10 reasons why you should and should not travel to Liberia right now

Liberia, a country where people are simple, sober, and have a pleasant ethnic view for newcomers. Although you may face many issues while travelling to this country, there are still many reasons why you should travel here. Liberia is a country with past inadequate experiences. Most of the travellers hesitate to travel to the place due to its history. The country is located on the West African coast; Sierra Leone surrounds it to the northwest, Guinea to the north, Cote d’Ivoire to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. That is the exact location of the country. In this article, we will discuss the reasons to travel or not to travel to Liberia.  Before proceeding, it is mandatory to consider some facts about the country like the history of Liberia, Liberia flag, Liberia news, the capital of Liberia, Liberia airport, and many more. Let’s begin with the history of Liberia, which started in the 19th century. The story begins with the Portuguese sailor who arrived in the country and figured that it was a suitable residence for the American slaves and later, a treaty was signed between the local Africans and the Americans. Later, in 1847, Robert proclaimed Liberia as an independent country, but for some political reasons, Liberia declared an outbreak of World War II on Germany and Japan. All the way, this laid as a turning point for the constitution, and the war ended with the decision that Liberia is now a member of the UN security and is an active participant of African international affairs. Liberia capital, Monrovia, is located on the Atlantic coast in West Africa and is named after the president of the US, Mr James Monroe. Being a capital, Monrovia is the most populous city in the country. After the independence of Liberia in 1847, its constitution was formed, the Liberia national flag was designed, which is quite similar to the US Flag. The colour of the flag is blue, red and white. The strips represent signatories of Liberian independence. The blue colour present in the flag represents morals and courage. The Liberia flag resembles the formation of the Liberia founding with the group of free people of colour. Till now, to summarize, we have discussed where is Liberia, the Liberia flag, the capital of Liberia, history of Liberia.  Liberia is the place where you can enjoy the green-friendly nature, taste delicious cuisines, shop the attractive things, surf the spots, and many more. You must be wondering how to travel to Liberia? You can come to the country by a few airways, and on reaching the Liberia airport, there are plenty of private vehicles available to take you to fascinating places. We have discussed all the possible facts about Liberia, so now it’s time to share 10 reasons why you should travel to Liberia right now?   10 reasons why you should travel to Liberia: 

1. Food

The primary reason for travel to Liberia is food. If you are a rice lover, then you will love Liberia. The local people of Liberia eat rice all day, along with rice there are some other mouth-watering dishes like plantains, cassava, yam, fufu (made from cassava). Also, it is the right choice for non-vegetarians too where the seafood is quite famous like fishes, crabs, etc. Whatever food you see around, your mind will say to try it.

2. Ethnic Community

The people in Liberia are lovely and kind. People migrated here from 3 different religions. The strangers here are also helpful; they will call you by using the word friend or sister. The ethnic people here respect tourists. There is a total of 16 tribes in Liberia, and all of them have different traditions and cultures to practice.

3. Easy and Understandable Language

Language is also one of the reasons to travel to Liberia, as compared to other countries while travelling or touring there, it becomes difficult to communicate with the local people. But you can speak English, as the Liberian people understand the English language. While talking over the streets, the Liberian people use slang English that is a cut short of it. 

4. Visit Magnificent National Park

Liberia is a shelter for the birds and wildlife, and among them, there is another reason for travel to Liberia - the Sapo National Park. You will get to see here 125 mammals and around 590 different types of birds. Mostly, you will get to meet the hippopotamus, the African golden cat, leopards, several different species of monkey, species of pangolin, the African forest elephants, crocodiles, and many other weird-looking animals in the park.

5. Clean Cities

Liberia has clean cities, and its cleanliness grabs tourists' attention. WHO tracked the pollution in Liberia, and the results were unexpected: Liberia stands in the 10th position. Although it is an urban city, the pollution is controlled by the country.

6. Challenging Cycle task

Apart from the rumours spread, the fear of travelling to Liberia must have locked your plan to travel to Liberia. But wait, interesting activities realized in Liberia! Liberia is famous for the Cycle challenge arranged every year. Within this challenge, you can cycle 300 km from bustling Bo in Sierra Leone through lush green landscapes to one of Liberia’s most beautiful beaches. 

