Freetown is the capital city of Sierra Leone and is the heart of the Western region. It is
located on a peninsula on the south bank of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River. The city
lies at the foot of the peninsula mountains and faces one of the best natural harbours on
the west coast of Africa. The peninsula is home to some of the finest beaches in Africa -
Lumley beach, Lakka beach, No. 2 river beach and Toke beach are some examples.
Freetown, like the rest of Sierra Leone has endured some very difficult times during the
civil war. It was occupied by rebels twice and the resident population and infrastructure
suffered badly. As stability returned to Freetown, many Sierra Leoneans fled the rural
areas to the city to escape the carnage. Though the country has been peaceful since
2002, the population of the city is still much higher than it was prior to the war. This has
put pressure on land and local services. Many areas of jungle have been cleared to
house the new residents. Some claim that the US government has not helped the
situation with their new embassy development at Leicester. Some blame the new
developments for severe flooding of the city during the rainy season. Deforestation has
also been blamed for a shortage of water in the city.
The area, said to have previously been a slave market, was first settled in 1787 by 400
freed slaves and Black Americans sent from England, under the auspices of British
abolitionists. They established the 'Province of Freedom' on land purchased from local
Koya Temne subchief King Tom and regent Naimbana, a purchase which was to cede
the land to the new settlers "for ever." The established arrangement between Europeans
and the Koya Temne did not include provisions for permanent settlement, and some
historians question how well the Koya leaders understood the agreement. Disputes soon
broke out, and King Tom's successor, King Jimmy burnt the settlement to the ground in
1789
The London based Sierra Leone Company made a second attempt in 1792 and resettled
Freetown with 1,100 American slaves en route from Nova Scotia, many of whom were
born in the United States, led by former slave Thomas Peters. These American slaves
gave Granville Town the name "Freetown" . Around 500 free Jamaican Maroons joined
them in 1800.
The city was the scene of fierce fighting in the late 1990s. It was captured by ECOWAS
troops seeking to restore President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in 1998, and later it was
unsuccessfully attacked by rebels of the Revolutionary United Front.
Like the rest of Sierra Leone, Freetown is of tropical climate with a rainy season - May
through October, the balance of the year representing the dry season. The beginning and
end of the rainy season is marked by strong thunder storms. This is a Tropical Savanna
Climate.
Freetown's high humidity is some what relieved November through February by the
famous Harmattan, a gentle wind flowing down from the Sahara Desert affording
Freetown its coolest period of the year. Average temperature ranges in Freetown are from
21 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit) to 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees
Fahrenheit) all year.
PLACE TO VISIT
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary - Open twice daily at 10:30AM & 4:00PM
7 days a week by appointment. Le 30,000 (approx. 10 USD), Le 15,000 for children.
Hill Station Club - Gentleman's club dating from colonial times
Colonial houses on stilts - at Hill Station. Most are in a poor state but offer an insight into how people lived in the past.
Aberdeen - part of Freetown will give a break from the busy city center. It's a short drive
from any part of Freetown by car/taxi. The roads are good but watch the speed bumps on
the beach road and Sir Samuel Lewis road. There are small stalls outside of Alex' bar
selling 'tourist' fare. There is a fashion boutique at Family Kingdom. Various other stalls
can be found on the Lumley beach road and in the area of the Mammy Yoko heliport.
There are plenty of hawkers on the beach selling sunglasses, fruit, peanuts, clothes etc.
The beaches are beautiful and unspoiled. Driving to the more remote ones such as Lakka and No. 2 river beach will require a good vehicle because the road is bad.
Lakka Beach - takes about 20 minutes. Here there are some bars - Pierre's
(formally the Cotton Club) is popular for food and drink.
Driving further, for another 20 minutes will get you to No. 2 River Beach. The local
villagers have set up a management company to look after this stunning beach and river
outfall. There are some small craft shops and a bar serving cold drinks and fresh
fish/lobster.
Toke Beach - is best reached by driving the other way round the Freetown peninsular
along the new road.
Lumley Beach - Directly on the front of Freetown itself facing the Atlantic is beautiful
with white sandy beach, shops, restaurants, hotels, golf course as well local clubs.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - International Airport in Lungi (on the other side of the estuary from
Freetown), Tel: (232-22)-338405, Getting from the airport to Freetown can be a challenge
and the safety of the various operators has been questioned. A short helicopter ride can
be taken with UTair on old Russian MI8's to the Aberdeen part of Freetown (70USD
December 2007). This service was suspended in March 2008. The best alternative (if the
sea is not rough) is the hovercraft service to Aberdeen which has now resumed following
the recent fire (Le155,000 in may 2008). The hovercraft and helicopter should it ever
resume are convenient for most foreign travelers as they avoid the slow route through the
crowded east end of Freetown.
Another possibility is on the overloaded ferry which runs to the main part of Freetown. A
seat on a bus which uses the ferry costs Le60,000. The bus takes passengers to
Rawdon Street in the center of Freetown. This trip can take 3+ hours and has been known
to take 8 hours. By road it is 4+ hours to the city, via Port Loko using some poor roads.
By train - Sierra Leone's public railway service was closed in 1974. A new railway
museum is due to open during 2005 at Cline Town. Many of the original railway buildings
and signs can still be seen in and around Freetown, particularly at Hill Station and Congo
Cross. It is also possible to walk along much of the track bed, starting near the Hill Station
Club and dropping down the hill via Congo Cross into Freetown.
