Kenema

Eastern Sierra Leone city at the edge of Gola Rainforest and gateway to diamond country.

Kenema is the third-largest city in Sierra Leone, capital of the Eastern Province, and the gateway to the country's diamond country. Sitting at the edge of the Gola Rainforest, it has a different feel from the coastal capital Freetown — greener, quieter, and more deeply connected to the interior.

The city grew around the diamond trade and still carries that frontier energy. The central market is busy and colourful, and the surrounding hills offer good walking. Kenema is the logical base for visiting the Gola Rainforest National Park, one of the last significant patches of Upper Guinean rainforest in West Africa, home to pygmy hippos, chimpanzees, and forest elephants.

Most travellers pass through on the way to or from the Liberian border, but the town rewards a short stop. The people are welcoming, the food is good, and the forest is close.

Guide

Getting There

Kenema is about 300 km east of Freetown by road, a journey that takes 5–7 hours depending on road conditions and the time of year. The main route goes via Bo, the second-largest city. Shared taxis and poda-poda minibuses depart from Freetown's Kissy terminal and from Bo's lorry park.

Kenema Airport has an airstrip used occasionally by charter flights; there is no regular scheduled service. In dry season the road is manageable in a standard vehicle; in the rainy season (May–October) a 4WD is advisable for the final stretches into the Eastern Province.

Guide

Things to Do

Kenema's main draw is its position as a base for the Gola Rainforest. Within the city, the central market and the diamond trading district give a sense of the frontier economy that shaped the town. The hills around the city offer easy walking with good views.