Rogbonko Retreat, TribeWanted and Tokey Sands–great new options for a break from Freetown

Delighted to highlight three new developments in the tourism industry which are adding to what we have to offer our clients. All three are different a different which is nice, because it allows us to cater to diverse tastes.
Rogbonko takes you furthest away from Freetown but it’s still not far and it allows you to get a taste of the countryside. It is described as “an initiative intended to generate interest in rural Sierra Leone, and to educate visitors and local people alike in the importance of traditional values.” Set up by Sheka Forna, he was driven by a desire to offer the neighbouring villages an opportunity for additional revenue.
Rogbonko Mathaka is in Kholifa Rowallah Chiefdom in the heart of Tonkolili District in northern Sierra Leone.

The village is about 5 miles from the Magbass Sugar Plantation which is an interesting operation in itself. Once in the village, you can choose to go walking, bird watching, take a trip on a dug-out canoe, or just lie down. A percentage of all revenue goes back to the community. You can go to the Bumbuna Falls either to or from Rogbonko, best you take some sandwiches and make a picnic of it. The falls are most effective around the rainy season. You can also choose to spend a night in Makeni.
Tribewanted is unlike anything we’ve experienced in Sierra Leone. Set up at John Obey beach, the initiative aims to create and eco village and provide sustainable development in the area. The idea is that adventure tourists would book a holiday to the very beautiful John Obey beach and volunteer their time to help build the resort whilst there. Initially, the tourists camped but the first accommodation facilities have now been built. Working is not compulsory though, you could just lie on the beach for a week if that is what you want. It is non-profit and also gives back to the community in terms of job creation  and micro finance opportunities.

The members of the project team are keen for more people in Sierra Leone to go over to John obey and experience the work being done there. Obviously, you’re looking to get away so no one is going to ask you to put on construction gear and start building. You’ll have to spend at least three nights.
Tokeh! Personally, I’m happy to see this symbol of Sierra Leone’s tourism history being risen from the ashes. It’s one of those beaches that just sells itself and for far too long it’s been in a slumber while it’s sister next door (River Number 2 beach) has been in the spotlight as the beach to visit on weekends. After trying to find funding for the rebirth of the Africana Tokeh Village with little (and slow) progress, Tokeh has been brought by to life by Issa Basma and his baby, Tokeh Sands. As I understand it, Tokeh Sands is the first phase of a much bigger project and it’s already a popular choice for weekend breaks. With prices for accommodation starting at $40 per night, it offer very good value for money.

There are opportunities to go jet skiing, boat trips, fishing, or crocodile spotting.

So there, absolutely no reason why you cannot get away from Freetown for the odd weekend. All of these facilities are new with exciting offerings. To book a visit please contact us with your requirements. Go on! Have a break!

Thank you Baindu at Palladio Restaurant…

Sierra Leone is an amazing country. Also one where things often do not go according to plan. With this considered it’s always interesting how things can work out at the last minute, or how someone can say or do something that lifts your mood or restore your faith at the very moment you’re looking to rip someone’s head off.

I lunched at Palladio for the first time only a few weeks ago, and I’ve been back on average once a week. Yes, I admit – for the Friday buffet if I can make it. Their food is quite good, but I have also been constantly impressed with their service. Even though not perfect, it is consistently good and the staff don’t make you feel they’re doing you a favour by serving you.

Palladio put on an special Independence Buffet and for something like Le70k you get to not only eat till your heart’s content but also receive Independence Anniversary merchandise like pens, shirts and the like. So, I took my hungry self down there on the day, admittedly a bit late for lunch but still paid the full price to get in. I was quite disappointed to find the buffet table half empty. I mentioned this to the lady at the door (Baindu) and she promised me I would get what was due. All my independence merchandise and free lunch! I thought she was kidding actually… until they called me up to ask when i would be picking up the merchandise. Huh? Is this Salone?

So last Friday, I went down there and true to form she was on hand to give me my hats and pens.. and even though I didn’t ask for my free lunch she made sure she informed the waitress lunch was to be excluded from my bill. I mean, really. Is this Salone?

In truth she gave me more than that. Being in the hospitality industry and knowing how far short service falls most of the time, she gave me hope that all was not lost in the industry. If we can have many more of her scattered in other restaurants and hotels then we will be well on our way.

So, if you know Baindu.. tell her she made someone’s day, so much so I’m telling the world… and she should be proud of it. Don’t be trying to angle a free lunch though

Patriotism is for life, not just for Independence

It’s 50 years since Sierra Leone won the right to decide its own destiny, or at least that's what we thought at the time. It’s never that straightforward is it? One of the most frequently asked questions in recent months in relation to the anniversary (right up there with - how much for fireworks!?) is undoubtedly “what is there to celebrate?”. I answer that later.

I have been impressed with the amount of Sierra Leoneans that came home for the holidays and Independence celebrations. Welcome home. Sorry about the traffic, dust and road works - we are a work in progress. Before you complain, remember those of us who have to put up with this daily. After all, we’re building the roads you complain about being non-existent.

