Visit the first National Park, in Sierra Leone – the Outamba-Kilimi National Park that is located in the north-east area of Kamakwei in the Bombali District. Getting to OKNP is a fun adventure on its own, emerging you in the bush life of Africa. To cross over the river, a floating pontoon attached to a steel cable will pull you and your car on the other side.

The park contains a mixed landscape of hills, grasslands, rainforest and rivers to be explored walking or by boat. Look for some of the rare elephants and buffaloes and track them through dense bushes. Take a ride on a canoe and observe hippopotamus relaxing in their pools or listen to the musical sounds of the rich bird-life (over 100 species) and the alarming calls of the various primates while quietly paddling along the river.

Day 1
Drive from Freetown to Kamakwei. Upon arrival and check-in, take a ride on a canoe and observe hippopotamus relaxing in their pools or listen to the songs of the rich bird-life (over 100 species) and the alarming calls of the various primates while silently paddling along the river. Overnight in Outamba Kilimi National Park.

Day 2
A hike is another must-do in OKNP. The short option is to cross the river and take the two-hour guided round-trip up and down Karangia Hill. This is best done at dawn, to catch sight of birds, monkeys and other wildlife before they take shade in the heat of the day. Dawn also brings a simply spectacular sunrise at the peak, when rays of lights illuminate the mist-clad rainforest and grasslands of OKNP as Mt Outamba and the Kuru Hills – that mark the border with Guinea – slowly come into full-view. A great spot for meditation and contemplation, the meaning of Karangia Hill, ‘The Hill of Learning’ is wholly appropriate.

Whether or not you manage to glimpse the rare elephants, these hikes offer an opportunity to truly explore untouched nature, battling your way through head-high grasses, with cutlass in hand, and 50m-high canopies of Cotton and Kola trees towering above you. It is an experience you will never forget.

Accommodation in OKNP.

Day 3
After breakfast, we will start our return journey to Freetown.