Kenema Tourist Places to Visit in Kenema, Sierra Leone, East Africa, Africa

Kenema Tourist Places to Visit in Kenema, Sierra Leone, East Africa, Africa

Kenema is the capital city of Kenema District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. It is the 3^rd largest city of Sierra Leone and the largest of the Eastern Province with an estimated population of 188,463 (As of the 2013 census). Kenema is located around 65 km southeast of the country’s 2^nd largest city, Bo and around 300 km southeast of the country’s capital and largest city, Freetown. Kenema coordinates with 7°53′ N latitude and 11°11′ W longitude.

Kenema is home to Kamboi Eagles and Gem Stars football clubs. These clubs play in the Sierra Leone National Premier League. The Kenema Shopping Mall and Kenema Clock Tower are the two important landmarks of Kenema. Kenema is the gateway to two popular natural attractions Kambui Hills Forest Reserve towards the north and South Kambui Hills Forest Reserve towards the south.

Accessing Kenema:

Kenema has an airport with scheduled flight services from Bo and Freetown. The airport is situated around 4 km northeast of the midpoint of Kenema. There are taxis generally available, though those want more comfort travel can book rental car prior reaching the airport through online.

Buses are regular between Bo and Kenema, taking around an hour. The local transportation of Kenema is served by minibuses, taxis and rental vehicles like cars and bikes.

Food and Shopping in Kenema:

Football is the most famous sport in Kenema and also many eminent Sierra Leonean footballers have risen in Kenema, including Mohamed Kallon and Paul Kpaka. Kenema shopping mall is an ideal place for both shopping and dining in Kenema.

Things to do in Kenema:

Shopping
Walking
Visiting nearby forest reserves

Tourist Attractions in Kenema:

The clock tower in Kenema:

The clock tower in Kenema is one of the important landmarks as well as tourist attractions of Kenema. It is very attractive structure, colored with green, white, yellow and blue. It is a typical attraction.

Downtown Kenema:

The Downtown Kenema is packed with administrative buildings, shops, restaurants and entertainment centres. It is also an ideal place to start up Kenema tour.

Kambui Hills Forest Reserve:

Located 10 km south of Kenema city, the Kambui Hills Forest Reserve spans over an area of 14,335 hectares of diverse geographical features like savanna, dense forest, and wetland. It is also a paradise for bird lovers with the population of Yellow-casqued Hornbill, Rufous-winged Illadopsis, White-necked Picathartes, Copper-tailed Glossy-starling and many other typical bird species.

Gola National Park:

The Gola National Park is situated towards the southeast of Kenema. It is rich in wildlife with around 330 bird species, 650 butterfly species, 50 mammal species and a large number of Chimpanzees. It is worth a tour.

List of other places of interest near Kenema include:

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

Best time to visit Kenema:

Like the rest of Sierra Leone, from December is the ideal time to holiday Kenema, when dry season runs in the country that would be supportive for outdoor activities.

Hotels in and around Kenema:

Kenema is a city with many tourist favor hotels with grand amenities, of which most offer advance booking facility through online for visitors’ convenience. The below list includes hotels in Kenema and Bo (around 65 km from Kenema):