There are only two places in the world that I have
visited and it felt as if time stood still, that is Cuba and Sierra
Leone, Bonthe specifically. Last month I made my way to Bonthe District in the
Southern region of Sierra Leone with HSL Tours. These are the following things
you must know before travelling to Bonthe.
1.
Bonthe
is 7 hours away from Freetown.
Travelling to Bonthe from the capital city,
will take six-seven hours. A good place to break and stop for snacks is Moyamba
Junction, serving plenty of fresh fruits. The journey involves driving to
Yagoi, passing 23 districts before arriving at the Sierra Leone Maritime
Administration (SLMA) at Yagoi Wharf. At this point you write your name on their
register before boarding either the canoe boat (a.k.a ‘pam pam’) or the
speedboat.
2.
You
will need to take a boat to get there.
As mentioned before, you will need to get
on a boat from Yagoi Wharf. The speedboat takes 45 minutes to arrive at Bonthe
Island. The canoe boat will take two plus hours from Yagoi to arrive at Bonthe.
3.
The
people of Bonthe are known as Bonthanians
The same way people located in Freetown are
reffered to as Freetownians I guess!
4.
There
are no cars on Bonthe Island
The sandy roads of Bonthe are free of any
cars, which was a refreshing change of scenery in comparison to the crowded
city of Freetown. Only bicycles and a couple of motorbikes were seen as
transport around the small island.
5.
The
Sherbro people are the largest ethnic group on Bonthe Island.
Bonthe District is the home to the Sherbro
people. During the pre-colonial period the Sherbro people were one of the most
dominant ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. The vast majority with Sherbro people
are Christian.
6.
Bonthe
is a derelict Island with a lot of history.
Despite the rich and colonial past where
Bonthe used to be a trading haven for agricultural products and piassava. The
island was also the naval base for the French and English during the first and
second world war. You can visit the Air grounds, water reservoir, old churches
again everything is ever so untouched from what used to be a vibrant island. The
best way to explore the town is to take a ride on the motorbikes around the
town – that’s what I did, as I past the clock tower, air grounds, city council
and more. It was the best way to explore the town during the short stay. You
can do this with HSL Tours.
7.
Oysters
are an enjoyed delicacy on the island.
Oysters are found in abundance surrounding
the coastal lines of the Sherbro Estuary en route to Bonthe. I ate oyster stew
twice during the weekend trip. On that note this is probably a good time to let
you know that there are no western style restaurants on the Island of Bonthe
and that eating arrangements should we pre planned. We ate at the Former
Mayor’s house; Maria Garvey, organised by HSL Tours.
8.
Bonthe
Island is not Bunce Island
I cleared this up recently on a caption
post on Instagram, but I would like to think, if you were interested in
visiting this island you would have already differentiated these islands apart.
9.
Electricity
on the Island.
The island inhabited by 4000 people has
limited electricity. I stayed one night on Bonthe Island at the Council’s Guesthouse,
which was very close to the bay dock where we arrived. They had a generator for
the evening, however there was also a curfew at midnight that they are willing
to extend if you pay for it.
10.
Mania
Beach is 30 minutes away.
If you have time, please make time for this
hidden gem. Mania Beach is also situated alongside the Sherbro Estuary. A small
community of 400 Sierra Leoneans inhabits Mania Beach. Please make sure you
greet the chief of the village before making your way through the village and
beach. It’s not compulsory to do so, but I promise your life will be made
easier if you do so.
I hope you enjoyed the tips at learnt
something new about Sierra Leone. Thank you again to HSL Tours for a wonderful trip.
All photography by Yasmin Metz-Johnson
For more and the latest blog posts keep it touch!
YASMIN TELLS
Nice... I wanna visit right now.
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