The overlooked African hotspot with 30C winters set to attract Brits following new international airport

AN AFRICAN holiday destination with miles of sandy beaches, hot winters and amazing wildlife experiences is hoping to get direct UK flights again in the near future.

A year ago, a new international airport opened in Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone.

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The country is following that up by increasing its tourism offering, with its beaches, mountains and wildlife already a big draw.

The new airport has the capacity to deal with 90,000 passengers per month, five times what it was previously capable of processing, meaning it can now host far more tourists than before.

Meanwhile the European Union is building more than 60 miles of road upgrades, to make it easier for visitors to travel around once they've arrived. 

Highlights in Sierra Leone include places like Bureh Beach and the Turtle Islands.

The former is a surf haven, while every Sunday it is at its busiest with families turning up for picnics.

The latter are described by travel experts Bradt as "the stuff castaway movies are made of".

They continued: "Eight tiny islands form the Turtle Islands, an undeveloped archipelago thrown across the Atlantic just off the western shore of Sherbro Island.

"Each one is a slice of pure, bright sand sat amid breath-taking azure, framed by sighing palms silhouetted against a hazy blue sky."

They get their name from the wildlife that can be seen in the waters around the archipelago, with snorkelling and diving very popular around the islands.

Other popular natural attractions include Mount Bintumani, the highest peak in West Africa, where people come from all over to hike amid the lush rainforests that cover its lower slopes.

Those forests are home to a large variety of animals, like pygmy hippopotamuses, dwarf crocodiles, rufous fishing-owls and several species of primate.

Visitors could soon be able to see primates in Sierra Leone as part of plans for a new eco-tourism circuit that would take in both Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Mt Bintumani.

The country's plans now involve making contact with European tour operators to further show off the many highlights on offer.

Fatmata Mida Hamid Carew, general manager of the Sierra Leone National Tourist Board, told TTG: “Our main goal is to increase visitor footfall to Sierra Leone, so we are engaging with European tour operators to encourage product and itinerary development. 

“When new visitors arrive in Sierra Leone, many are struck by just how friendly and safe the country feels."

The problem Brits currently have is that there are no direct flights between the UK and Sierra Leone.

However, there are some airlines, like Air France and Turkish Airlines, that do offer direct services from their own respective transport hubs.

British Airways is understood to be discussing a return with the west African country about resuming its flights.

It's not just tourist boards and airlines who are hoping to increase flights to the country, with British actor Idris Elba also wanting to promote the nation as a holiday destination.

In particular, he's interested in getting people to visit Sherbro Island, which has 19 miles of beach.

He told the BBC it's "a beautiful, green part of the world" with his dad coming from the country.

It's easy to see why people would enjoy it as a holiday destination, with high temperatures sticking around the the 30C mark all year round.

It's also very affordable, with a night for two in a double room in the capital Freetown available from £19.

Elsewhere, a beer in the country can be bought from around 50p.

Meanwhile, this European capital city now has several new direct flights from the UK.

And this new £993m airport is also set to open in a European city.

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