Banana Island, Sierra Leone

Banana Island, Sierra Leone

I earlier wrote about my work as a firefighter on Global Mercy, which is a hospital ship delivering free surgeries for the citizens of Sierra Leone that were in need of medical care. Apart from work on board, I tried to find time to visit some of the places around the area. I hav posted about visiting some of the beaches of the country, and about visiting the nearby waterfalls. 

Sometimes, the ship arranges a holiday for the workers, so it's possible to take an extra day off and get a long weekend. I grabbed this opportunity towards the end of my service. A month on the ship allowed me to spend so me time exploring this part of the world, and I'm very greatful for that.

Sweet Salone turning her sweetest side on Banana Island

When looking for places to go in Sierra Leone, Banana Island pops up as a top destination. It really did not sound appealing at first, as I was imagining this yellow plastic babana-themed resport with crowds of tourists. But I was about to find out - this was just fully opposite from reality.

Step onto the lush green island, off West Africa's coast.

Banana Island is one of the more remote sites in the country. Crowds are not seen here. It's an adventure just to get here, with a long car ride to Kent Beach and then a boat ride to the island. Only Turtle Islands are more remote, but there is no possibility to visit there during wet season, as accomodation is in hammocks and cooking is on open fire. Just not practical with the kind of downpour that can be the reality in August.

The boat ride deserves a few words. This is not a ferry, and definitely no luxury private boat. It's a sturdy wooden vessel, but you are very exposed to the elements. The sea can be unforgiving, the rainfall can be extreme, and the gusts during the rainfall may have you hanging on for the dear life while the boat driver will not even see the bow of the boat, not even talking about any landmarks or other vessels. So choose your departure day wisely, make sure you're not prone to sea sickness, and wear that life vest (which may or may not be handed out, but do make sure to ask for it).

The body of water that lies between Kent's Beach and the landing on Banana Island is about 5 km. It's a considerable distance in a small boat, should the waves be high.

You want to grab the boat ride in the morning and to get to the island just in time for lunch. There were two resorts open during the wet season when I was there, in August. One was a bit prettier, a bit more expensive and had its own white sand beach. However, the resort did not reply with prices and availability during several days, the emails bounced and  I figured it would be safer to go for the other one, that was more communicative, cheaper and had a big choice of water sports. There was another place that was not open during wet season, and an abandoned resort - just asking for a new owner to step in and take it on... But I have too many other projects, so that will not happen for the time being. Let's relax.

A photo of one of the bungalows at Old Turtle Bay Beach Resport

Now, you may want to adjust your expectations when you come there. It truly is a beautiful place, with very kind and welcoming locals. But the standard is not European. Few places in the country can claim to have Western standards, and it's a question of logistics and cost. So, make sure you see this place from the light of the local standards. Because then, you will be amazed.

The view that meets you when arriving to Dalton's Guest House

There are bungalows with mosquito nets, running cold water, water closets, and a restaurant where it's possible to charge mobile phones. The roof offers rain protection, there are hammocks, lush trees, and sea views. You can get coffee with your a la carte breakfast, and you have a choice of lunch and dinner dishes that range from West African cuisine to Middle East and Mediterrainean foods, as the owner is Greek. He can even arrange a bonfire and a guitar.

The same gentleman that drives the boat runs the watersports. Here, it's also important to adjust expectations. The gear is well-used and a bit dated. The wind surfing board does not have fins that fit, and frankly the mast or the sail were never up. Kayaks and SUP boards may or may not have matching oars. But it's all fine if you're just here to fool around in the water. A warning though: the shore is very stony and waves may make it tricky to get in and out of water. There can also be extreme currents and tide rips just off the beach. If you are not a strong swimmer, do not attempt to get out with the water toys. Just take a walk to the sand beach and enjoy life there instead.

Local life revolves around the sea.

Fishermen chores

View from Banana Island towards the mainland

The resorts offer acvtivities such as hikes, boat tours, a historical walk around the island, and so on. i can truly recommend the historical walk. A local guide tells a lot about the history of the island and the country, explains the local ways of living, and shows the sights that could be so easy to miss. It's a beautiful walk, and an opportunity to get a deeper dive into local culture.

Our guide, very knowledgeable yet very humble

One of the local churches. The colonial Europeans came and enslaved the locals, forced the slaves to build churches, and then went to churches to pray for forgiveness.

Historical church bell

The local wells, a pre-requisite for the locals to be able to survive here.

It was also well worth the trip just to try out the local food. The staple food seems to be the grilled fish and grilled chicken. I absolutely loved the local herbs casually called "grass" that were steamed or fried and dressed with salt and oil - much like a spinach stew, but with a nicer taste! There was fresh mango to kill for, and local soursop withits addictive flavour. Fresh coconut can be bought right on the beach.

"Grass", a local plant - instant favourite

Locally caught, locally grilled. Yum!

There are day tours to the island, but that means stressing through the trip and not being able to relax. There will be a long waiting time for the lunch, the historical walk may take at least an hour, and the boat needs to be heading back already early in the afternoon so that they do not risk getting caught out in the dark. I would highly recommend spending at least one night here, to really wind down and get to island time.

This is what it can look like when the rain comes. Best to stay inside and enjoy a good book, a nice snooze or a fun game of charades! (No, there is no Wifi, and that's a good thing.)

During my second night here, the rain was quite intense. A thunderstorm came through, with wind gusts that swept through the tiny bungalows. There are no glass windows, everything is open, so while the walls offer a bit of protection, there is not much isolation from the sounds and the wind. Big branches were falling down on the roof with a big bang, one of the cabins had a roof that the rain managed to get through. The wind tore down the paintings off my walls, the slam on the floor woke me. Now, I've had worse things during nights, like being in a sailing boat in a thunderstorm, or being in a war zone and hearing air raids, shelling, missiles, or drones exploding. So I slept on. Sometimes it's just so nice to realise that it's just a thunderstorm, nothing serious.

Banana Island in its full beauty when the sun sets. All banana colored!

Of course, it's nicer when there is no rain or thunderstorm, but I must say I do like the contrasts. And it's fully possible to enjoy the island and the beaches even during rainfall, something I've grown accustomed to in Sierra Leone.

The beautiful walk from our guesthouse to Old Turtle Bay Beach. Did some running there too!

Most probably, there are more people during the dry season. The cabins can be booked online, or by contacting the place through WhatsApp. This particular place has existed during a long time, hope they will stay around.

The sea is warm. There is an occasional bit of seaweed or plastic garbage, but it's definitely much better than Lumley or Tokeh.

Old Turtle Beach: perfect place to contemplate and enjoy the sunset views. No turtles though

The beach strip near Dalton's is lined with sharp stones, however they do have comfy sunbeds!

Yours truly, enjoying a rare lie-down on a sunbed. Who would have thought?

I sincerely hope more people will visit this tiny corner of the world and appreciate it. Sierra Leone is such a beautiful country, with amazing people. I hope to come back in some years and see how local businesses thrive, and how tourists are hosted in a local way, with an eco-friendly touch. Hopefully there is a solution to the plastic garbage problem, and that the healthcare system is developed and robust in the future. There are ways to make it work, and hopefully Mercy Ships have helped to achieve that too.

A local fishing boat out just before sunset to get fresh fish for dinner

And yes! There are actual bananas on Banana Island. It's just that they are not the main thing. The island's name comes rather from the shape of it, not the fruits...

Well-rested and almost ready to go back to work! Almost...