Getting to the Banana Islands means taking a short boat ride from the Sierra Leonean coast, which is part of the adventure. The islands are quiet and peaceful - there are no cars and very few buildings, just palm trees, fishermen's boats and the sound of waves. Sea turtles sometimes nest on the beaches.
Below the water, the coral reefs around the islands are home to a huge variety of fish - from tiny, bright-coloured reef fish darting between the coral to larger species further out. Snorkellers can float over the reef and see an underwater world that very few people outside Sierra Leone know about.
Fishing villages on the Banana Islands have been home to communities for hundreds of years. Local fishermen still go out in traditional wooden pirogues (long, narrow fishing boats) every morning and return with their catch in the afternoon. The way of life has stayed remarkably similar for generations.