November 2013: Sierra Leone

A Journey Shaped by History, War, and Wildlife

A Nation Founded on Freedom

Sierra Leone shares a striking historical parallel with neighboring Liberia. Both countries were established as destinations for the resettlement of freed African slaves—Sierra Leone by the British, and Liberia by American interests. This legacy still lingers in the country’s culture, architecture, and complex national identity.

The Inspiration: Blood Diamond

My primary motivation for visiting Sierra Leone was the film Blood Diamond—one of my favorite movies and a major catalyst for my interest in both Sierra Leone and Liberia. The story is set against the backdrop of the brutal civil wars that engulfed the region, and it left a lasting impression on me long before I ever set foot in West Africa.

A War of Unimaginable Brutality

The civil war in Sierra Leone, which raged through the 1990s and into the early 2000s, ranks among the most savage conflicts of the modern era. Much like in Liberia, terror was deliberately wielded as a psychological weapon. Warlords used rape, mass murder, and mutilation to dominate and intimidate civilian populations. Children were abducted from their villages and forcibly turned into soldiers, robbed of their childhoods and identities.

At the heart of the conflict was control over diamond fields—resources that fueled the war while bringing unimaginable suffering. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, and countless others were permanently scarred by the violence.

Visiting Sierra Leone Today

I spent four days in Sierra Leone seeking to better understand this dark chapter of history and to see how the country has rebuilt itself in the years since the war. Beyond learning about the conflict and its aftermath, I was also drawn to the country’s natural side—specifically a trip to the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, where I hoped to catch a glimpse of one of West Africa’s most elusive creatures: the pygmy hippopotamus.

My route

An Unexpected Detour in West Africa

My journey from Senegal to Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, did not go as planned. A mechanical issue with the aircraft caused the flight to be delayed, resulting in an unplanned overnight layover in The Gambia. It was an unexpected interruption, but one that felt almost fitting for travel in this part of the world—where flexibility is often as important as planning.

Arrival in Freetown by Boat

When I finally arrived in Freetown, it was early morning. The airport sits on an island across the water from the city, and reaching the mainland requires a speedboat transfer. It’s one of the few airports in the world where a boat is essential to enter the city—the only other place I can think of with a similar setup is Malé in the Maldives.

Skimming across the water at dawn, Freetown slowly came into view, marking the true beginning of my time in Sierra Leone.

Staying on the Edge of Cinema History

Once in the city, I checked into a hotel along the beach. Many of the nearby beach bars were familiar—they had appeared in Blood Diamond, the film that had originally inspired my journey to Sierra Leone. Sitting there, it felt surreal to be in a place I had first encountered through cinema, now experiencing it firsthand.

Preparing for the Next Chapter: Liberia

With Liberia next on my itinerary, I hired a taxi to visit the Liberian consulate in Freetown to secure my visa. The process was straightforward, but it underscored how closely linked travel in this region can be—one country flowing directly into the next, both historically and geographically.

Overland to Tiwai Island

From Freetown, I continued onward to Tiwai Island using local public transportation. The journey was a patchwork of buses and motorbike taxis, carrying me deeper into rural Sierra Leone and away from the capital. It was a raw, immersive way to travel—and the perfect prelude to the rainforest and wildlife awaiting me on Tiwai Island.

Traveling across country by bus

Police Corruption

Before arriving in Sierra Leone, I already knew that encounters with corrupt police were a real possibility—and I mentally prepared myself for it. Still, knowing something in theory and experiencing it firsthand are very different things.

A Suspicious Encounter in Kenema

On my way to Tiwai Island, I had to change vehicles in Kenema. While seated in the front of a shared taxi bus, a plainclothes man approached me. At first, he seemed harmless—asking casual questions and pretending to be a curious local. Then, without warning, he produced a badge and identified himself as a police officer.

He demanded my passport.

Playing Dumb

Immediately suspecting a shakedown, I refused to hand over my physical passport. Instead, I gave him a photocopy of my passport and visa. He examined it briefly, then demanded the original. I pretended not to understand, stalled for time, and handed him another paper copy.

That’s when his demeanor changed.

Accusations and Threats

The man grew visibly angry and accused me of smuggling diamonds—a serious charge in Sierra Leone. He told me I needed to go with him to jail. I refused to budge.

What made the situation even more suspicious was that there were other police officers nearby, clearly in uniform, yet none were involved. When I asked him why he wasn’t wearing a uniform, he replied, “I’ll be right back with a uniformed officer.”

