8°31′N · 13°09′W
By any means

Sierra Leone: By any means

Nine days across Sierra Leone’s islands, rainforest and back roads by boat, motorbike taxi and poda-poda.

Photos
Duration
9 days
Group size
7–10 travellers
Operating window
20–28 March 2027
The departure
Sat, 20 Mar 2027
Gateway
Freetown (FNA)
Remoteness
Deep
Self-reliance
Supported
Comfort
Basic
Environment
Mixed
How to read these

These terms compare trips across Atlas51. Environment describes terrain, not difficulty.

Remoteness

  1. Edge

    Established support remains relatively close.

  2. Deep

    Help or an exit may take time.

  3. Extreme

    Help and an exit may be days away.

Self-reliance

  1. Supported

    The crew runs the core systems.

  2. Shared

    You take on part of the work.

  3. Self-reliant

    Your skills and decisions are central.

Comfort

  1. Basic

    A roof every night.

  2. Wild

    Camped, with camp made for you.

  3. Spartan

    You build your own shelter.

Environment

  1. Desert

    Sand, rock and arid ground.

  2. Arctic

    Snow, ice and sustained cold.

  3. Jungle

    Dense, humid forest.

  4. Mountain

    Steep, high or broken ground.

  5. Inland water

    Rivers, lakes and wetlands.

  6. Ocean

    Open-coast or offshore water.

  7. Forest

    Woodland and trail terrain.

  8. Steppe

    Open grassland with few trees.

  9. Savanna

    Warm grassland with scattered trees.

  10. Reef

    Shallow coastal water and coral ground.

  11. Mixed

    Several distinct terrains in one trip.

Photography note

This trip has not run yet, so none of these photographs are from it. The aerials are licensed footage of Sierra Leone itself — the Freetown peninsula, the point at Aberdeen, a street into town. The rest are the operator’s own, from the West African riding they already do.

A good fit if

You want the undertaking, not just the backdrop

  1. 01

    Want real adventure over luxury.

  2. 02

    Want to truly step outside their comfort zone.

  3. 03

    Enjoy solving problems and challenges.

  4. 04

    Want to experience countries beyond the tourist trail.

  5. 05

    Understand that the best trips are rarely planned.

Person walking along a palm-lined beach with small boats

The trip

The crossing and how we travel

By any means

A crossing made by whatever moves — foot, wheels, water, whatever the place has.

Maybe, but the one who walks slowly still sees what the one who runs has missed.

Ferry, kekeh, boat, motorbike taxi, poda-poda and 4x4: out to the Turtle Islands, across Sherbro to Bonthe, into the forest on Tiwai Island and the diamond country around Koidu, then back to the beach at Tokeh.

Because almost nobody goes. Because it's spectacular. Because genuine exploration and adventure still exists here.

There is a well-known fable in Sierra Leone about a spider and a tortoise heading to a feast. "By the time you arrive anywhere, even the flies will have finished eating," the spider says. The tortoise just smiles back: "Maybe, but the one who walks slowly still sees what the one who runs has missed."

We side with the tortoise. A journey this changeable should not be rushed, taking time to enjoy every road, village, market and shoreline as we work our way across the country.

The Freetown peninsula from the air through broken cloud: turquoise shallows, a pale beach and a road running the length of a green headland.
One road down the whole peninsula, cloud sitting on the hills above it. This is the country the route crosses.
Black and white photograph of a crowded fishing beach: wooden boats flying pennants in the surf, and people wading in the shallows carrying basins and boxes.
The boats come in and the whole beach goes down to meet them. This is the kind of shoreline the route slows down for.
Eight or nine people sit in a row at the end of a wooden jetty at sunset, a red cool box beside them.
A cool box, a row of backs and the last of the light. Ten people is the ceiling, so the whole group fits on one jetty.
About a dozen people lean out from the upper-floor openings of a two-storey earthen building. A man sits in an archway below.
Twelve of them at the upstairs openings, one man downstairs entirely unbothered. This is a trip built to stop, not to cover distance.

This journey will take us through rugged red-clay roads, pristine mangrove channels, and deserted beaches.

Our experienced West Africa expedition lead has spent months out in Sierra Leone, studying the roads, speaking to locals, researching roads and piecing together what we think could become one of the greatest adventures in West Africa — but until we do it ourselves, nobody knows exactly what lies around every corner.

Every trip is supported by experienced local guides who know the terrain, communities and conditions. Routes may change to reflect weather, local advice or safety considerations. Flexibility is part of the experience, but good judgement always comes first.

A typical day

The shape of the days

A deliberately loose journey, shaped by local routes, river levels and whatever transport works today.

