After so many trips, we’ve become your unofficial Sierra Leone travel agency. Here are a few things to help you prepare — but first, enjoy some photos (accessible only to Social Income volunteers with an account).

Field Trip Gallery 2025

Volunteer-only access (Google Drive)

by Jessica, Kerrin, Willemijn & Sandino

Field Trip Gallery 2024

Volunteer-only access (Google Drive)

by Kabelo, Bent, Shirin, Riccardo, Matt & Sandino

Field Trip Gallery 2023

Volunteer-only access (Google Drive)

by Kabelo, Aurélie, Andras, Michael, Gabriel & Sandino

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Preparing for the trip

There are a few things we organize as a group, like booking the hotel — this is the simplest way to ensure the hotel applies the NGO discount. But there are also some things you’ll need to handle yourself.

• Visa: Most travelers need a visa to enter Sierra Leone. You can check online if you qualify for an e-Visa, and if you do, lucky you! Otherwise, find the closest Sierra Leonean embassy and get in touch. We recommend printing off your visa as you’ll need to show proof before your flight.

• Airport fee: You’ll need to pay a fee to leave and enter the airport. $25 each time — you can buy it for both ways so it’s done. You can get it online before the trip and just show the confirmation QR code on your phone.

• Bring those dollar dollar bills: US dollars are king. You can exchange them anywhere and even pay with it in some hotels and restaurants. Make sure you take $50 bills or larger, as they tend to not accept the smaller ones.

• Get cash from ATMs: You can withdraw cash from ATMs in Freetown (but not in the countryside) using your credit card. Let your bank know in advance to whitelist Sierra Leone — otherwise, the ATM might just swallow your card. And since withdrawal fees can add up quickly and debit cards are unreliable, it’s best to bring some extra dollar bills.

• eSIM: If you have a phone, which only allows for one physical SIM card, you might want to ask your current mobile provider if you can change to eSIM. Reason for this? So, you can add a physical SIM with a local Sierra Leonean number and Internet connection when you are in Sierra Leone (see below). 

• Passport: If you’re lucky enough to have dual citizenship, bring both passports — just don’t keep them in the same place. Obviously! If one goes missing, you’ll be glad you did. Replacing a lost passport in Sierra Leone is no easy feat since only a few embassies can issue emergency documents. Better safe than sorry.

• Malaria medication: To take or not to take, that’s the question. Some volunteers opt for it, others like to live life on the edge. Joking aside, Sierra Leone is a malaria-risk area, so check with your doctor about what’s best for you. It’s a tradeoff: lowering your risk of malaria versus dealing with possible side effects from the pills.

• Yellow-fever vaccination: This one’s required. The shot is valid for life, but get it at least 10 days before your trip.

• Learn the basics in Krio: Let Bintu teach you the basics, so when someone asks “How di body?” you don’t proudly answer “Yes!” and confuse everyone.

Arriving in Sierra Leone

The longest part of your trip is behind you when you arrive at Lungi Airport. But you’re not at your hotel in Freetown just yet. Here’s what happens next to get you there.

• Get an Orange SIM card at the airport: Once you’ve collected your luggage and come through arrivals, there will be various booths to help you with things. Find the Orange Mobile booth, which can sell you a physical SIM-card (USD 5) to which you can add mobile data (USD 30 for 20gb).

• Exchange money at the airport: In the same hall there are also different booths which exchange money. Choose a bank booth, they are safe. Don’t be surprised to turn one single bill into a wad of local cash. The largest denomination is SLE 200, which is around USD 8.

• Lungi Airport to Seacoach terminal in Freetown: Between the airport and Freetown lies a bay that you’ll cross by ferry. The trip takes about an hour, including the short bus ride from the airport to the Seacoach terminal in Lungi. We recommend using the Seacoach Express ferry service. You can buy a one-way ticket for about USD 45 right outside the airport, and they’ll handle your luggage all the way to the Seacoach terminal in Freetown.

• Seacoach terminal in Freetown to the hotel: If you stay at our usual hotel, Family Kingdom, you’ll be almost there. Once you collect your luggage, you can take a taxi (there is enough at any time of the day or night) which costs anywhere from USD 10 to 20, depending on your negotiation skills. Or just walk 50 meters up to the bridge and you take a Keke for as low as SLE 40 to 100 (this price is per person, not per Keke).

During your stay

• Stay in touch with the team: We create a WhatsApp group with everyone traveling plus the local team in Sierra Leone. That’s our main way to stay in touch. So if you usually boycott WhatsApp for moral reasons — time to make an exception for the team.

• Staying in Freetown: Since most of our local partner organizations and recipients are based around Freetown, we spend most of our time in the capital. We usually stay at the Family Kingdom Hotel. It’s comfortable, well located, and they do laundry daily, so there’s no need to pack much. Light clothes work best anyway. 

• Field trips: When we head out to other regions, we’ll arrange the car and driver. Even if you plan a private trip, let the local team handle transport — they know what’s safe and what’s not.

• Banana Island: At the end of our field trips, we usually spend a few nights at the Old Turtle Bay Beach Resort — the perfect spot to debrief, unwind on the beach, and enjoy the freshest seafood you’ll ever taste. It literally goes straight from the harpoon to the kitchen. Here are some photos (accessible only for Social Income volunteers with a Social Income email).

Moments on Banana Island (since 2021)

Volunteer-only access (Google Drive)

Some other things people find helpful — though most go without saying:

• Stay charged: Sierra Leone uses the type G plug (commonly known as the UK plug) so bring an adapter. A power bank is also a good idea. Power cuts are part of daily life.

• Rain or shine: If you’re visiting during the rainy season (May to November), a raincoat will come in handy. Still, a swimsuit and sandals are good to have any time of year.

• Bumps and bites: Bring antiseptic cream, sun protection, and mosquito repellent. A silk sleeping bag is nice if you’re picky about hygiene.

• Happy belly: Over the years, a few spots have become must-visits on every trip. The Hub for its amazing view, Things and Somethings for local food, Gigibonta for pizza and coffee, D‘s Bazaar for the cassava leaves, Lagoonda for tempura ice cream, and the Radisson Blu for the fast internet (and the food’s not bad either, but pricey).

• Avoid unhappy belly: If you have food allergies, pack some extra snacks for those lunches or dinners with limited options. We’ve had volunteers with serious allergies, and they did just fine by coming prepared.

Departing from Sierra Leone

• Family Kingdom Hotel to airport: This part is easy. You can buy your Seacoach Express ticket at the hotel for USD 45. They’ll usually drop you off at the terminal for free and let you know when to leave. From there, Seacoach handles your luggage and takes you across the bay back to the airport.

• Airport fee: If you followed the tip from the Arriving in Sierra Leone section, you’ve already paid it. If not, you’ll need to take care of it now before departure.

When you are home

• Share your digital memories: Add your photos and videos to a shared folder. Just skip the ones where you can’t stand your own funny face, we all have those. The photos are only accessible to active Social Income volunteers with a Social Income email account.