Sierra Leone P2

So for the past week I have been exploring and enjoying the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone and its surroundings.  This bustling city is situated on a peninsula at the beginning of one of the world’s largest harbours and has many great attractions including its beautiful beaches and the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

The beaches in the area have some of the whitest sand and clearest water in the world. Throw in the tropical climate and this place is set to explode with tourists once the negative opinions of Sierra Leone are gone. From experience I can say that these beaches are far more inviting then those of typical holiday locations Thailand and Bali. A day relaxing at these beaches, accompanied by cheap drinks and food certainly will be a moment in your life you will never forget!

The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary is a 100 acre location providing a home to over 100 chimpanzees that have been rescued throughout the country. Most chimpanzees in the sanctuary come in at ages under 5, where they are still fully unable to fend for themselves, and worse still many come in poor physical condition having been mistreated by their previous owners. I was even told by one keeper that a few chimpanzees have been drinking beer and smoking cigarettes before being rescued by the sanctuary. While exploring the sanctuary it is outstanding how close you can get to these marvelous animals, being allowed to hand feed them (structured meals of course!) and pet them. Visiting the sanctuary is truly a one off experience!

My next few days I will be travelling inland, to one of the nations diamond rich areas to learn about the past, hear about the future, and maybe find myself a diamond while I''m there.

References
http://kathrinschmidt.wordpress.com/
http://www.tacugama.com/