Liberia

The Republic of Liberia is a West African country on the coast of the Atlantic ocean. It borders Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire. The capital city is Monrovia.

The climate in Liberia is tropical. The average annual temperature is +25°C but the best time for visiting the country is dry winter months when the heat during the day gives place to night coolness.

The official language of Liberia is English. The majority of people here are the Christians, but they also practice local pagan cults.

The capital city of Monrovia is a large and prosperous port city. This is a place for city entertainments and shopping. If you like to spend time on a beach, you can also come to Monrovia.

Unfortunately, all the architectural sights were completely destroyed during the civil war that broke out at the end of the 20th century.

The lovers of out-of-town holidays should visit the Lake Piso which is 30 kilometres away from Monrovia. Anyone can go fishing in the lake.

The travellers will surely enjoy the nature of Liberia. They can see African savannah, flowering giant baobabs and mangroves which is a hallmark of the oceanic coast. Liberia can boast of a very rich fauna. The tourists can see truly unique animals such as pygmy hippopotamus, buffalo, elephant, rare birds, and reptiles. There are many natural sights in the Sapo National Park, which is close to the Nimba Mountains.

Get in

By Plane

There are no direct flights to Liberia from CIS countries.

The shortest route for the CIS tourists is a flight with a transfer in Brussels offered by Brussels Airlines. Air France offers the flight from Paris with a stop in Conakry, Guinea. The tourists can take a flight from Atlanta with Delta Air Lines and with Royal Air Maroc with a transfer in Casablanca.

Visa

The EU and CIS citizens must obtain a visa to travel to Liberia.

There are no Consulates in CIS countries so the travellers must apply to the Consulate in France, Germany or Guinea.

The travellers must be aware that if they are going to stay in the country for more than 15 days they should renew their visa registration at the Immigration Office on Broad Street. The tourists must do it within the first 2 days after entering the country.

Customs

The Liberian Customs legislation does not restrict the import and export of foreign or national currency. The declaration is also not required.

The travellers can import the following things:

• tobacco and alcohol;
• perfume (100 ml);
• personal belongings and gifts (the total cost should not exceed 125 US dollars).

It is prohibited to export:

• food;
• exotic plants and animals;
• skins of animals, ivory and alligator skins.

Antiquities, gold and silver jewellery, diamonds and art objects are subject to Customs inspection.

Cuisine

The national Liberian cuisine is based on rice (the locals eat it two times a day), sweet potatoes, fruits (bananas, mangoes, pineapples) and all types of nuts. The Liberians rarely eat meat. Foo-foo is a staple food here and it is served alongside many dishes here with the local sauce Palava.

The lovers of meat should try Jollof Rice (a rice stew with chicken, pork, beef, and tomatoes) and Aubergine stew with pork and tomatoes. The foodies will enjoy the taste of meat stewed in spinach leaves. Some other meat dishes are Cassava Leaf (meat stew with cassava and naturally dried fish), and Eggplant Stew (chicken casserole with eggplants, tomatoes, and cassava).

The vegetarians will discover new tastes and combinations. We recommend Fried Plantains with peanut butter, peppers stuffed with cheese, garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms, and Potato Soup with mushrooms served in a bread bowl. Do not miss a chance to try Liberian salads such as Baked potato salad with cheese and pineapple, Celery Salad with apple and peanuts.

The lovers of seafood will enjoy a shrimp salad with boiled olives, celery, and rice. Fish boiled in cream will be a true gastronomic revelation.

It takes courage to try a special delicacy Baboon worms.

In Liberia, the tourists can try the famous Liberian ginger beer. Gin has also gained popularity here, but be careful with it. In the villages, the locals can offer you some palm wine.

Money

The national currency in Liberia is the Liberian Dollar (LRD). There are:

• banknotes from 5 to 100 Liberian dollars;
• 1, 5, 10 25, 50 cent coins and 1 dollar coins.

The Liberian dollar is pegged to the US dollar and US currency is used for payments in this country.

The tourists can exchange the currency at a bank.

The tourists will not be able to use credit cards and traveller’s checks in Liberia even in the capital city. There are not ATMs here.

Details of interest

Sightseeing in Liberia

• In Liberia, there is an amazing place and anyone can visit it. This is the Kpa Tawe Waterfalls.
• In Monrovia, there is the Liberian National Museum, where anyone can learn more about the history and the culture of the Liberians.
• 15 kilometres away from Monrovia is the Montserrado County and Careysburg. The tourists will get acquainted with the historical part of the city and Latin American architecture.
• In the Montserrado County you will find a unique Seaview Golf Club. The field has 18 holes.
• A trip to Harper – a former capital of Maryland – will bring the tourists to the beach resorts which were the best in the past. Today the beaches in harper are not suitable for use.
• Buchanan is the second largest port in Liberia. There you will learn about the iron ore trade routes.
• The Blue Lake which is 72 kilometres from Monrovia and a true natural miracle and it is protected by the authorities.
• The most popular beach resorts are CeCe Beach, Kendejah Beach, Bernard’s Beach, ELWA Beach, Thinkers Village Beach, and Kenema Beach.
• A trip along the unique Liberian rain forests will be unforgettable.

Liberian Souvenirs

On the Waterside Market in Monrovia, the tourists will find figurines and masks made of red and black trees. National jewellery and traditional bright Liberian shirts will be good gifts.