Top Tourist Places to Visit in Kailahun, Sierra Leone, East Africa, Africa

Top Tourist Places to Visit in Kailahun, Sierra Leone, East Africa, Africa

Kailahun is a town and the administrative centre of Kailahun District in the Eastern Province of the African country Sierra Leone. It is located around 100 km northeast of the provincial capital Kenema and 470 km southeast of national capital, Freetown. Kailahun is located around 300 meters above sea level, between 8°16′38″ N latitude and 10°34′26″ W longitude.

Kailahun Government Hospital is the major health centre and landmark in Kailahun, which was renovated and opened in 2004 after damaged during the Sierra Leone Civil War. The population of Kailahun is dominated by the Mende ethnic group, who speaks their own language, the Mende language. Football is the most famous sport in Kailahun.

Connectivity to Kailahun:

The Yengema Airport is the closest airport to Kailahun, located around 100 km northwest of Kailahun. The airport is served by Eagle Air with scheduled flights from Bo, Freetown and Kenema. There are taxis generally available at the airport and it is also advised to visitors to book a rental car prior reaching the airport for more comfort airport travel.

Kailahun’s road connectivity extends to all the important Sierra Leonean cities, including Freetown, Bo and Kenema. Minibuses are widely used for local travel in Kailahun.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Kailahun:

Mende people, who form the majority of Kailahun’s population. Mende language and Krio language are the widely communicated languages in Kailahun. Kailahun also houses many nice tourist favor shops and restaurants.

Things to do in Kailahun:

Surrounding village tours
Shopping
Walking

Tourist Attractions in Kailahun:

Kailahun Government Hospital:

Although not being tourist attraction, the Kailahun Government Hospital is one of the known landmarks of Kailahun. It is a rebuilt hospital as it was devastated during the Sierra Leone Civil War. It is a perfect place to know the typical methods used to cure different diseases in the area.

Koidu Town:

The Koidu Town is a town, located around 100 km northwest of Kailahun. It is mainly noted for its diamond mines that are allowed for visitors with a prior permission.

Kenema:

Kenema is the 3^rd largest city and natural tourist destination in Sierra Leone. The city itself houses many entertainment venues and shopping complexes and is surrounded by forest reserves Kambui Hills Forest Reserve and South Kambui Hills Forest Reserve. There is direct road connectivity from Kailahun to Kenema.

List of other places of interest near Kailahun include:

Gola National Park
Kambui Hills Forest Reserve
South Kambui Hills Forest Reserve
Moa River
Gola East Forest Reserve
Gola West Forest Reserve
South Kambui Hills Forest Reserve
Kangari Hills Forest Reserve
Gola North Forest Reserve
Outamba Kilimi National Park
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Freetown
National Rail Museum in Freetown
John’s Maroon Church in Freetown
Loma Mountains Forest Reserve
Sierra Leone National Museum in Freetown
Beaches of Freetown

When to visit Kailahun?

Throughout the year is best, especially during the dry months between December and May is best to visit Kailahun in Sierra Leone.

Hotels in Kailahun:

There few upgraded hotels can be found in Kailahun, so most tourists visiting Kailahun consider Kenema’s hotels as an alternative option, which is also advised. Kenema houses many modernized hotels with latest facilities and services like AC, internet, spa, tennis court and fitness centre. Here are some tourist favor hotels in Koidu (around 100 km from Kailahun), Kenema (around 100 km from Kailahun) and Bo (around 170 km from Kailahun):