Where the savanna meets the rain forest, Outamba Kilimi National Park is a biodiversity hotspot.

We are so happy you’d like to learn more about visiting Sierra Leone’s oldest national park.

Accommodation is basic, but the atmosphere is unbeatable…

The accommodation and tourism activities are run by the Government of Sierra Leone’s National Protected Areas Authority under the Environmental Protection Agency, not by the Pan Verus Project; but we are always happy to help if you have any questions! Some of the work is done by unpaid national volunteers, so don’t be afraid to tip.

UPDATE 2023: The accommodation run by the Government of Sierra Leone is no longer functioning. If you have your own camping equipment you can stay in the government’s tourist centre with your own gear. If you will need accommodation please contact us and we can arrange a home-stay for you in Kortor Village until we can finish construction on our new community-based tourism centre.

Relax in the Little Scarcies River, take a canoe ride down to see Sierra Leone’s common hippopotamus (bigger than pygmy hippos, but not as big as the common hippos found in East Africa!) and go on a hike either up to the top of a scenic lookout point or to the perennial Lake Idrissa (more of a seasonally flooded plain, but a good place to spot wildlife like warthogs, waterbuck or birds!). Visit the new Outamba Kilimi National Park Education Centre and Community Library to learn about the history of the park and wildlife that lives there.

How to get there

Public transportation

From Freetown: Take a taxi from Hill Station Taxi Park to Makeni, then take another taxi from Makeni to Kamakwie. You may need to travel to a different taxi park to find a taxi to Kamakwie. Once you arrive in Kamakwie you will need to hire a bike to take you the rest of the way, as it is only navigable by 4WD vehicle or motorbike. You will want to start your journey quite early in the morning, or have a stopover night in Makeni. If you need to stay in Makeni we recommend Alisam’s Guest House just a few minutes walk from ClubHouse Restaurant (100,000-150,000 per night depending on room size). You can also visit Wusum’s pool for a cold drink and swim in their pool!

For more details on where to stay and eat in Makeni, see the bottom of the page.

Private car hire/drive yourself

We recommend hiring a car from Makeni, as it will have a drastic price reduction from those in Freetown. If you need assistance finding a private 4WD vehicle please send us an email (panverusproject@gmail.com) and we can provide some phone numbers for reliable drivers.

To drive to the park follow the highway to Makeni, then head towards Kabala Highway. Just a few minutes after the Makeni Clocktower, you will turn left at Panlap Junction and head straight on this road until you reach Kamakwie. Follow the road through Kamakwie (this is a good place to stop at the market to do any last minute shopping if you didn’t stop in Makeni. The basics can be found like rice, groundnut paste, coffee, tea, sugar, etc.). If you need to ask for directions ask for “wildlife” or “hippos”. You will then continue out of Kamakwie until you reach the Kaba Ferry. Don’t be alarmed about putting your car on the ferry! It’s new as of 2019. After the ferry continue straight for about an hour and a half, until you reach a small junction with a sign for the park, then turn right. There are a few steep hills on this road, so keep an eye out. You will pass through a few villages, the final village before the park is called Kotor. They have a small shop if you want to buy some soft drinks or biscuits, and sometimes fre bread (they can also send the bread seller to camp in the mornings if you let someone know, or there are also usually fresh donuts for sale in the morning if you want to walk to the village for a snack). Continue through Kotor until you reach the camp! Then enjoy a cold drink with your toes in the river, you deserve it!

Fancy an adventure?

Exactly how adventurous are you? We can’t provide you specific directions to these crafts people, but if you’re willing to ask for directions and try to make a few friends, we’re sure you find what you’re looking for!

If you want to see something a little out of the way, you can visit the famous old carver in Small Kamakwei, a town Northeast of Kamakwei. He has carved large trees to look like ferocious crocodiles, and makes beautiful animal carvings, unlike those in Freetown which all look the same.

Fan of Ratan furniture? What about hand woven peacock chairs? If you keep your eyes peeled on the side of the road, you might just be lucky enough to find one of Sierra Leone’s hidden gems selling his furniture along the way to Kamakwei.

If you have 4WD and sturdy shoes, ask the park staff to guide you to the waterfalls upriver from the tourist camp.

What to bring

Food

We recommend you bring your own food and definitely bring your own water. If you are a small group you can buy food from the park staff. You can also bring your own cooking supplies and hire someone to cook for you (a slightly cheaper option). Or the staff can help you start a three-stone fire by your accommodation (tent or cabin) and you can borrow a pot and cook for yourself!

Supplies

Bathing is in the river so bring a swimming costume, and the toilet is a classic camping pit toilet (with a raised seat). We recommend brining a flashlight or head torch as there is currently no electric lighting at the tourist camp. Enjoy the quiet and the sounds of the bushbabies and owls in the trees at night, and wake to the sounds of monkeys playing overhead! Bring hiking shoes and long socks to keep your ankles safe from biting black flies if you take a canoe trip to see the hippos (worth it, but wear bug spray!).

It might also be worth bringing your own tent. The accommodation at the park hasn’t been updated in some time, and only 4 cabins are currently serviceable. Although all cabins will come with a bed and mosquito net, there are plenty of places to pitch a tent.

If you want to bring any books to donate to the education centre and community library, all are welcome!

If you want to visit Makeni…

Getting all the way to the park from Freetown is do-able in a single day, but it makes the drive much easier if you stop in Makeni for the night.

If you need a reasonably priced guesthouse with clean sheets and the best African omelette in the city we recommend Alisam’s Guest House. Rooms start at 120k per night for a single room with a fan, and go up to 180k for a room with air conditioning. It is on Magburaka Road just down the street from the Clubhouse Restaurant (Street Child affiliated) which is an easy place to get a well priced bite to eat. The fence around Alisam’s is white and pink, everyone is very friendly and it’s a very safe place. WiFi on request for 25,000 per day (unlimited).

If you want something higher end we recommend Wusum’s Hotel, also locally called Apex, where you can visit the poolside bar (even if you’re not staying there!) to relax and cool down. The rooms here are 600k+ but negotiable.

To eat the easiest places that have both African and international dishes are:

For well priced African food and good atmosphere (and fun karaoke nights) we recommend Country Bar (Country Friends Bar) which is across from the NP station, next to a car wash, and the WorldRemit/Western Union cash pick up centre on Azzolin Highway. It’s very close to the University of Makeni, and is a favourite of students and staff!

The pool side restaurant at Apex has a mix of African and international dishes but is significantly more expensive.

Explore Makeni

The clocktower is the heart of Makeni. If you want to visit the lively market (one of the best stocked and most well priced markets in Sierra Leone) you can easily find it next to the clock tower, beneath the large cotton tree. The street to the left of the large market opening is the best place to buy beautiful hand dyed Gara fabric, which inspired global trends in Tie Dye. Opposite this road, on Magburaka Highway, there is also a small market of carvers stalls.