Tiwai Island Camping | Established Campground

Contact Manager beforehand via WhatsApp or call to make sure they’re prepared (food, accommodation,..) for your visit:
+232 76 29 70 71
+23276755146
[email protected]
You can bring your camping equipment and cook for yourself or take a sparkling clean room with solar electricity, fan and shared bathroom (running water, real toilets, cold showers) with breakfast included.
If possible, bring your own drinking water. Cold drinks (also beer) available. Lunch & dinner also possible.
We did the 1,5 hours morning walk and were able to see many, many monkeys and huge hornbill birds.
We also joined the evening boat ride around sunset (2 hours) which was romantic in beautiful scenery, but we did only see birds, but many of them. The guide who went with us was very knowledgeable and had a birdwatching book with him.
We enjoyed our stay. If you’re quite new to the tropics and rainforest, this place can be truly amazing. If you are an experienced tropical traveler and have seen many places like that, you can still enjoy if you let yourself to. :-)
I updated all prices as of 1/2024 in the main description of the place, please check.

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We were quite happy with our stay on Tiwai Island. The manager was responsive via WhatsApp and sent a motorbike to pick us up in Potoru. He also made sure to contact the responsible people at Gola Rainforest (which we couldn't reach) and organized a motorbike to take us there for a good price.
Payed 45$ for accommodation in a nice hut. Toilets and shower quite nice.
Guide was excellent and we saw some wildlife. Recommended!

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Mixed review. Good: guide was great, primates in forest really good, great sightings. Toilets clean and camp set up is nice. Scenery is amazing. Bad: not sure how much benefit local community are getting here from tourists as some suggestions that money is going back to “Freetown”. Prices not clear on arrival and accommodation was 810SL or 45 dollars (including crossing and breakfast) but still v expensive for a simple camp. We got unlucky and had other tourists who played loud music and drinking and party day and night- facilitated by camp management. Would also recommend phoning ahead to ensure someone will pick you up as we had issues with this. Overall the atmosphere was not as welcoming as many other places in SL. Added photo prices for two people

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Overpriced. We paid 750.000 for 2 persons for a room with ac (which did not work of course). They charged 70.000 for one groundnut soup. Canoeing was about 1-1.5 hour on the water instead of 2.
Really enjoyed the hike though with guide Bobo. The place is beautiful. Would rather recommend to stay in the eco camp in the last village before the ferry.

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Update. I paid 30000 for morning forest walk. But the guide not show up. And nobody around don't knows. The owner left the day before and not tell me anything. This place is not recommended. It's the only place here so no other options

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1 night in tents 255000 Le 30US$ breakfast included. Dinner 35000 Le Forest walk 30000 Le

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Road to the village is OK in a 2WD but we had to put our CX in high position because of a high middle of the road. Destroyed one tyre because of driving next to the road🤨. Parking in the village is 10000 per night, relaxed and safe atmosphere. Visit to the Island is 30 USD or 255000 LE pp, see photo. Including transport and breakfast. Bring your own softdrinks/beer and of you are critical your own matras 😀. Friendly people and worth the visit.

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New prices:

115.000 Le per person per day visit.
30.000 Le per person per forest walk.
50.000 Le /100.000 Le per person boat ride (short/long).

I don’t know how much is now for sleeping. They have better facilities than the other camp but probably much expensive. There’s running water, nice showers and toilets, solar electricity to charge mobiles and and tables and chairs area to rest.

Notice that now they want to charge you for forest walk either if you do it on your own or with a guide.
We walked on our own on the marked paths (Bradt guidebook has a good map) and we saw plenty of monkeys.
We didn’t pay for the forest walk but we had a long discussion about it with the worker who did our invoice.

By the way, when we visited the island there was none on it, none from Tiwai Island camp came to asked us for tickets nor telling us which trip options they had. Only 15min before leaving next day in Kambaba village someone came asking us to pay.

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This is now the only option for Tiwai Island. Mainland camp is closed.

The village for entry was quite intimidating. Everyone was the boat captain or the police. Worst experience in a village so far in Africa as they were literally grabbing at me and the bike. Potentially,  they may have been drunk as something was going on in a hut. Like they were watching sport or similar

The prices have over doubled in the last few months and breakfast is forced on top of the cost (cannot not have it)

1 night 215,000 (€35)
Meals, no menu 40,000 (type/quality of meal you pay 4000 for in a town)
Warm soft drinks. No beer
Forest walks 40,000 (i wouldn't bother, not complicated)
Canoe trips 60,000

I decided on a canoe trip for 7am as early was the best chance of seeing hippos they said. They did warn that it has become increasingly rare to see the hippos here. Still. I'll try.

At 7am i meet the guy at the boat landing.  Tells me 5 minutes. Then without saying a word wanders off. I look for him several times over the next hour until i give up.

The cook then asks if I'm ready for the canoe trip as the captain is ready! Now it's 8am. Sun is up. I declined as my slim  chance to see had gone

The staff don't care about the customers. The project is for the community but tgey have forgotten its the customer who is funding it. I'm not expecting 5 star service
Far from it. But to be spoken to with respect would be nice. They really were incredibly rude and disinterested. We felt we were interrupting their holiday when asking for water! Getting the bill was also hard work

The community boat over for yoga at 7:30am with a drill sergeant esque instructor. No lay ins with that noise. Music from the village plays loudly across the water until gone midnight (might be time of year)

The tents are just your standard hiking tents we all carry. Some are on a platform likea band stand. Don't imagine it's some quaint little setup. Its not

Toilets are clean. They have electric lights. But all 4 toilet/showers had no light bulb. Only light bulbs inthe central shaded area. No discount for own camping stuff. No discount on anything for any reason they said

I can't recommend Tiwai. Its nice enough. But its not worth the cost or the trip

If you must go. Take plenty of food and drinks. Cook yourself. It'll also give you something to do

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Campsite on Tiwaï island. Access/river crossing/one night Le100,000pp, half that for natives. Sheltered tents with mattresses included. Excellent clean toilets and (cold) showers. Simple meals available, Le20,000 for lunch/dinner, Le15,000 for breakfast. Guided forest walks Le20,000pp, canoe trip on Moa river Le40,000pp. Very friendly. Best time for wildlife viewing March/April. Monkeys all around. Only nearby research centre has phone reception.

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