A new generation of Sierra Leoneans is eager to show the world that the nation’s civil war is a thing of the past and to reintroduce the country as one of Africa’s must-visit destinations.
Sitting beneath the shade of a palm tree on Tokeh Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand along Sierra Leone’s coastline, Peter Momoh Bassie shared his personal story. “I’m not ashamed to say I was part of the rebels, because I was forced into it,” he explained, gazing out at the emerald waters. “I never killed anyone,” he added, emphasising his innocence in the conflict.
Stories like Bassie’s are common in Sierra Leone, a small West African country bordered by Guinea and Liberia with over 300 kilometres of pristine coastline. The nation’s brutal 11-year civil war, which ended in 2002, claimed more than 50,000 lives and displaced 2.6 million people. Bassie was just 11 years old when the rebels captured him. He endured six years of captivity, managing to escape and be recaptured three times.
Today, Bassie works as a tour guide with Tourism Is Life, one of many Sierra Leonean companies committed to showing the world that the country is now safe and ready to welcome visitors. With its lush rainforests, stunning beaches, and vibrant cultural experiences, Sierra Leone is eager to reclaim its place as a top travel destination.
Bafa Resort is located on the northern coast of Banana Island Image credit: Planet Escape
Bafa Resort is located on the northern coast of Banana Island
During its tourism boom in the 1980s, Sierra Leone attracted travellers with its beautiful beachfront destinations, such as Bureh, a pristine white-sand beach just an hour’s drive south of the vibrant capital, Freetown. Yet, beyond its famous western coastline, this small country, roughly the size of Scotland, offers an incredible range of landscapes. In the southeast, the Gola Rainforest and Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary are home to chimpanzees, rare Diana monkeys, Bongo antelopes, and over 320 bird species. To the north, Outamba-Kilimi National Park is a woodland savannah that serves as a haven for hippos, elephants, and colobus monkeys. Further east, plateaus rise toward Mount Bintumani, one of the highest peaks in West Africa.
Often referred to as “the forgotten industry” by locals, tourism is making a comeback in Sierra Leone. A multi-year development project funded by the World Bank is underway to train tourism professionals, improve infrastructure, and build ecotourism sites, especially in areas like Southeastern Sierra Leone, where the rare and endangered pygmy hippo resides.
Today, a new generation of Sierra Leoneans is eager to change the narrative and invite visitors to rediscover their country’s rich heritage and natural beauty.
A Fresh Start
“Growing up, I would jump between Tokeh Beach and Maroun Island, sip fresh coconut water, grab a lobster, and cook it up for lunch,” recalled Wissam Stanger Sfeile, a freediving coach who represented Sierra Leone in the freediving world championships. In 2016, he co-founded Bafa, an eco-resort situated on the northern tip of the Banana Islands, a serene trio of islands located just south of Freetown. A Fresh Start
At Bafa, hammocks gently swayed in the breeze, and glamping tents dotted the shoreline, where fresh lobster sizzled on the grill. Together with his wife Emily, Wissam Sfeile sought to recreate the carefree experiences of his childhood. The eco-resort leases its land from the nearby fishing community of Dublin, sourcing fish and produce from them while also employing local youth. “I wanted others to experience our nature in a space where guests could enjoy the beauty of trees, flowers, and beaches,” Sfeile shared.
Beyond their natural beauty, Sierra Leone’s islands carry a tragic historical significance. During the height of the transatlantic slave trade in the 17th and 18th centuries, these islands became major departure points for enslaved West Africans being shipped to the New World.
According to the Slave Voyages digital archive, approximately 400,000 people were sent through British trade ports in Sierra Leone from 1501 to 1866. Among them, Bunce Island stood out as the most significant. Situated between Senegal and Liberia in the area known as the Rice Coast, Bunce Island served as a crucial hub for British slave traders, who sold enslaved individuals skilled in rice cultivation to plantation owners in South Carolina and Georgia. An estimated 30,000 people passed through the “door of no return” on the island, with many exiled to the rice-growing colonies of the West Indies and North America.
The Banana Islands, once a substation for Bunce Island, still carry traces of this dark past. The community of Dublin, near Bafa, is home to descendants of emancipated Africans who returned to Sierra Leone after the British abolished the slave trade in 1807. Remnants of history linger in the form of rusted cannons and a mass grave near the resort, serving as silent reminders of those who resisted their fate.
Bangura practiced law in New York before returning to Sierra Leone in 2007. In Freetown, she founded The Barray, a collective of artists aimed at promoting the country’s contemporary visual art scene. “The civil war devastated the creative sector,” Bangura explained. “But we are a resilient people. Our creative community, including art, music, fashion, film, and theatre, is starting to flourish again.”
This excitement was evident during an evening gathering at MaryAnn Kaikai’s regular salon in western Freetown, where a dozen women came together under the shade of mango trees. Kaikai, the creative force behind Madam Wokie, a Sierra Leonean fashion brand showcased in New York, Johannesburg, and other international cities, shared Bangura’s sentiments. She explained that despite the hardships Sierra Leoneans have faced—losing limbs during the war or enduring the Ebola outbreak—they hold no bitterness. “We have this fighting spirit where we say ‘Tel God Tenki’ (‘I thank God’ in Krio), and we move forward,” she said.
Kaikai designs vibrant clothes and accessories for her community and beyond. High-profile clients like actress Eva Mendes and honorary Sierra Leonean Idris Elba wear her creations. In partnership with the World Bank and the Ministry of Tourism, Kaikai has recently trained local women to become future tourism entrepreneurs and artisans, teaching them skills like gara tie-dyeing, a traditional plant-based craft. The designer remains hopeful about the future: “Despite everything, there is always a sense of hope.”
