a
Discovery
Tour to Sierra Leone: An emerging tourism destination in
West Africa by
Helen C. Broadus BACKGROUND. Sierra Leone
derives its name from Portuguese explorers who, when first
sighting the land in the year 1405 during a fierce storm,
mistakenly interpreted the sound of thunder coming from the
mountains as roaring lions. Other folklore tradition states
that the Portuguese sailors said that the shape of the
mountains "looked liked lions". Hence, they proclaimed it
the land of "Sierra Leone" which literally translated means
"mountain lions". This name stuck despite the fact that
Sierra Leone eventually became a British colony. Sierra
Leone gained commercial importance during the heyday of the
rice plantation industry in the American colonies of South
Carolina and Georgia. European settlers had little
experience with rice cultivation and were not suited for the
climate. The demand for slaves with rice growing skills
increased significantly and the ethnic groups in the
surrounding areas of Sierra Leone were known to possess this
agricultural knowledge. Thus the volume of slaves from the
"windward coast" or "rice coast" of West Africa increased to
keep up with the demand. As a result, many South Carolinian
and Georgian African-Americans can trace their African
ancestry through the slave trading period in Sierra
Leone. Sierra Leone was also the first
African country to resettle former American slaves. In the
early 1800s, abolitionists in America and England raised
money and solicited missionaries and teachers to bring back
freed slaves from North America to West Africa. Due to their
familiarity with and support from Great Britain's more
liberal society, they decided to resettle in the territories
under the colonial protection of England. In fact, Cinque,
the leader of the Amistad's liberated African slaves was
eventually returned to Sierra Leone in search of his village
amongst the Mendes ethnic group. In addition, Sierra Leone
boast Old Fourahbay College which was the first university
in West Africa that was modeled after western teachings and
most of the future African leaders of the Pan-African
Movement of the 20th century received their formal education
at this university. Sierra Leone received its
independence from British colonial rule and became a
republic on April 27, 1961. Sierra Leone is located in West
Africa with Guinea as its neighbor on the north and east,
Liberia as its neighbor to the south and the Atlantic Ocean
on its west. It is a very friendly country, with smiling
faces and a hospitable environment. The country has
substantial mineral reserves and agricultural products but
was unfortunately devastated by an economic crisis, followed
by a civil war that lasted ten years. Freetown, the capital
city, has the third largest natural harbor in the world and
is a major commercial shipping port. The population of
Sierra Leone is about 5 million with about 500,000
inhabitants in Freetown. The population is about forty-seven
percent Christian and forty-seven percent are Muslims with
the remaining six percent belonging to traditional African
religions. Sierra Leone recently held a
successful presidential and parliament election campaign
with Dr. Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabbah elected as President for
another six year term and the ruling Sierra Leone People's
Party (SLPP) gaining a ajority in parliament as well. The
official currency is the Leone which is very similar to the
American dollar system. The official language is English but
most people speak other local languages such as Krio, Temne,
Mende, and Limba. More importantly, everyone also speaks a
"national" language which closely resembles the fascinating
language of the Gullah people from South Carolina and
Georgia in the United States. GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE. Sierra Leone
has a surface land area of 72,325 kilometers with marshy
coastal areas that rise to a plateau in the north and east
and the highest elevation point of Mount Durukonko at 11,948
meters. The country has a humid tropical climate, tending
towards equatorial conditions due to the exposure of the
coast to winds from the south. Moving northwards, vegetation
changes from mangroves to open woodlands and finally to
savannahs. GETTING THERE. Lungi International
Airport is located across the harbor from Freetown. Upon
arrival into Sierra Leone it is highly recommended that you
take an exciting helicopter transfer from Lungi
International Airport to Lumley Beach Heliport in Freetown
which is about twenty minutes away by air. Or you can opt
for the one hour ferry boat ride to Freetown. International
flights into Sierra Leone are just beginning to return and
for now the best way to arrive there is to fly into Conakry,
Guinea and then take West Coast Airlines into Sierra Leone.