  1. Single-line illustration of adults and a guide looking over a route map together.

    Plan it together

    Start around eight with breakfast, then look over maps and possible routes with the guide before the heat builds. The group helps decide what matters most that day, with vehicle availability, weather and river crossings all influencing the plan.

  2. Single-line illustration of travellers moving along a road in local transport.

    Take the slow road

    Travel at an unhurried pace, stopping for photographs, markets and conversations along the way. Lunch is likely to be a sit-down meal with local hosts rather than a restaurant stop, because conventional tourist infrastructure is not the point of this trip.

  3. Single-line illustration of travellers stopping for the day beneath a setting sun.

    Stop before dark

    Aim to finish travelling before sunset and avoid night travel unless there is an emergency. That leaves time to eat, have a drink, unpack the day’s madness and enjoy some much-needed downtime.

  4. Single-line illustration of travellers arriving at a simple local place to stay.

    Stay where the journey takes us

    Accommodation is expected to be a changing mix of local homes and simple hostel-style stays, with arrangements refined by the team on the ground. Comfort will vary, but predictable hotel corridors are unlikely.

Sierra Leone · the coastThe road starts at the water and turns inland

From the field

The Freetown peninsula from the air through broken cloud: turquoise shallows, a pale beach and a road running the length of a green headland.One road down the whole peninsula, cloud sitting on the hills above it. This is the country the route crosses.A busy Freetown street seen from above: traffic between rusted and painted roofs, market awnings along one side, the bay and hills beyond.Cars, bikes, three-wheelers and market stalls sharing one street into town. Working out how to move through that is most of the trip.A rocky point at Aberdeen with a small white and red lighthouse among trees, surf breaking on the rocks and Freetown packed onto the hills behind.The lighthouse on the point at Aberdeen, with Freetown stacked up the hills behind it. The trip starts in this city before heading down the peninsula.A long empty beach curving away under a forested headland, waves breaking along its whole length.Miles of sand under a forested headland, nobody on it. The coast road runs behind those trees.A man sits on a wooden cart harnessed to a brown horse outside a pink-red building on a sandy street.View all 23 photographsA horse and cart parked up on the sand, driver waiting. On this trip anything that moves counts, and the list is deliberately open.

Trip dossier

Route, arrival, kit and operating detail

Geography, arrival, flight handoff and equipment in one place. Final joining times are confirmed in writing for each departure.

01

Route & terrain

9 days · Boats, motorbike taxis and whatever moves · 9 route points

From the Lungi ferry to Freetown and Banana Island, by boat to the Turtle Islands, across Sherbro Island to Bonthe, inland to Tiwai Island on the Moa River and the diamond country around Koidu, then back to the beach at Tokeh. The itinerary is a plan rather than a fixed schedule: the route changes on the ground when it needs to, and the lines between stops are indicative.

Not for navigation
About this map

Rivers use HydroSHEDS/HydroRIVERS; the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides observed water extent, Copernicus relief, and Natural Earth land and country boundaries. These layers provide geographic context, not navigation.

Two motorcyclists standing beside loaded bikes on a red dirt road

Day 01 · Motor boat

Across the estuary to Banana Island

Lungi, Freetown and Banana Island

The preferred start is the Lungi ferry terminal at 07:45, for the 08:30 public ferry to Freetown as foot passengers, making the crossing the way everyone else does. The simpler option is to meet in Freetown at about 10:00, and a chartered Sea Express boat to Aberdeen is the quicker, calmer alternative to the ferry. Kekehs, the local three-wheelers, take the group around the city and on to Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, then it is down the peninsula for the boat to Banana Island. Overnight at Dalton’s.

Day 01 · of 09 — Across the estuary to Banana Island

Open the full route plate

02

Risk & conditions

Five dimensions · highest rating 4/5

Read this before you apply

The risks are part of the decision

How we handle risk →

The conditions that give this trip its character are the same ones that decide who should be on it. Each rating compares this trip with the others on the site; the line beside it says what that means here.

Physical

03 / 05

Long travel days with several changes of transport, rough roads, heat and humidity, and optional forest walks of up to about 11 km.

Technical

01 / 05

No technical skills are needed. You ride motorbike taxis as a passenger, not a bike of your own.

Environment

04 / 05

Tropical heat and humidity, boat crossings of up to about four hours, remote islands and forest, and limited medical facilities.

Activity

04 / 05

Riding pillion on motorbike taxis and travelling in local boats are the largest injury sources on a trip like this.

Geopolitical

03 / 05

No advisory against travel, but violent crime occurs in Freetown and travel outside the peninsula after dark is advised against.