Strength in Numbers

As soon as he turned away, I asked the other passengers in the shared taxi for help. I quickly explained who I was and what was happening. Without hesitation, they jumped to my defense. When the man returned, the passengers began arguing with him, questioning his authority and motives.

Now facing a van full of vocal supporters, his confidence began to falter.

A Tactical Compromise

To defuse the situation, I agreed to briefly show him my passport—without handing it over. He accepted this compromise. With his attempt to extract money clearly failing, and realizing he no longer had control of the situation, he abandoned his ruse and moved on in search of an easier target.

Back on the Road to Tiwai

I continued onward in the shared taxi until reaching the point where road access ended. From there, I switched to a motorbike taxi for the final leg of the journey to Tiwai village. Once there, I would need to arrange a boat transfer to reach Tiwai Island itself—leaving the chaos of roadside extortion behind and heading toward the quiet rainforest.

Typical village home

Time in Tiwai Village

I spent several hours in Tiwai village meeting residents and playing with the children. Despite the village’s painful past, the atmosphere felt welcoming and open. The chief greeted me warmly and took time to share the village’s history—particularly its experiences during the civil war.

The War Reaches Tiwai

According to the chief, Tiwai village was raided by Revolutionary United Front (R.U.F.) rebels during the conflict. Because of the village’s connection to the wildlife reserve on nearby Tiwai Island, the rebels demanded to know where, as they phrased it, “the white people” kept their money.

The villagers, of course, had no idea.

Punishment and Terror

As punishment, the rebels carried out acts of extreme brutality. Children were abducted and forced into becoming soldiers. Several villagers had their hands amputated—acts meant to terrorize and control the population. Some of these victims were then thrown into the river and left to drown.

The rebels went on to occupy both the village and the wildlife reserve for more than a decade, leaving deep scars on both the land and its people.

Diamonds and Destruction

Like much of the violence in Sierra Leone, what happened in Tiwai was fueled by diamonds. Enslaved labor was used to mine them, and the profits were funneled into weapons purchases—many coming through neighboring Liberia. The cycle of exploitation and violence devastated entire communities.

Recovery and Hope

Today, the rebels are gone. Wildlife is returning to the forests, and the people of Tiwai have reclaimed their village and their lives. While the trauma of the past has not been forgotten, Sierra Leone has made remarkable strides toward peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

Standing in Tiwai village, surrounded by children laughing and life moving forward, it was impossible not to feel hope—that this brutal chapter truly belongs to the past, and that such crimes will never be repeated.

Chief of Tiwai Village

The telling face of an elder in a Sierra Leone Village.

School I visited where I taught the children about my home in San Diego, about  whales and surfing

friendly village kid

friendly village kid

Child with a fetish around her neck for good luck 

Negotiating a Stay in Tiwai Village

I negotiated prices directly in Tiwai village for two nights of camping in my own tent. The arrangement included meals, guided hikes, and canoe excursions. Everything was informal but straightforward—agreed upon face-to-face, as is often the case in remote parts of West Africa.

Crossing the River the Old Way

The motorboat normally used to ferry visitors to Tiwai Island had recently been stolen, leaving only one option: a traditional dugout canoe. It turned out to be a far more memorable way to reach the island.

The canoe was narrow and low in the water, with a man standing at the stern, propelling us forward with a paddle. The river was calm, the forest pressed in close on both sides, and the sense of isolation deepened with every stroke.

A Wild Welcome

Midway across the river, a snake swam past the canoe, cutting a smooth line through the water. It was a quiet reminder that this was no staged wilderness experience—Tiwai Island was still very much wild, and I was entering it on its own terms.

Snake swimming by us in river

Dugout canoe I used to get to the island

Fisherman

A Wild Island Untouched

Tiwai Island is a vast, undeveloped island blanketed in dense rainforest. There are no roads, no permanent structures beyond the eco-camp, and no signs of modern development. It feels genuinely wild—a place where the forest still dictates the rhythm of life.

Community-Based Conservation

The island operates as a community-based conservation program, with surrounding villages collectively managing and protecting it. Tourism revenue is shared among the communities, providing an incentive to preserve the forest while allowing villagers to use its resources sustainably. It’s a rare example of conservation working hand-in-hand with local livelihoods.

Life at the Eco-Camp

The eco-camp where I stayed was run entirely by villagers. Everything—from meals to guiding—was locally organized. During the day, I followed my guides deep into the forest along miles of narrow trails in search of wildlife. The rainforest was thick, humid, and alive with sound, every step offering the possibility of a sighting.

