By George Esunge Fominyen
Sierra Leone is a beautiful country. The beaches are scenic, the forests are lush and the mountains (that gave the name to this country) are great. The people are charming, which makes it a potential tourist haven. To ensure that tourism leaps above mining as the main income generator, Sierra Leonean authorities may need to improve the transfer system from the airport to the capital city…
On my recent visit, the clouds were thick. The zigzagging flashes of current I saw from above told of a heavy storm below. The little plane trembled like a man gripped by malaria. But it managed to touch down on the wet 3,047m runway at the Lungi International Airport. I heaved a sigh of relief at landing safely and thought this was the end to transportation hazards. But it was not to be...
Sierra Leone's only International Airport is located at Lungi, a small coastal town in Port Loko District in the country’s Northern Province. The Sierra Leone River separates Freetown City from Lungi. By road it could take 4 hours to get to the capital (if one factors in the bad roads and bad weather).
Ferry or Helicopter?
The locals prefer to take the Ferry. It costs about a dollar for the normal class and just above 4 US dollars for what passes for First Class. The Sierra Leone National Tourism Board admits on its website that the 45 minute journey is an experience in itself and cautions visitors to be patient with the waiting time and the hustle and bustle at the Ferry Terminals. My arrival flight was so delayed that even the ferry could not wait anymore. I was talked out of taking the Hovercraft service. It takes just 15 minutes from Targrin terminal to Aberdeen (not in Scotland!). But the stories surrounding that mode of transportation are not groovy.
Fortunately, I learned there would be a helicopter shuttle that day. It costs 70 US dollars per person per ride across the bay. I bought the ticket and waited for another three hours for the shuttle. Ironically, this is the fastest means to Freetown from Lungi (approximately 7 Minutes). But it is not without its risks. On 3 June 2007, 22 people perished when one of the helicopters involved in this shuttle crashed and burst into flames near the VIP terminal of the Lungi Airport. The then Togolese Minister of Sport, Richard Attipoe was among the dead.
If the ferry trip is an experience on its own, the helicopter flight puts passengers right in the middle of an action-packed Hollywood presentation on the Vietnam War. With the extra special effects from the noisy craft (mind your ear-drums), heavy rains and the blackness of the night, this could rate highly in the box-office. However, I’d still advice anyone who intends to make it across the bay and has the money, to use the helicopters when they are available. Yes. When they are available!
What about the Speedboat?
By some stroke of hard-luck I happened to find myself leaving Sierra Leone on a day when the choppers were out of the duty. One of the two ferries shuttling across was bad and by the time the other one was expected to reach Kissy terminal, my flight out of Salone (Sierra Leone) would have left. Even the hover-crafts were down on that day. This left my colleague and me with just one option: the speedboat!
What a ride!
One can hire a good speedboat for about 100 US dollars. Please underline the word “good”. Otherwise, you may find yourself in dangerous cocoon piloted by a 12-year-old and his older brother aged 14. That is what befell a friend. By the time they finished bouncing off the waves, his heart had missed a couple of times and he was all wet. All the tears could do nothing in the middle of the deep waters. He was happy to have made it to his flight. In my case, the tossing and bumping occasioned a taste of salty water once in a while but nothing to compare with other experiences were the speedboat wrecked.
The serious looking guy who told me he was the “captain” of the boat we used managed his stuff well. I have his contacts just in case any of you needs the right person to get you across if you are stuck in at either end (departure or arrival). He is wonderful...like most people in that country… Ah the people of Sierra Leone..! They seem to walk tall above the poverty that is so omnipresent. But for any international traveler, it is good to be aware of the transport hazards before planning a holiday in beautiful Sierra Leone.
Comments