After almost two decades of war, Liberia – a lush, rainforested country draped across West Africa’s southern flank – seems at last to have found some breathing room. With Africa’s first woman president at the helm, the peace, while still fragile, is holding and Liberians have thrown themselves with gusto into the work of rebuilding their shattered land.
If Liberia does stabilise and open up for travel, it will offer intrepid adventurers a fascinating glimpse into what was previously a wonderfully hospitable and fascinatingly enigmatic society. Liberia’s artistic traditions – especially carved masks, dance and storytelling – rivalled those of anywhere on the continent, and traditional culture was strong. This was especially true in the country’s interior, where secret initiation societies played a central role in growing up, and today still serve as important repositories of traditional knowledge and life skills. For now though, most of this cultural wealth remains inaccessible to visitors, and independent travel outside of the country’s capital Monrovia is not considered safe.
Time GMT/UTC
Population 3.3 million
Borders Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Sierra Leone
Seasons Dry (November to April), wet (May to October)
Telephone Country code 231; international access code 00
ATMs None
Budget From US$50 per day
Capital Monrovia
Visa Costs US$50 to US$100; must be obtained in advance
Languages English and more than 20 indigenous languages
Area 111, 370 sq km
Money Liberian dollar; US$1 = L$49
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