Seriously though, it has been nice to see so many long lost friends. I have also noted that we have a lot of visitors who have not been to Sierra Leone for a long time. Spoke to a friend yesterday who’s sister left when she was 2 and it visiting for the first time, now 26. Another lady in church confessed this was her first time in over 30 years.

What I have really liked too, is the show of patriotism and flying of the flag. Some even went as far as to spray their cars in the colours of the flag. Nice. Houses, hand bands, flags, t-shirts, spray paints, necklaces you name it. We draped the front of the office with our own flag too. I hope we all can continue this show of national solidarity which if it is the first consideration in when we make decisions then Sierra Leone can really move 50 years forward. Fast. The pessimist in me is inclined to think that come next week it will be business as usual.

For now though, it’s all about fun, let’s enjoy the moment. Even Easter fell rather nicely around the anniversary resulting in a week of public holidays. Thank you God.

What do we have to celebrate? We’re not independent in the true sense of the word and our country is still faced with huge challenges. True, but if we look back at our nation’s recent history, where we are now and what some of our brothers and sisters in the continent are currently going through (e.g Ivory Coast and Libya) I’m pretty sure we can find reasons to be thankful.

We may not be truly independent but we are free, and in a country that we do not need an excuse for a party it’s good to have a legitimate reason to have one.

Happy 50th Independence Anniversary everyone!

The Beach Bar is dead. Long Live The Beach Bar!

I remember in 2008 when there was a whole pallava about these bars being demolished. A family member who I thought was being a sceptic at the time simply said, “Den go build all back”. Yes folks, true to form… the Beach Bars are back. I still struggle to understand why ALL of the bars had to be knocked down. I would be pretty pissed off by now if I owned one of those bars. But in Sierra Leone, I’m not sure where they can turn for help.

My biggest issue with the demolition was the manner in which it was done. I even later admitted that the beach looked nice with no bars. From the moment Roy’s Restaurant constructed their wooden platform on that side of the beach, the place has become littered with various bars once again. I still struggle to understand why all those bars had to be knocked down, but this is Sierra Leone I guess so I'm not going to spend too much mental energy on that.

 

So for those who missed the beach bars, they’re back! From Roy’s to Plan B, to King David’s or Taia Resort’s “Ban Ki-moon’s gardens” (go figure); there are a lot of options to keep you busy on weekends.

For a bit of backdrop see:

With the Beach Bars gone…can somebody at least turn on the lights?

So what do you think of the beach bars situation?

Personal Musings on our Salone @ 50 Anniversary–by John Simbo

Recently, I wrote to Yeniva at the Sierra Leone @ 50 - Independence Anniversary Planning Committee, taking a mild exception to our chosen theme of ‘50 years Forward’.

Firstly, I must say that I commend the work the committee are doing to commemorate this occasion of our 50th Independence Anniversary, however my issue is that I feel that the lead ‘theme’ is slightly confusing and that we are perhaps missing an opportunity to ‘move’ the Nation, and to have Sierra Leoneans renew their personal pledges to our motherland.

It’s my thinking that if the theme is intended to be a statement which reflects our past - '50 years Forward', then I’d suggest that it contains a liberal amount of conjecture, as some might argue that there is scant evidence of us moving massively forward over those years. This therefore makes the ‘theme’ a debatable issue [with many discordant views and opinions] which I’m sure is not a direction we wish to go.

However, if it is that we are looking in the other direction - '50 years Forward – Celebrating a New Sierra Leone’, then I do hope that we will take the time to pause and to reflect on our last 50 years both good and bad. We are after all commemorating the past fifty years of our independence, therefore it would be remiss for us to focus on our future without looking at our past. In order to know where we’re going, we need to understand where we’re coming from.

Furthermore, I believe that if we are to lead with a banner of ‘50 Years Forward’, some observers amongst us would reasonably expect some sort of blue-print, plan, design etc in accompaniment. I therefore humbly suggest that we come up with something to fill the design/ blue-print vacuum; To design and to plan for success - hopefully within some our lifetimes, and to do what we can to guard against the theme going down as just another sound-off and the usual hyperbole.

I will also add that I do hope that the occasion is not excessively party-political, as this might serve to alienate whole swaths of our society. Sierra Leone after all embodies all of our shared history, and therefore it is important that we all buy into the message and not get distracted by debate or by partisan issues.

The central point I would like to make however is that whatever the theme might be, the planning committee must do their utmost to weave a broad range of elements into the commemorations, other than the revellous celebrations which I’m quite sure we will do well. It is in fact a testament to the spirit of our people that in spite of our recent deeply dark history, we can still take pleasure in and celebrate the joys of living. We know how to party, that’s for sure, and I look forward to that, however we must also take this opportunity to inspire our nation to a higher set of ideals and our people to a change for the betterment of Sierra Leone.

