According to countryvv, Sierra Leone is a country in Africa bordering Guinea and Liberia. The capital of Sierra Leone is Freetown. Some major cities in Sierra Leone are: Bo, Kenema, Koidu and Makeni.
Sierra Leone is known as a country with a lot of poverty but a rich economy (diamonds). As many as 70% of the population lives below the poverty line. Many tourists visit the country every year because of its coastline. There are white sand beaches and boulevards with many hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues. More inland you will find tropical forests, swamps, mountains and several game reserves where crocodiles, monkeys and many bird species live. The country experienced a bloody civil war between 1999 and 2001. Tensions in the country are still mostly caused by the diamond trade.
Where is Sierra Leone?
Travel information of Sierra Leone
Official name: Republic of Sierra Leone
Continent: Africa
Area: 71,740 km²
Capital: Freetown
Country code: SL, SLE
Population: 6,624,933 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 1,948 m (Mount Bintumani)
Distance (Amsterdam – Freetown): 5,136 km
Flight time: approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Sierra Leone that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Sierra Leone, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
At the moment there are no travel organizations that offer travel to Sierra Leone. For separate travel components (hotels and airline tickets) please visit our travel offer page.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Sierra Leone?
Weather and climate
Sierra Leone has a tropical climate. Temperatures are around 26 degrees all year round.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Sierra Leone can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Sierra Leone can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, March and December are the best months to travel to Sierra Leone. This avoids the prolonged rainy season.
Language
English is the official language in Sierra Leone. In addition, several local languages are spoken.
Would you like to translate from or into English for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 3 months upon arrival in Sierra Leone.
A visa is required. You can apply for this in person at the embassy of Sierra Leone in Brussels.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Senegal (also for Sierra Leone): netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Sierra Leone in Belgium (also for the Netherlands): rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Sierra Leone, it is mandatory to get vaccinated against yellow fever.
In addition, there are one or more vaccinations that are recommended.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs in Sierra Leone. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Sierra Leone, payment is made with the Sierra Leone leone (SLL).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
There are no ATMs in Sierra Leone.
Tipping
In Sierra Leone it is not customary to tip. Sometimes service costs are already automatically added to the bill.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 2 hours earlier in Sierra Leone.
During our winter time it is 1 hour earlier in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Sierra Leone can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Sierra Leone you have to drive on the right.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Sierra Leone.
Electricity In Sierra Leone you may need a travel plug
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in Sierra Leone can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: unknown
– Fire brigade: unknown
– Ambulance: unknown
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Sierra Leone can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Sierra Leone can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Sierra Leone end in.sl.
Sierra Leone official website: visitsierraleone.org.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Sierra Leone is 00232 or +232.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Sierra Leone? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in the Sierra Leone Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Sierra Leone.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Sierra Leone.
Holidays
An overview of all holidays in Sierra Leone can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Sierra Leone, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Sierra Leone?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Sierra Leone. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and World Heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Sierra Leone can be found on Protected Planet.
Sierra Leone is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Sierra Leone? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Sierra Leone, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Sierra Leone, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Sierra Leone.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking at all ages.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.8.
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Not allowed. Prison sentence more than 10 years.
Did you know that…
…The name Sierra Leone is named after the Portuguese word for ‘Lion Mountain’?
…The capital Freetown was founded in 1792 by freed African-American slaves?
…Sierra Leone is called the country with the most beautiful beaches in Africa?
…Sierra Leone is a major diamond producer?
