Masakpaidu: Fortification and Local History
Masakpaidu is an abandoned village in the Nimmi-Yema Chiefdom of Kono District. Its fortification dates from around 1800, before the Protectorate. Twelve-foot-high Cotton Tree stakes enclosed the fortified area; some took root, and their stumps are still there. A ditch about 300 yards long ran outside the line of stakes. Around 1893, the sofas under Alimamy plundered the village; it was then abandoned for good. The sequence of events links the fortification before the Protectorate with the later plundering and the end of the village. If you are considering Masakpaidu as a potential place to visit, check access in advance.
Tingi Hills: Peaks, Gorge and Streams
The Tingi Hills Forest Reserve encompasses the Sankan Birriwa massif, with two peaks separated by a narrow gorge. Both peaks are higher than 1,800 metres; the northern one reaches 1,850 metres. The terrain of the Tingi Hills is mostly rocky and crossed by numerous streams that rise in the massif. Geographically, the reserve lies between Nieya Chiefdom in Koinadugu District of the Northern Province and Sando and Lei Chiefdoms in Kono District of the Eastern Province.
Kambui Hills: Access and Areas
The Kambui Hills Forest Reserve can be reached from Kenema via a passable unpaved road. Check local road conditions before setting out. The reserve consists of two sections: Kambui North covers 20,348 hectares, and Kambui South 880 hectares; the main road to Kenema separates them. Kambui North is more than twenty times the size of Kambui South. The information answers two different questions about orientation: the road from Kenema describes the access route, while the main road marks the division between the two areas. At Tingi, a gorge separates two peaks; at Kambui, the main road separates two reserve sections.
Gola Forest: Three Named Reserves
Gola Forest is also divided into named sections: Gola North covers 45,800 hectares, Gola East 22,800 hectares and Gola West 6,200 hectares. The three reserves are located in the Eastern and Southern Provinces. North is the largest section, West the smallest, and East lies between them. Unlike Kambui, which has two sections, Gola Forest comprises three reserves; the area figures also show that the sections vary in size.
Sierra Leone in a Wider Context
At the national level, Outamba-Kilimi National Park is located in northern Sierra Leone. Established in 1995, the park consists of two separate areas: Outamba covers 74,100 hectares and Kilimi 36,800 hectares. A 20-kilometre-wide corridor lies between them. Outamba is a little more than twice the size of Kilimi. Visitors can take a canoe trip on the Kabba River and observe birds, monkeys along the riverbank and hippopotamuses. Check local arrangements before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Kono, Northern, Western Area.
Return to the main travel overview: Sierra Leone.
