Kabala is roughly 300 kilometres north of Freetown, but the journey takes eight to ten hours by road in the dry season and considerably longer — or may become impassable — in the rains (May to October). The road north from Freetown passes through Makeni before turning northeast to Kabala on laterite roads of varying quality.
Poda poda minibuses and shared taxis run to Kabala from Freetown's Lumley or Aberdeen motor parks, though departures are irregular and the trip is gruelling. Having your own 4WD vehicle makes the journey significantly easier and opens up the mountain tracks beyond the town. There is a small airstrip at Kabala, though scheduled services are infrequent and unreliable. Come in the dry season unless you have specific reasons to visit in the rains.