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Voykit pocket guide · Sierra Leone
Bo
Spend a single day in Bo as a brief stopover (≈4 h from Freetown); skip if you can go straight to Kenema or the coast.
Bo is Sierra Leone's second‑largest city, a practical rest point on the paved Freetown‑Kenema road. Its sights are few, but basic hotels and a clock tower give a quick taste of urban life before heading south.
- Country
- Sierra Leone
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry season)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (rainy season)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- SLE
- Money
- Currency is the Sierra Leonean leone (SLE), redenominated in 2022 (1 new leone = 1,000 old); old prices are still sometimes quoted in thousands.
- Daily spend
- Budget Le30,000–45,000 excl. bed (check) · Mid Le45,000–70,000 excl. bed (check) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange and Africell sell SIMs with passport registration.
- Emergency
- Police 112
- Plugs
- Types G, D · 230 V · 50 Hz · Power cuts are common outside the better hotels; bring a power bank.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% if no service charge.; Driver day: SLE 100–200.; Guide: SLE 100–200 per group.; Porter: SLE 20–50.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap. Bottled water or sealed sachets from known brands.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; very basic elsewhere.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Star beer (0.5 L, bar) | Le500–800 |
| Meal (beef or chicken stew, rice) | Le2,000–3,500 |
| Taxi within town (5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi within town (3.1 mi (5 km)) | Le1,200–1,800 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FNA · Lungi International Airport
- about 4 h bus to Bo
Typical fares
- Freetown → Bo (bus)
- about Le15,000, 4 h (check)
- Taxi Bo town centre → Clock Tower
- ≈Le800–1,200
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk or tuk‑tuk within town; main road to Kenema is paved and well‑maintained. No public bus service listed.
See and do
Known for
- Clock Tower
- basic hotels
- diamond‑mining outskirts
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Clock Tower | Walk from town centre, 5 min | ≈10 min total |
| Diamond mining area (outskirts) | Taxi or local transport east of town, ≈20 min | ≈45 min total |
Sleep
- Dohas Hotel
- Most reputable; pool, restaurant, limited night‑time electricity
- Hotel Sir Milton
- Downtown, internet cafe, basic rooms
- Sahara Hotel
- Quiet area, food service
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good morning | HelloHello |
| How much? | How much?How much? |
| Thank you | Thank youThank you |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Greet warmly and ask 'Aw di bodi?'; avoid: Skipping greetings
- Hands: Right hand for everything; avoid: Left-hand money
- Elders: Greet first; use 'Pa' and 'Ma'; avoid: First names
- Dress: Modest clothes in town and mosques; avoid: Beachwear away from the beach
- Photos: Ask first; avoid: Police, soldiers, society rituals
Scams and watch-outs
- Electricity often only at night; bring a charger or power bank
- High heat and humidity; air‑conditioned room recommended
- Limited nightlife; bars may close early
Bo is generally safe for daytime travel; risks are night‑time electricity cuts and occasional petty theft—keep valuables secure.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bo yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Clock Tower
- basic hotels
- diamond‑mining outskirts
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Bo: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12345
- Wikivoyage: Bo, revision 5239119 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239119
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bo
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police112
US consulate in Freetown; other embassies also in Freetown.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.