Name: Sierra Leone Cultural Immersion
Start: 2024-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone

Bea Adventurous

Email address verified

6 reviews

Apr 28 - May 1, 2024

Group size: 1 - 12

Sierra Leone Cultural Immersion

Freetown, Sierra Leone

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Bea Adventurous

Email address verified

6 reviews

Apr 28 - May 1, 2024

Group size: 1 - 12

Are you heading to Sierra Leone for the Street Child Challenge? Then this is the perfect add-on to give you a well-rounded understanding of Sierra Leone, its culture, history, and wildlife.

I first joined Street Child in Sierra Leone in 2022 and I completely fell in love not only with the work they do but also with the people and the country. Having had the opportunity to explore beyond the Street Child Projects, I realised there was so much more value to be had by taking an extra couple of days to learn more about this hidden gem of a country.

I invited some of the Street Child Challenge participants to join me last year and they too felt the same way. You will get so much more from the whole experience if you have a rounded understanding of the challenges that Sierra Leone has faced. So why not kickstart the fun a few days early and join me on an adventure of a lifetime?

Sierra Leone is the perfect introduction to West Africa. 20 years after the bloody civil war ended, Sierra Leone is now one of the safest countries in the region, making it the ideal spot for intrepid travellers to explore one of the lesser visited countries in the world!

I’m looking for individuals who are prepared to step outside their comfort zone though. There is no doubt that Sierra Leone is a beautiful country with some of the kindest people you will meet anywhere. However, it is also one of the poorest countries in the world. There is no well-oiled tourist infrastructure here, so you will definitely need a sense of adventure! If you like the sound of that then make sure to sign up!

Ke-Ke (tuk-tuk) tour
Get under the skin of Freetown with fun female lead tour
Cooking Class
Learn to cook traditional Sierra Leonean dishes
Bunce Island Tour
Learn about West Africa's transatlantic slave trade
Tacugama Chimpanzee
Visit the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and see first hand the amazing work that is being done to protect these amazing primates
Lunch at Tasso Island
Take a dip in the sea before enjoying a delicious lunch
All transfers
Accommodation
3 nights stay at Stafford Lodge - a home away from home

Day 1
Day 1
Let the Adventure Begin
Say goodbye to everything you know and jump on a plane for the adventure of your life.

I’ll meet you at Lungi Airport, and together we will tackle our first adventure: taking the boat from the airport to Freetown, where our hosts for the night will meet us to take us to the hotel. Last time the door fell off the boat! I said it would be an adventure!

Stay the night at The Stafford Lodge with Dori and her fantastic team.

Dinner included.

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Day 2
Day 2
Ke-ke Tour of Freetown and Cooking Class
Today we will explore Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. We will visit the old colonial quarters to learn about Sierra Leone’s complicated history before embarking on an exciting ke-ke (tuk-tuk) tour of the city. We will mingle with locals in the market and have the chance to try local food.

But don’t eat too much! We will be making our own lunch (Cassava Leaf curry) under the watchful instruction of The Stafford Lodge’s head chef!

If the weather is nice, we will walk up Leicester Peak to enjoy the sunset over Freetown Harbour.

Stay at The Stafford Lodge.

Breakfast and lunch included.

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Day 3
Day 3
Bunce Island
Today we will go on a day trip to Bunce Island, the launching pad for more than 30,000 enslaved people that were taken across the Atlantic.

After a harrowing morning, we will enjoy lunch on Tasso Island.

I have also arranged for us to meet with and hear first-hand the story of a civil war survivor, who will explain what the civil war was all about and what it was like to live through it.

Stay at the Stafford Lodge

Breakfast and lunch included.

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Day 4
Day 4
Chimpanzees!
This morning we will visit Tacugama, an amazing chimpanzee rehabilitation centre, where we will learn about their fantastic work in conserving chimpanzees. If we are lucky, we will also get the chance to see these magnificent primates up close.

After lunch, we will make our way North, to Makeni, where we shall join the rest of the Street Child Challenge participants for the next stage our adventure.

Breakfast included (Street Child will provide dinner)

Read more

Day 1

Let the Adventure Begin

Say goodbye to everything you know and jump on a plane for the adventure of your life.
I’ll meet you at Lungi Airport, and together we will tackle our first adventure: taking the boat from the airport to Freetown, where our hosts for the night will meet us to take us to the hotel. Last time the door fell off the boat! I said it would be an adventure!
Stay the night at The Stafford Lodge with Dori and her fantastic team.
Dinner included.

