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Voykit pocket guide · Sierra Leone

Koidu

Sefadu

Skip Koidu unless you have a specific reason to visit the diamond region: the town is still recovering from the war, infrastructure is very basic and the journey from Makeni takes 5 hours on a bad dirt road.

Koidu is the centre of Sierra Leone's diamond mining area, but it suffered heavily during the civil war and has not been rebuilt like other towns. Roads are unpaved, accommodation is very basic and electricity is limited. Most travellers should spend their time on the Freetown peninsula, Tiwai Island or the beaches instead.

FreetownBanana IslandsBoBontheKenemaMagburakaMakeniKoidu50 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Sierra Leone
Local name
Sefadu
Best months
Nov–Apr (dry season)
Avoid
May–Oct (rainy season; road may be impassable)
Stay
0 nights

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 SLE 165,000–210,000 (check) (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Orange and Africell sell SIMs with passport registration.
Emergency
Police 019 · Fire 019 · Ambulance 019
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

ItemPrice
Basic guesthouse room per nightSLE 165,000–210,000

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

FNA · Lungi International Airport
About 5–6 hours by road from Koidu; the nearest major airport.
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

The town is small enough to walk, but roads are unpaved dirt. A 4WD is essential for the approach road from Makeni.

See and do

Known for

  • Diamond mining region
  • War damage and slow reconstruction
  • Very basic infrastructure

Sleep

Town centre
Very limited choice; Uncle Bens Hotel on Benjamin Lane is one of the few options, with basic rooms, electricity 19:00–07:00 and no internet.

Language

English is official, but Krio, an English-based creole born among Freetown's freed settlers, is what everyone speaks. It is easy to pick up by ear. Mende dominates the south and east, Temne the north.

  • Krio: 'Tenki' (thank you), 'Aw di bodi?' (how are you?), 'Na aw mos?' (how much?).
  • 'Opoto' means white foreigner.

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

  • The main road from Makeni via Magburaka is in very bad condition after Matotaka; a 4WD is required and the road may be impassable in the rainy season.
  • Electricity is limited: most places have power only from 19:00 to 07:00.
  • No reliable internet or mobile data in many parts of town.
  • Koidu has missed out on post-war reconstruction; expect very basic services.

Koidu is a post-conflict town with limited services. The main risks are the poor road condition (especially in rain), lack of reliable electricity and medical facilities. Travel with a local guide or driver who knows the area.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Koidu yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Diamond mining region
  • War damage and slow reconstruction
  • Very basic infrastructure

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

KoiduSefadu

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/koidu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.