Beach Hopping with Banke – Tokeh to York

After a restful night’s sleep under a fan, with the reassuring sound of the waves hitting the shore, we awoke ready to move on.  We had a relaxed breakfast chatting to fellow guests and eventually hit the beach at 9am heading towards the fishing village of York.

Within minutes of leaving Tokeh Sands we passed the swanky new Swit Salone development of The Place at Tokeh.  This is looking forward to what the tourist industry in Sierra Leone can become with enough investment and foresight.  There are about 30 individual chalet type rooms with air conditioning, TV and high speed wifi.  The complex has a pool (despite being 30 feet from the ocean), 3 different restaurants and plans for a spa – very ambitious.  And very expensive - $300per night at weekends.  It will be interesting to see how it fares. No pictures I’m afraid as the security guard following us through the property told us “No Snapping”.  Friendly!

On we walked past fishermen mending nets, children playing in the sand and dogs sleeping off the excesses of the night before.  Another river to cross this morning, River No.1, no boat required only pulling our shorts us up and wading.  

We cut up into the forest again for a bit descending into a magical cove where we found remnants of Salone’s previous encounter with tourism.

Another breathtaking view

A marvellous view of the Banana Islands

 

In the years before the war there were two resorts at Tokeh.  Visitors would be helicoptered to the beach, the helipad is still there, and taken to the hotels or villas nestled along the coast line.  Oh to have a time machine to experience that.  What exists today are terracotta tiled patios, shells of buildings where you can still feel what the rooms would have been like with tiled bathrooms, electricity and running water. Banke and I ooed and aaed our way around as we explored.

This would have been a lovely holiday destination

Imagine having all this to yourself

And this view on walking down to beach

Let's have a look!

A bed once

A functioning bathroom once

We had to move on thought as we were hoping to reach John Obey this morning, so we walked on over the rocks to come to York where we would have to go back to the road.

Off we go!