Question 1

How do I get to Bonthe from Freetown?

Accepted Answer

Two ways, both ending in a boat.

Via Yargoi: drive from Freetown to the coastal village of Yargoi — about 5 to 7 hours, much of it dirt road past Bo, with a 4x4 advised in the rains — then take the daily wooden passenger boat (the "pam-pam") across to Bonthe, roughly 2 hours on the water.

Via Mattru Jong: take a share-taxi or minibus from Bo to Mattru Jong, stay the night, and catch the regular transport boat down the Jong River to Bonthe the next day. The Mattru Jong–Senehun Bridge, completed in 2025, replaced a 64-year-old manual ferry and made the road leg easier.

Question 2

When do the boats actually leave?

Accepted Answer

The reported pattern is one pam-pam a day each way: out of Bonthe around 8am, back from Yargoi around 4pm. But departures follow the tide and the load — boats leave when the water allows and the seats fill, not when a clock says so. There is no published schedule anywhere; ask at the wharf the day before, and build slack into any onward plans.

Question 3

How much does the crossing cost?

Accepted Answer

The last figure on record is 15,000 leones for the pam-pam, from a travel guide written before Sierra Leone redenominated its currency in 2022 (15,000 old leones became 15 new leones). Treat it as a dated data point, not today's fare — confirm the price at the wharf before you board. Charter speedboats exist for those who can pay considerably more, taking 1.5 to 3 hours from Yargoi depending on the sea.

Question 4

What is the Yargoi jetty like?

Accepted Answer

In poor shape. Awoko Newspaper has reported that the decades-old jetty disintegrated as the land eroded, making it hard for travellers to board and for boats to anchor — with injuries, thefts and some fatalities recorded at the landing. Maritime officials told the paper they have repeatedly asked government and partners to rehabilitate it, so far without success. Expect an awkward, wet embarkation, and keep a hand free.

Question 5

What does the rainy season do to the trip?

Accepted Answer

It degrades both legs. Bonthe gets well over three metres of rain a year, most of it June to September: the dirt road from Bo gets slow and rough, and heavy waves make the open-water crossing genuinely dangerous — the fatal January 2023 capsize was attributed to heavy waves. In those months, allow extra days rather than extra hours, and be readier than usual to wait for better water.

Question 6

How do I cross as safely as possible?

Accepted Answer

Use the registered boats, and let the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration staff at the wharf record your name on departure — that log is what search parties work from. Wear a lifejacket if one is offered. Don't board a visibly overloaded boat: the vessel that capsized in January 2023, drowning eleven people, was overloaded and had been suspended for failing safety checks. If the boatmen or the Maritime Administration say the water is wrong, believe them and wait.

Question 7

What does the Maritime Administration office do?

Accepted Answer

The Sierra Leone Maritime Administration is the national authority over passenger boats. At the Bonthe and Yargoi wharves its officers log outbound passengers' names and can suspend vessels that fail safety standards. Enforcement on a remote crossing is imperfect — the suspended boat in the 2023 accident sailed anyway — but the office is still the right place for anything about vessel safety or registration.

Question 8

Can I fly, or drive all the way?

Accepted Answer

No road or bridge reaches the island, so you cannot drive to Bonthe. A small airstrip exists at the edge of town but has no scheduled service. For nearly everyone, the boat is the way.

Question 9

Is there electricity in town?

Accepted Answer

Partial, and changing. Bonthe Government Hospital has run on a solar-plus-battery system since late 2023, UNDP solar home kits have reached households in the district, and a wind turbine was being installed in Bonthe Town as of April 2026. Older first-hand accounts describe generator power in the evenings only. Bring a power bank and treat charging as a daytime errand.

Question 10

Is there piped water?

Accepted Answer

Not reliably yet. The SALWACO Bonthe Municipal Water Supply Project was under construction at a 2021 ministerial inspection, where council representatives complained about the slow pace and called pipe-borne water "a critical need." We have not found confirmation that the project is complete — most households still rely on wells and rain.

Question 11

Where can visitors stay?

Accepted Answer

Bonthe Holiday Village is the island's established tourist lodging — chalets at about $120 a room bed-and-breakfast, booked at least 48 hours ahead, built around the island's world-class tarpon sport fishing. The same guide lists Mam'aa Guesthouse at 70,000–130,000 old leones a room (another pre-2022 figure — confirm on arrival). Meals cooked by local women can be arranged for around $10.

Question 12

How do I get around once I'm there?

Accepted Answer

You walk. Bonthe is effectively vehicle-free — sandy lanes, some paved with cockle shells — and the town is small enough that everything is on foot. Bicycles can be hired.

Getting to Bonthe

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