River Safaris and Elusive Wildlife

In the early mornings and late afternoons, we explored the surrounding waterways by dugout canoe. Gliding silently along the river, we scanned the banks for crocodiles and searched the water for one of West Africa’s most elusive mammals—the pygmy hippopotamus.

Part of the Greater Gola Forest

Tiwai Island is surrounded by protected forest reserves and forms part of the greater Gola Forest ecosystem—one of the last remaining large tracts of intact rainforest in West Africa. Standing beneath its towering canopy, it was clear how rare and fragile this landscape has become.

Primates I saw on a hike

Primates I saw on a hike

Into the Rainforest

The rainforest on Tiwai Island is immense, and on multiple occasions I hiked for hours along its winding trails. The forest felt endless—layered, dense, and alive—each stretch of path disappearing quickly back into green once I passed.

Rare Primate Encounters

During these long hikes, I was fortunate to observe several rare primates moving through the canopy and undergrowth. Some revealed themselves only through rustling leaves and distant calls, while others appeared briefly before melting back into the forest. Even fleeting encounters felt special in a place as intact and remote as Tiwai.

The Ones I Didn’t See

Chimpanzees also live on the island, but despite the hours spent searching, I never encountered them. Still, their absence didn’t feel like a disappointment. In a rainforest this wild, not seeing everything felt like proof that the forest remains firmly in control—not the visitor.

Primates I saw on a hike

Me in front of a large old growth tree

The World’s Most Elusive Hippo

Pygmy hippos are miniature, almost gentle-looking versions of their much larger and far more aggressive relatives—the full-sized hippos. I had learned firsthand just how dangerous those animals can be when I was nearly killed during a canoe attack by a hippo on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe.

Pygmy hippos, by contrast, are shy, nocturnal, and extraordinarily difficult to see in the wild. They are among the rarest large mammals in West Africa, more often detected by tracks and stories than by sight.

Searching Without Expectation

Pygmy hippos do live in the waterways around Tiwai Island, but sightings are extremely rare. One National Geographic team reportedly spent weeks searching day and night before finally spotting a single animal at the very end of their expedition.

With that in mind, I boarded a dugout canoe at sunset with no real expectation of seeing anything at all.

An Impossible Encounter

Only about thirty minutes into the ride, as we rounded a bend in the river where the jungle tightened and shallow rapids rippled the water, my guide suddenly froze. Just a few feet away from the canoe, a mother pygmy hippo and her baby stood motionless in the water.

For a brief moment, everything stopped.

They remained still—watching us—before silently slipping beneath the surface and vanishing as if they had never been there.

Disbelief on the River

Both my guide and I sat in stunned silence. Then he turned to me and confessed that he had never seen a pygmy hippo in his life—until that moment.

In a place where weeks of searching often lead to nothing, we had been handed an encounter that felt almost unreal. It was one of those rare moments in travel when the forest offers up a secret—and just as quickly takes it back.

River at sunset

Canoeing down the river

Mother and baby pygmy hippo

Mother pygmy hippo

Sunset from Tiwaii island

A Night to Celebrate

News of the pygmy hippo sighting spread quickly through camp, and by evening everyone was celebrating. Over a simple, candlelit dinner in the rainforest, we shared warm beers and quiet excitement—marking a rare moment in a place that seldom reveals its secrets.

Camp at night

Leaving Tiwai

The next morning, I was paddled back across the river to Tiwai village. From there, I found someone willing to take me to the Liberian border by motorbike taxi—an option that would prove far more intense than I anticipated.

Five Hours on the Back of a Motorbike

The journey took roughly five hours over some of the worst roads I have ever traveled. In many places, roads barely existed at all—reduced to muddy jungle trails. I clung to the back of the motorbike as we bounced, slid, and lurched forward, holding on for dear life.

At one point, a group of men who appeared to be bandits stood ahead with a rope stretched across the trail, clearly meant to stop passing vehicles. My driver reacted instantly, swerving off the path and detouring around them without hesitation.

Checkpoints and “Presents”

Along the way, we encountered multiple corrupt police checkpoints. I was repeatedly pulled into small offices where officers tried to persuade me to offer a “present.” Each encounter cost precious time, delaying the journey by hours.

A Final Exchange

One police chief made a final attempt to extract money from me, appealing not with threats but emotion. “Do you know how hard it is to be a black man in Africa?” he asked.

In the moment, my response was simple: it isn’t easy being a white man either.

From there, I headed to Liberia, where my issues with the police did not improve.