This inter-country flight is about forty minutes in
duration. There is also a VISA entry requirement for U.S.
citizens. While in Freetown, I stayed at the
Cape Sierra Hotel, which in its heyday must have been a very
beautiful hotel. It is currently the only major hotel
operational, but smaller guest houses and a few bed and
breakfast inns are also available for use by tourists. There
is an excellent restaurant overlooking the bay and a
discotheque in close walking distance to the Cape Sierra
Hotel. Recent renovations are underway to restore several
other hotels to their former state. PLACES OF INTEREST. The real
attractions of Sierra Leone are its beautiful beaches along
the Atlantic coastline as well as the spectacular views from
its mountainous terrain. Tourist will definitely appreciate
the multitude of water sports and recreation available
including windsurfing, fishing, canoeing, water skiing,
speed boating, and sunbathing. One can even take a boat
cruise and enjoy a picnic on several remote islands along
the coast. There is also lively nightlife and entertainment
with discos, casinos, and fine dining in Freetown. While
Sierra Leone is still recovering from its decade long civil
war, in my opinion, it is quickly re-emerging as a trendy
and affordable tourism hotspot for the sophisticated
traveler. HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS.
Freetown has an abundance of historically significant
landmarks that link the legacy of West Africans with
African-Americans. A truly famous landmark in the center of
downtown Freetown is the "Cotton Tree" which is a treasured
symbol of the city. It was originally planted by the
resettled American slaves with the founding of Freetown.
Also in downtown Freetown is the Con Naught Hospital which
was the first hospital modeled after western medical
practices in West Africa. Nearby is "King's Gate" which was
erected in stone with a statement inscribed which reads "any
slave who passes through this gate is declared a free man"
hence the name of Freetown was derived. Down by the Naval
Wharf are slave steps carved out of stone. It was here that
the Portuguese slave traders bought and sold many Africans
and from which their last footsteps on African soil were
made. High up on the hills overlooking the
city of Freetown is the restored Fourahbay College campus
where the current Prime Minister of England Tony Blair spent
his early childhood and also went to primary school. Because
of the elevation from sea level, it was determined to be a
strategic place to locate the campus due to the cooler
climate and location of a natural spring. Another little
known history fact is that during the darkest moments of
World War II when England was under siege by Germany, the
Queen of England was secretly hidden for "safe keeping" in
Cort Right House on the campus of Fourahbay College. It was
believed that the Germans would never think of finding her
in Africa! CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS. The
highlight of my visit to Freetown, Sierra Leone was my tour
of the Cape Peninsula area and up into the hillsides to see
the Mountain and Creole Villages. These villages were built
in the early 1800s by resettled American slaves. It is
believed that upon first trying to integrate themselves with
the local people of Sierra Leone there was too much fighting
amongst the people and fierce competition for available land
to grow crops. Eventually, to escape this ongoing struggle
for survival, many of the resettled American slaves decided
to inhabit the higher hills of Freetown. These settlements
became replicas of the type of life that they had in America
from the style of farming to the architecture of their
homes. In fact, this is where many of the first homes
constructed with a brick foundation and a second level were
built in Africa. Another fascinating feature of these
villages is that they are named after British cities such as
Lancaster, Kent and York. In addition, many of the first
churches were built in these villages. St. Charles Parish
Methodist Church in the Village of Regent is believed to be
the oldest stone built and continuously worshiped church in
Sub-Saharan Africa. Refer to the insert box for more
information about the historical and cultural significance
of churches in Sierra Leone. Also along the Cape Peninsula are
many fishing villages such as Waterloo and Tembo. Waterloo
was the first place that the Portuguese arrived at because
of its safe harbor. It is now a refugee area and the people
are known for making cassava bread and fishing. Tembo is a
main fishing village which supplies most of the fresh
seafood that is sold and eaten in Freetown. Close to Tembo
is Mama Beach which was a waterfront resort area frequented
by French tourists. It has clear white sandy beaches and
pristine waters. Regrettably, many years of neglect due to
the civil unrest in the country has damaged the tourism
attractions that this area was famous for. A major tourism
investment strategy by the Government of Sierra Leone is
underway to restore the tourism infrastructure and invite
potential investors to come and rebuild these resort areas
which provided a stable economy for the local
people. During my visit to Sierra Leone, I
also had the opportunity to meet the President, H.E. Dr.
Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah during the official commissioning
of Phase One of the Development Project at Lungi
International Airport. I also witnessed the inaugural
arrival of a new Pan-African airline, Africa One which is a
DC-10 aircraft with a capacity for 250 passengers. According
to the Lungi Airport Authority representatives, there will
be two flights weekly (Mondays and Thursdays) from Freetown,
Sierra Leone to Banjul, Gambia. There are also future plans
to transport passengers from London, England and eventually
JFK International Airport in America. This redevelopment of Lungi
International Airport was made possible by a 1995 World Bank
infrastructure and rehabilitation project to upgrade Sierra
Leone's aviation standards for commercial purposes. This was
a vital step in the resurgence of the travel and tourism
industry for Sierra Leone and since 2001 the airport
authority has received approval to operate international
services. President Kabbah escorted the guests on a tour of
the newly renovated airport which consisted of a Phase One
World Bank Loan in the amount of $2.5 million dollars to
construct a modern terminal facility and departure hall at
the airport. Phase Two, to be completed by early August of
2002, includes the completion of the arrival hall and cargo
facilities. I was quite impressed with the
enthusiasm of President Kabbah who proudly proclaimed that
this was truly a milestone moment in the re-emergence of
Sierra Leone as a viable travel and tourism destination for
North American and European visitors as well as a potential
transportation hub for West African travelers. He stated
that the World Banks' approval of the project and subsequent
enhancement of the airport's navigation standards will
ensure the comfort, security and safety for all potential
travelers. He also stated that this industry will greatly
aid in the recovery of related industries such as
agri-business, construction and telecommunications. He
closed out by stating that plans were underway to also link
a fast ferry service between the airport authority and the
maritime authority. FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT.
Tourist will find a wide assortment of attractive
traditional gifts to take home, including colorful
hand-woven baskets, great woodcarvings of furniture and
sculpture at very affordable prices. Also, don't forget to
sample the local cuisine of which the favorite is seafood of
any type, especially shrimp and lobster! In fact, the local
cuisine of the people in Freetown resembles that of the
Gullah people from South Carolina and Georgia. The language
spoken by Sierra Leoneans is also quite familiar to the
Gullah people who can trace their ancestry back to Sierra
Leone. For more information about this African connection,
refer to the insert box on Great Thanksgiving and
Descendant's Day Celebration in Freetown, Sierra
Leone. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my
brief visit to Freetown in Sierra Leone and truly look
forward to returning again in the near future. Sierra Leone
is a country that is quickly re-emerging as a tourism
destination in West Africa full of bright sunshine, pristine
beaches, spectacular scenery, diverse recreational
activities and warm and friendly people. All of the above
combine to make a perfectly relaxing holiday destination.
For more information about familiarization (FAM) trips to
Sierra Leone, West Africa please contact Patricia Brown at
Tel: (301) 925-9012/Fax: (301) 925-921/e-mail:
kambitravel@aol.com.
Advice
to Agents
Expectations
and Realities
Positive
Influence
Strategies
Tourism
Careers
Helen
Broadus
Biography
Botswana
Mauritius
Morocco
Nigeria
Sierra
Leone
South
Africa
Uganda
Zambia
At
the conclusion of the Africa Travel Association's Annual
Congress held in Conakry, Guinea in May 2002, a very good
friend and colleague, Patricia Brown, invited me to visit
her homeland of Sierra Leone. Patricia is the Owner and
President of Kambi Travel International (KTI) which is a
full-service international travel and tourism company, based
in the Washington Metropolitan Area. She was born in Sierra
Leone, West Africa. In the year 2000, she achieved her dream
of opening a travel and tourism office in her homeland,
Freetown, Sierra Leone. I was definitely interested in
having the opportunity to visit Sierra Leone and learn more
about its connection with African-Americans, especially with
the Gullah people of South Carolina. Hopefully, at the
conclusion of your reading this article you will be
convinced of the immense tourism potential that Sierra Leone
has to offer and will hopefully consider joining us when we
return to Sierra Leone later this year.
About the author: Helen C. Broadus is the President
of Venue International Professionals, Inc. (VIP) an
international travel and tourism consulting firm based in
the Washington Metropolitan Area. She is also the
International Secretary of the Africa Travel Association
(ATA) and has conducted escorted tours to twenty African
countries over the past ten years. She is a frequent writer
of articles for the Africa Travel Magazine about the many
African destinations that she has visited. She can be
contacted at (301) 856-9188 and e-mail at
vipinc@erols.com