Being a West Africa aficionado
and responsible tourism campaigner, I talk within this blog post about my thoughts on how travelling
to a country such as Sierra Leone can help change the countries' image for
the better, can allow for the traveller to have amazing experiences, and can go a
long way to helping local communities develop a sustainable income. I have recently helped organise an expedition, in Sierra Leone, for Secret Compass to that effect.
Western
perceptions of African countries are shaped by the media focus on the events
that take place within its borders. Let’s take the example of Sierra Leone which
was ravaged by civil war for 11 years from 1991 to 2002. The stories of
atrocity and bloodshed were given high coverage by the western media.
In
2006 Hollywood highlighted the plight of the people in Sierra Leone by making
the film Blood Diamond. This told the story of diamonds mined
in African war zones, sold to finance the civil war and in turn profiting the
warlords and global diamond companies. With such high media coverage the image
and reputation of Sierra Leone as a war-torn, dangerous country has stuck. Now ten
years after the civil war has ended Sierra Leone wants to change that image for
good, in order to show the world that the country is a totally different place
today. It is safe, the people are friendly, and it is still untouched by mass
tourism.
Does this look like a scene from Blood Diamond?
What
better way to change peoples’ perspective about a destination than by letting
them see for themselves how the country is now, and they will go back home,
tell their friends and share their experiences.
This is what I did. Having travelled to West Africa on several
occasions, and having lived in Senegal, I had an idea of some of the
misconceptions that people have of West Africa, and especially of countries
that had experienced conflict, famine and drought.
The western media has, for many years, portrayed many of West Africa’s
nations as dangerous, oil spilling, disease ridden, dictator ruled,
underdeveloped countries; but the truth couldn’t be further from this. I can’t
deny that some parts of West Africa are less safe than others, but there are so
many exciting places to discover, inspiring people to meet, and life-changing experiences
to have.
In my recent trip to Sierra Leone (locally known as Salone), I
travelled across country from the Ocean to the ‘Provinces’ – the Hinterland of
the country – to learn more about the backwaters of such a misunderstood part
of the world.
My first experience was the western Peninsula are region found just
under Freetown. A place of natural beauty, lined with pristine white and yellow
beaches, gradually fading into virgin rainforest covering mysterious hills
cloaked in mist, inspiring many a legend told by the locals.
"A place of natural beauty, lined with pristine white and yellow beaches, gradually fading into virgin rainforest covering mysterious hills cloaked in mist..."
I don’t want to sound clichéd, but I felt like I was in paradise! I had
walked along the vast stretch of beaches from community to community, trying to
get a feel of the area. The local communities’ hospitality was overwhelming.
One moment I had a freshly opened coconut in my hand, and the next a cup full
of sweet Poyo, or Palm Wine, freshly tapped from this special type of palm
tree. As the locals put it, the fermenting nectar is “a gift, from god to man!”.
I could’ve stayed there for the whole time, but the promises of adventure in
the rainforest were calling!
So I jumped on an Okada (a motorbike taxi) to the next major city of
Waterloo, negotiated for a space on a rickety minibus and took-off on a 6 hour
trip along a “surprisingly smooth motorway” (recently funded by an Italian
mining company) to the second largest city of Sierra Leone, Bo: ‘Gateway to the
Gola Forest’.
I had heard of some amazing places to visit in the Gola Forest located
in the Lower Guinea Rainforest belt. Once the notorious stronghold for the
rebels during the Civil war, it is now a stable part of Sierra Leone where
small mud hut villages are separated by meandering jungle paths criss- crossed
by streams. Not to mention the mighty Moa River running through the region!
The mighty Moa River, with Tiwai Island in the background
During my brief stint in the region of Bo, visiting a village called
Potoru and the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, I managed to gain a clear
insight into the regions potential for organising expeditions,
‘off-the-beaten-track’, so as to explore
the region more in depth.
I had never seen such a concentration of wildlife in one place!
Primates, birds and insects; all competing to be the centre of attention. I had
also heard of there being cobras and green mambas, as well as crocodiles,
hippos and the elusive, rare and endemic pygmy hippo.
I had conversations with local fishermen about the relationship that
the people living along the Moa River have with the animals. Talks of
crocodiles saving fishermen from drowning, and hippos warning them of impending
danger was one of the topics covered; villagers speaking to monkeys through
special calls passed down from generation to generation was another. However, I
did meet a local guide who had had a close encounter with a crocodile and had
the scars to tell the tale.
I remember talking to villagers around an open fire about spirits,
secret societies and magic. There is still the local fascination with the ‘Kamajor’,
traditional hunters who claim that they have supernatural powers thanks to the ‘gri-gris’ or
talismans they wear. It is said that they can shape-shift into animals
and inanimate natural objects and remain concealed until the opportune moment.
This is definitely not a place for the faint-hearted, but would appeal
to those with a sense of adventure, a thirst for excitement and knowledge, and
those searching for unforgettable and awe-inspiring experiences.
The most important is the journey, and not the destination...
Sierra Leone is still somewhat of an unexplored part of the world for
travellers, but holds an undeniable potential for the development of
expeditions, adventure activities and exciting cultural encounters. Slowly but
surely however, tour companies and hotel developers are creeping in to tap into
the natural beauty and relaxed vibes that Salone’s coast radiates, and if not
managed properly, the local communities are at risk from losing what could be
their ticket to a sustainable economic development through tourism whilst
holding true to their ways of life and unique laid back attitudes.
Taking this into consideration, I will be going back at the end of
November to explore the coastal and rainforest covered regions of Salone more
in depth, as well as to visit many local communities. I will be conducting a recce
for an
expedition run by Secret Compass that I helped organise, and I’m hoping
to look into other possibilities that could hold the key to helping local
communities develop an income through tourism that respects the social and environmental
elements of the destination through the implementation and development of the
responsible tourism concept.
Sierra Leone and its people deserve more than being known as a nation
in turmoil. The country’s people are positive, the times are changing for the
better, and so should peoples’ perspectives towards some of the most beautiful
yet misunderstood parts of the World. Exploring a country such as Salone can
help develop more of a respect and understanding towards the country, its
culture, its environment and its people. So, what are you waiting for?
Thomas is the founder and CEO of West Africa
Discovery, a web portal aiming to raise awareness towards West Africa as a
travel destination, as well as promoting responsible tourism ventures that aim
to make destinations “better places to live in, and better places to visit”.
Visit www.westafricadiscovery.com,
or join a growing community of people passionate about West Africa on Facebook or Twitter.
