Where to stay/what to do

The Gola forest is between 1 and 3 hours drive from Kenema City, depending on which area you wish to visit. Kenema itself is a 5 hour drive from Freetown if you come by private transport. So a weekend visit is not out of the question.

Belebu Guesthouse, a stones throw from the Forest

Before reaching the Gola Forest there is comfortable accommodation in Kenema where you can spend the night before proceeding to the forest. You can sample the night life in Kenema and before travelling to Gola please do visit the Gola Offices and arrange your entry permits, and guides. If you need to you can rent camping equipment.

There are 2 community guesthouses that you can stay at to arrange to visit the forest from. The first is in Belebu village on the southern tip of Gola North Reserve and the other at Lalehun. Each guesthouse has basic facilities with beds, mosquito nets and cooking facilities. Ablutions are modern too! Visit these guest houses and you will be greeted with a traditional welcome of food and dancing, and if you are lucky some local palm wine.

Traditonal dance, Lalehun community.

Nearby Gola is Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the highest concentration of primates in West Africa with 11 species found in only 14 square kilometres. Tiwai has an established campsite and visitor’s centre and is reached by speedboat. You can walk the trails in the island or take river trips along the banks of the island.

Nature trails campsites and maps.

Here you will soon find full descriptions and downloadable maps of the nature trails that we have created. Visit again as we develop more trails.