Travel to Sierra Leone to backpack, study, intern, volunteer, work, or live as a digital nomad, expat or emigrant?

Backpacking or travelling in Sierra Leone?

• A country steeped in history, that is becoming increasingly attractive to tourists. A hidden treasure if you are looking for beautiful beaches, lush rainforests and want to immerse yourself in vibrant culture. Tourism is still in its infancy so seize the opportunity and make sure you have the untouched beauty for yourself!
• Activities spotting: relax on Tokeh Beach; go island hopping at the banana islands; visit the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary; walk through the Gola Rainforest National Park; explore historic Freetown; admire one of the most beautiful beaches with a somewhat uninspiring name - River No2 Beach; climb the highest mountain in the country - Mount Bintumani; spot rare animals at the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary; surf at Bureh Beach and discover the Bo City Market.
• Spotting animals: chimpanzees, forest elephants, hippos, dwarf crocodiles, beautiful birds, pangolins, colobus monkeys, fruit bats, Egyptian geese.
• Spotting food: jollof rice, cassava stew, fufu, groundnut soup, fried plantain, benne cake, grilled fish, palm wine, kankankan.

Studying in Sierra Leone?

• Higher education is still in development, but there are universities where you can follow various studies in Freetown, Makeni and Bo. For example, it can be interesting to study the history, culture and enormously biodiverse nature of the country here. And the easy thing is that the main language is English.

Internship in Sierra Leone?

• Good news, there are various internship opportunities in Sierra Leone! For example, you can work in (nature) research, community development, women's empowerment, agriculture, construction, marketing and so on. Especially focused on helping the local population. Many foreign organizations and NGOs work in Sierra Leone and hire foreigners for internships.
• Competencies: project management, cultural awareness, intercultural communication, etc.

Volunteering in Sierra Leone?

• Similar to internships. You can volunteer at NGOs in education, health care and environmental protection. There are many opportunities.

Working in Sierra Leone?

• There are various opportunities for work in Sierra Leone. For example, there are several large companies active, you can work at NGOs and development organizations, in education, health care and nature conservation.
• Work culture: informal and relaxed, with an emphasis on personal relationships and networking.

Working as a digital nomad in Sierra Leone?

• A simple life in a country that is in the middle of development. You can experience the beautiful nature, friendly people and relaxed beaches, but also poverty and the associated challenges. In the cities you will find relatively good internet, but it can sometimes be unreliable and vary in speed.
• Freetown is a close-knit expat community if you want to meet other locals.
• Favorite location: Freetown.

Living in Sierra Leone?

• The capital Freetown is the main hub for expats, with access to amenities and a vibrant city life.
• Why yes or no? The country is known for its friendly and welcoming people, the culture is diverse and vibrant, the nature is impressive and fairly untouched, you can really make a difference if you work there and there are emerging markets that offer opportunities, but… healthcare is limited, infrastructure is challenging, education options are limited and history certainly has an impact on daily life.
• Education: There are a few international schools in Freetown, such as the American International School of Freetown, but options outside the capital are limited.
• Expat community: Small but close-knit, mainly consisting of people who work for NGOs, international companies and organizations or in mining.
• Safety: Generally safe except for petty crime and traffic. Stay alert to government advice.
• Health insurance: the best care can be found in Freetown, outside of that access to good health care is very limited. There are also various health risks. So make sure you have your own good health insurance.