manuscripts are the principal written sources to West Africa's old history, and most have never been studied by modern scholars. They date back from the time when Timbuktu was one of the world's leading cultural and religious centres, hosting the ancient empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. The documents include the highest level of science from their era, demonstrating Timbuktu's importance as an intellectual centre.&quot;

Oh yea, heard about an american woman who married a tuareg from there and runs a hotel.
(Lonely planet forum is always a good source of info from and for travellers...).

[Magician]

Re: Sierra Leone

Sounds like an adventure.

[Marielle]

Re: Sierra Leone

adventure..?...... Yea...........,

ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!