The airport is on the wrong side of an estuary. Cards mostly do not work. The rains are among the heaviest in West Africa. Everything a first-time visitor to Sierra Leone needs, without the brochure language.https://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips/3906621555.xml?limit=10/images/0/28147885/Flag_of_Sierra_Leone-2y6lmzCIrRuSgcD80PqU4A.pngSierra Leone's international airport sits on the far side of an estuary from Freetown. Getting into the city means a water crossing, and it catches out almost every first-time visitor. How the arrival works, what to arrange in advance, and what not to improvise at midnight.https://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/getting-to-sierra-leone-flights-and-the-lungi-airport-crossinghttps://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/getting-to-sierra-leone-flights-and-the-lungi-airport-crossingShared taxis that already have passengers, minibuses that leave when full, motorcycle taxis that cause most of the injuries, and roads that turn kilometres into hours. How transport actually works in Sierra Leone, and what to spend your money on.https://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/getting-around-sierra-leonehttps://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/getting-around-sierra-leoneThe leone was redenominated in 2022 and people still quote both versions. Cards work in a handful of places. Cash machines are scarce outside Freetown. How money actually works here, what to carry, and how not to run out in the wrong district.https://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/money-costs-and-payments-in-sierra-leonehttps://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/money-costs-and-payments-in-sierra-leoneFreetown is one of the wettest capital cities in West Africa. From May to October the rain decides where you can go and whether the boats run. Month by month, what each season actually means for roads, beaches, forests and birds.https://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/when-to-go-seasons-rain-and-harmattanhttps://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/when-to-go-seasons-rain-and-harmattanNot crime. Not Ebola. The realistic dangers for a visitor to Sierra Leone are the roads, mosquitoes, the sea and the sun, roughly in that order. What to prepare, what to ignore, and what to do if something goes wrong.https://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/health-and-safety-in-sierra-leone-honestlyhttps://sierraleone.africanindependence.com/travel-tips-item/health-and-safety-in-sierra-leone-honestly