Bea was an amazing tour guide. She was so knowledgeable, organised, relaxed and had a wonderful network of contacts which made for the most wonderful, and fun trip. I was nervous about visiting Sierra Leone particularly in relation to my personal safety, but being with Bea I immediately felt comfortable in her knowledge of the area and understanding of the culture which alleviated any worries I had. She had a good knowledge of the area, communicated well with locals, took us to areas that were not on the usual tourist trails with inspiring tour guides which really completed the trip. The accommodation/bars/restaurants that Bea chose for us had been done carefully to ensure a wonderful balance of culture, budget, and tastes for everyone in the group, whilst still embracing the true ethos of embracing the locals and directing our expenditure to the local economy. Bea is a relaxed and knowledgeable traveller and I would jump at the chance to travel with her again. She worked hard to ensure the group bonded and was equally approachable if any issues needed to be raised !

By Georgie H for Sierra Leone Cultural Immersion on May 13, 2024

This was just the most amazing trip! I joined Bea Adventurous Cultural Immersion as I was heading to Sierra Leone for a charity marathon and wanted to understand more of the country and its culture. We spent three days in Freetown, touring the city in "KK"s (three wheeled taxis - an experience in itself!), a visit to Bunce Island to learn about the history of the slave trade, a culinary class that included a trip to a local market to buy (haggle for?!) the ingredients and a visit to a Chimpanzee sanctuary. Bea is a fantastic guide, her understanding of the local culture and people is very valuable on a trip to a location like this, and I felt comfortable, safe and welcome everywhere we went. Thank you Bea, and look forward to travelling with you again!

By Douglas S for Sierra Leone Cultural Immersion on May 13, 2024

This was the trip of a lifetime! Bea and Malaki were an amazing team and created days filled with adventure, incredible animal sightings and knowledge, and overall so much fun. Malaki, our wonderful tour guide, is hilarious and kept the energy up and you can tell is truly passionate about what he does. We got to experience unforgettable culture, landscape, people, music, food, and breathtaking wildlife. Highly highly recommend!!

By Allia B for Epic 7 Day Safari (Tarangari, Ngorongoro, Serengeti) + visit 2 tribes! on May 11, 2024

I was lucky enough to join Bea on the Sierra Leone Cultural Immersion tour and it was fantastic. We spent some time learning about the history of Sierra Leone, cooking, eating and visiting the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Bea found excellent local guides to talk us through the history of Freetown as well as the slave trade on Bunce Island, as well as explaining the current issues of the country. It was a perfect introduction to this amazing country. Bea perfectly balanced all the elements of relaxing and learning so we had time to process what we heard and saw as well as enjoy beautiful sunsets on the beach. At all times I felt safe and completed trusted Bea's judgement on what we should do when. I look forward on joining her on another adventure in the future.

By Elizabeth W for Sierra Leone Cultural Immersion on May 10, 2024

I had the privilege of embarking on a 7-day safari, an adventure that I can only describe as legendary. I'm overflowing with gratitude for Bea, whose kindness, down-to-earth nature, humor, and exceptional planning skills made this journey an unforgettable experience. Our guide, Malaki, was another gem, and together, they orchestrated an adventure of a lifetime that was nothing short of extraordinary. Our accommodations were incredible, ranging from luxurious hotels with inviting pools to luxury tents in the Serengeti, and a night with the Maasai tribe that was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Each stop was a unique blend of elegance, comfort, and character. The culinary delights we got to enjoy were exceptional, and our interactions with two different tribes are experiences I will never forget. Beyond the thrilling safari, we indulged in local markets and engaged in various other fun activities that further enriched our journey. Witnessing the Great Migration and encountering the Big Five was the pinnacle of this adventure. I owe this incredible experience to Bea's expertise and unwavering commitment to ensuring our trip was flawless. I recommend anyone in search of a safari experience beyond compare to reach out to Bea. I simply cannot sing enough praises about this journey and continue to recommend it to friends and family. This was a journey where my friends and I created cherished memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you, Bea, for making it all possible! You are wonderful!