PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION 1 Chapter 1 Background Information 3 Geography 3, Climate 4, History 5, Government and politics 28, Economy 29, People 34, Language 41, Education 41, Religion and cultural beliefs 43, Culture 47, Natural history and conservation 51 Chapter 2 Practical Information 63 When to visit 63, Highlights and suggested itineraries 63, Tour operators 65, Red tape 68, Embassies 68, Getting there and away 71, Health 77, Safety 91, What to take 96, Money 97, Budgeting 99, Getting around 100, Accommodation 105, Eating and drinking 106, Public holidays and festivals 111, Shopping 112, Sport 114, Photography 116, Media 117, Communications 122, Business and investment 124, Buying property 125, Cultural etiquette 126, Language 128, Travelling positively 128 PART TWO THE GUIDE 131 Chapter 3 Freetown 133 History 134, Getting there and away 137, Orientation 139, Getting around 142, Tourist information and cultural centres 146, Where to stay 146, Where to eat and drink 152, Entertainment and nightlife 158, Festivals 165, Shopping 165, Other practicalities 170, What to see 175Chapter 4 Western Area 181 The interior 181, Bunce Island 187, The beaches 193 Chapter 5 Southern Province 215 Southwest of the Bo road 215, East of the Bo road 236 Chapter 6 Eastern Province 253 Kenema 253, Gola 259, Koidu 265, Around Koidu 271, The far east 274Chapter 7 Northern Province 279 From Freetown to Makeni 279, Makeni 282, Around Makeni 289, The far north and northeast 291, The northwest 320Appendix 1 Language 329 Appendix 2 Further information 341 Index.