Personally I believe that one of the things that is holding us back as a nation is that we do not always set and reach for a better version of ourselves. We often do not ‘Dare to Dream’ and be the best that we can be, but instead suffer a complex - aptly described in Oswald Hancilles article: ‘Curing over 50 Years Inferiority Complex’. Please see article: http://www.cocorioko.net/?p=3146

However, if we look across all the fields at Sierra Leoneans in ‘All Walks of Life’, in all corners of the globe, our people do have a long and rich history of achieving, often against adversity, becoming leaders of their professions, breaking down barriers, setting new records and paving new paths etc.

This is a part of our story as a people, and as such it’s a story that deserves to be told. It is a story that needs to be celebrated. We need to call on Sierra Leoneans all over the world to tell their stories of how they have achieved, how they have overcome adversity, and how they have soared.

We’ve got eminent scientists, doctors, lawyers, engineers, authors, teachers, researchers, humanitarians, sporting icons, actors, musicians and many of them are leading lights in their respective professions. We’ve also still got a few of the folks who fought for our independence and many others who emerged from the grass roots and who have amazing stories to tell.

Many of their stories deserve to be told firstly to remind the world of what Sierra Leoneans have achieved as a people in our time, but also and perhaps most importantly - to inspire all generations of Sierra Leoneans – and even those yet unborn. A lot of folks – even amongst ourselves, do not know how good we have been or can be as a people because the stories of our successes haven’t been told often enough. Instead we often look in awe at what other peoples and nations are achieving.

As part of the theme for our anniversary, I humbly submit that we should celebrate Sierra Leoneans who have ‘Dared to Dream’, Who Have Achieved and Who have Soared. Let them be an inspiration to us all.

During the months of our independence celebrations, we ought to capture and to retell some of these stories through the various mediums of radio, TV, online video recordings, printed articles, staged platforms, road shows etc. These stories need to reach the broadest audience of Sierra Leoneans wherever they may be found; [NB: Some of the items produced here will have obvious marketable / merchandise potential] and once we have been reminded of just some of what we as a people have achieved in our time, a high authority [possibly the President] needs to come out and to challenge the nation to rise to these standards. Many of the circumstances our compatriots had to face still persist, but we can ‘Dare to Dream’ and to reach for a better version of ourselves as they did. As a people, we need to embody the ideals that have served some of our citizens so well i.e the things that make the seemingly impossible possible – e.g. hard work, discipline, dedication, sacrifice, and a higher set of values etc.

I’m sure that there are versions of this story closer to home, but I’m reminded here of a speech made by John F Kennedy on the 25th May, 1961. In his speech, Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress, the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon and safely back to earth before the end of the decade. This speech came at a time when Kennedy was feeling great pressure to have the United States catch up to and to overtake the Soviet Union in the ‘space race’. This was four years after Russian Yuri Gagarin had become the first human in space on April 12 1961, greatly embarrassing the U.S. Although Alan Shepard had been the first American in space on May 5, he had only flown a short sub-orbital flight instead as orbiting the earth as Gagarin had done. In addition, the Bay of Pigs [Cuba] fiasco in April 1961 had also been a source of great embarrassment to JFK’s administration.

Against the backdrop of these events, JFK wanted to announce a program in which the U.S. could take on and surpass the Soviet Union, so after consulting with his Vice President, NASA Administrators, and other officials, he announced America’s pursuit to land a man on the Moon and to return him safely back to earth. This at the time was the most ambitious of pursuits, with no other project comparable in scope and in ambition.

This created a new subtext for the cold war. America was involved in a war which was not just a war of military might, but also of ideas and of ambition including venturing into new frontiers, overcoming challenges, reclaiming lost ground, and becoming a dominant power once again.

The President took the leadership in this ambition, setting out their nation’s mission which was not just hugely technological challenging, it also required tremendous human endeavour, with all Americans pulling in the same direction. He challenged “...... every scientist, every engineer, every serviceman, every technician, contractor, and civil servant” to make a personal pledge to move the nation forward in fulfilling their Nation’s ambition. This period turned out to be one of America’s most productive periods and the rest as they say is history.
See JFK’s speech: http://www.homeofheroes.com/presidents/speeches/kennedy_space.html

Sierra Leone as a nation fifty years after our independence still has many of our own battles to fight and much to overcome. We can however draw inspiration from the many individuals amongst us, who have ‘Dared to Dream’, Who have ‘Achieved’ and who have ‘Soared’.

At this opportune time, as we celebrate [an age of maturity] 50 years of our independence, it is my humble opinion that we as a nation need to renew our ‘Mission’ set all those years ago. The higher authorities amongst us need to outline our Nation’s new ambitions and to send out the clarion call to re-engage the patriots within us.

Personally I would even argue that we need to embark on a new national project which calls on Sierra Leoneans to be the purveyors, standard bearers and custodians of our fate. We need a project that re-defines the standards we set and against which we judge ourselves. We need to strive for a better version of ourselves and of our Nation.

We need to “Reach for the Moon, and even if we don’t get there, we might end amongst the stars”

[John Simbo Jnr]