Thomas Armitt's Page

Being a West Africa aficionado and responsible tourism campaigner, I talk within this blog post  about my thoughts on how travelling to a country such as
 Sierra Leone can help change the countries' image for the better, can allow for the traveller to have amazing experiences, and can go a long way to helping local communities develop a sustainable income. I have recently helped organise an
 …See More

Press ReleaseHighlighting Responsible Tourism week, Travel Matters in association with West Africa Discovery are hosting an event with guest speakers Ben Keene from Tribewanted and Chris Hill from Hands Up Holidays.Voluntourism – good, bad or ugly?Wednesday 15 February 2012 at 7pm – 9pmMake Travel Matter Talk @Harrisons 15 – 19 Bedford Road, London SW12 9EXFor interest to attend, contact Travel Matters by email info@travelmatters.co.uk or tel 0208…See More

Following on from the first installment of his adventure, Thomas recounts his experiences on his journey through Sierra Leone to discover tourism projects which work towards implementing the responsible tourism concept of "making destinations better places to live in, and better places to visit"Part 2: The provinces - Waterloo…See More

After coming back from Sierra Leone, and having had one of the most amazing times of my life, I decided to share my experience with others to hopefully inspire more people to go and explore this beautiful yet misunderstood part of the World. This is the first part of Travels in Sierra Leone: Peninsula, Provinces and Palm Wine.When I first mentioned that I wanted to travel to Sierra Leone, I would have been a rich man if I was paid for every time someone either said: "Isn't there a civil war in…See More

Western perceptions of African countries are shaped by the media focus on the events that take place within its borders. Let’s take the example of Sierra Leone which was ravaged by civil war for 11 years from 1991 to 2002. The stories of atrocity and bloodshed were given high coverage by the western media.In 2006 Hollywood highlighted the plight of the people in Sierra Leone by making the film Blood Diamond. This told the story of diamonds mined in African war zones, sold to finance the civil…See More

Once considered as a beach resort paradise with approximately 3500km of coast line dotted with palm trees and covered with white sand, West Africa has seen a steady decline in traditional tourists over the past few years. Now there seems to be a renewal of interest and tourists are beginning to…See More

In our second instalment of West Africa’s best adventure travel destinations, we explore Ghana, a Land of sunshine and reputed for the friendliness of its people. Rich in history, and home to the Ashanti Kingdom, a once prosperous and powerful dynasty, this country is a great place to start of in Africa due to its ‘user-friendliness’ and offers a great deal of opportunities for the demanding traveller looking for the next best beach, the most succulent dish, the intense cultural encounter, or…See More

Andrew, a traveller who has recently booked a responsible tourism holiday to Cameroon through the West Africa Discovery website, suggested that we post his story about his journey through Senegal and the Gambia in order to raise awareness to the rich experiences that can be had in West Africa. Of course,without hesitation, we agreed! So, without further ado, sit back with a cup of tea (or coffee, as you prefer) and enjoy the following recount…See More