Bo is Sierra Leone's second largest city and the capital of the Southern Province, a sprawling commercial hub about four hours east of Freetown by road. It is the main market town for the south and east of the country, and its busy central market is the economic engine of the region. Bo was one of the first towns in Sierra Leone to have a secondary school — the Bo Government Secondary School, founded in 1906 — and it retains a reputation as an education centre, with several secondary schools and technical institutes drawing students from across the south.
The city is not a tourist destination in the conventional sense, but it is a practical base if you are heading to the Gola Rainforest or the diamond-mining areas of Kenema and Kono. The atmosphere is lively and welcoming. Infrastructure is improving but still rough — expect power outages and unpaved roads in many neighbourhoods. Bo was heavily affected by the civil war of the 1990s but has recovered with considerable energy.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral in the town centre is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bo, established in 2011. It is one of the more substantial buildings in the city and worth a look if you are passing. The diamond trade that operates out of nearby Kenema and Kono passes through Bo's markets and gives the commercial district a particular intensity.