When it goes wrong

On the ground, the trip lead makes the immediate safety call — changing the route, changing the day or stopping the activity. The communications, medical and evacuation arrangements confirmed for this departure will be set out in your written trip information. If a service is not named there, do not assume it is included. Emergency and legal limits →

03

Where you sleep

Accommodation varies from night to night, and in some places a tent will be more comfortable than the rooms on offer. There is somewhere to shower every day, even if it is a bucket shower, except on the Turtle Islands.
Banana Island — 2 nights
Dalton’s.
Sei Island — 1 night
Beach camp with very basic facilities and no shower.
Bonthe — 1 night
In the town.
Tiwai Island — 2 nights
On the island, in the Moa River.
Koidu — 1 night
In the town.
Tokeh — 1 night
A comfortable beach hotel.

Sharing arrangements and any single option have not yet been confirmed for this trip. Tell us what you need before booking.

04

What you eat

Several meals are included; this is not an all-meals package.
Meals
Several meals throughout the trip and on the first and last days are included. Alcoholic drinks are excluded.
05

Arrival & orientation

Freetown (FNA) · Sierra Leone

Freetown

Freetown International Airport (Lungi)

Lungi sits across the estuary from Freetown itself, so arrival involves a ferry or water taxi before the city. Airport collection is included; the crossing is part of the trip rather than an inconvenience before it.

Airport
FNA
Country
Sierra Leone
Time zone
Africa/Freetown
8.6164, -13.1955Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
06

Flights & joining dates

Freetown (FNA) · Sat, 20 Mar 2027 – Sun, 28 Mar 2027

Start with flights into Freetown (FNA).

The search below opens an external site with the recommended travel dates already filled in. Wait for the written arrival deadline before buying a fare you cannot change. Atlas51 does not sell flights or take payment for them.

Sat, 20 Mar 2027 – Sun, 28 Mar 2027

Recommended travel dates · A51-SLE-MAR27

Into and out of Freetown (FNA)

Search flights ↗
07

Kit & equipment

Confirm the trip-specific kit with us before booking

Ask us to confirm the kit required for your departure, what is provided and any hire costs before you book or buy equipment. The trip inclusions state what is currently included in the price.

08

Practical detail

Cancellation, insurance and what's included
Details & pricing
Enquire.
International flights are excluded unless the written offer explicitly includes them.
If you cancel
Charges scale with how close to departure you cancel.
Read the cancellation schedule →
Entry & health
Passport, visa and health requirements are yours to confirm.
We tell you what we know before you apply. Disclose anything relevant to your safety or the trip's.
Sleeping arrangements
Confirmed in your written offer.
Ask about a single/solo supplement when you apply.
Insurance
A condition of travel — cover for medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation.
We introduce a specialist broker if you'd like one.
What's covered
The trip as described on this page — the operator's services, in-trip logistics and issued equipment.
Excludes flights, personal spending, visas and anything marked excluded in your written offer.

What's included

  • 24/7 Support — An experienced West Africa expedition lead and a local assistant throughout the trip, acting as guides, transport and accommodation experts, navigators and cultural interpreters.
  • Accommodation — Eight nights, chosen for the place more than the comfort: Dalton’s on Banana Island, a beach camp on Sei Island, stays in Bonthe, on Tiwai Island and in Koidu, and a beach hotel near Tokeh on the last night.
  • Transport — Airport collection and all transport on the itinerary: the Lungi ferry or a chartered boat, kekehs in Freetown, local boats between the islands, motorbike taxis with local riders, a chartered poda-poda and private 4x4s.
  • Meals — Several meals throughout the trip, and on the first and last days.

What's not included

  • International flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Personal equipment (kit list sent separately)
  • Visa fees (if applicable)
09

Common questions

3 questions answered specifically for this trip, rather than in general.
Is the route fixed?
No. The day-by-day is a plan rather than a fixed schedule. Things change along the way, delays are inevitable, and the route and daily plans are adjusted as needed.
Will I need to ride a motorcycle?
No. The motorbike legs are on local motorbike taxis, and you ride as a passenger.
Is airport collection included?
Yes. Airport collection is included. Lungi airport is across the estuary from Freetown, and day one starts with that crossing.

01 · Apply

Nothing is booked or charged online.

02 · Tommy replies

Tommy will aim to reply within one business day.

03 · Written offer

The trip, price and next step—in writing.

One date

The departure

  • Sat, 20 Mar 2027 — Sun, 28 Mar 2027

    Applications open
    Places available · small group
    Enquire →

    Applications close18 Feb 2027

PTSMember no. 6573. Payments go into a PTS trust account.

Talk the dates or the fit through with Tommy first.

Book a 30-minute chat →

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