7. Promised Land for Surfers

The wavers and surfers must have heard about Liberia. There are plenty of beaches present in Liberia, also in the capital city Monrovia. There is also an undiscovered one located around 50 miles from the city. You can enjoy the water and surf at the same time. Isn't this a great reason to visit Liberia?

8. Affordable prices

Liberia is cheap, and the labour is reasonable too. The financial conditions here are quite wealthy, due to which a load of money is inexpensive also. The hotel accommodations, cab booking, food, etc., are affordable. Due to unemployment and lack of knowledge, local people are ready to work at low rates. Hence, you can also hire a cook or security guard for your safety. 

9. Good for Shopping

Liberia has plenty of shops where you can buy gifts, such as ethnic clothes. The local market has some African items, including handicraft, that you may buy. Shopping in Liberia is interesting to experience as once you decide to buy the things, you can negotiate and get the rates less.

10. Good Transportation

There are multiple options present for travel to Liberia, and rates are also cheap. You can hire luxurious cabs, taxies, and motorbike for navigating all-around Liberia. If you want to explore it on your own, then you can rent a motorbike for yourself to roam the city and enjoy the ride. The above are 10 reasons why you should travel to Liberia. And below, we have listed ten reasons why you should not travel to Liberia, so let's start!

10 reasons why you should not travel to Liberia

There must be a question arising in your mind whether the country is safe? Is it safe to travel to Liberia? The answer is yes for some upgradation into tourism. But don’t assume that you are safe totally, there are still issues you may face while travel to Liberia. We recommend you to read these ten reasons and then take a decision to travel to Liberia.

1. Potential Police Problems

The critical point is to carry your passport as proof of your authority to travel in Liberia. Monrovia has security issues as there is a lack of presence of police in the place. Also, the police don’t allow foreigners to enter Liberia without a bribe. The police are corrupted in Liberia and don’t support tourists much.

2. Restricted Zones

There are multiple not allowed zones in Liberia; you have to maintain some restrictions of time to visit the places. Among them are Mamba Point and Sinkor in Monrovia, visiting these places can be dangerous. It’s not at all safe in the nighttime, and there may be smuggling, theft, threatening, and even burglaries at these places. Hence, be aware of these activities and avoid outing in some areas.

3. Not Safe for Women

The highest rate among the most occurred crimes is a rape attempt. It is advised for women not to travel to Liberia at all. The targeted women are those working in charity organizations. It is recommended not to trust the locals as they can take advantage of yours. 

4. Escaped Criminals 

In Liberia, the criminals escape, and they can be very harmful to the tourists. The newcomers don’t know their state of mind, so don’t trust the strangers or seek help from them. The police do not yet catch these criminals.

5. Poor Road Conditions

Travelling on the roads of Liberia can be quite difficult and challenging. Also, the international permit license is mandatory if you are planning to drive a car or bike. Again, alert!! Travelling in the nighttime at Monrovia is not safe as you can be vulnerable to suspicious or legal activities on the spot. We would highly recommend you not to hire self-drive cars as you are unaware of the road conditions. So, it would be best if you did not take any risk. 

6. River and Sea Travel

As you already know, Liberia is full of beaches. Most tourists are attracted to the spot and plan to swim or enjoy the ferry rides. But an alert should be highlighted here. Our first advice is to take any decision about river/sea travel by concerning the local guide. Sea travel is at higher risk of facing the tides, waves, floods. 

7. Update Air Travel

Before booking a flight or planning a trip to Liberia, check the updated details. Liberia has suspended the permission of international flights to carry passengers into Liberia. Also, the flights from Europe are suspended for not meeting the security standards of the UN Security international affairs. That could be a serious reason for you not to travel to Liberia as it is critical to handle the travel arrangements.

8. Travelling in the border areas

Travelling in the border areas may cause disputes. After the history of Liberia, till now the world is on from both sides: Liberian’s and Cote d’Ivoire’s border. Armed clashes take place sometimes, as well. It’s a request to avoid travelling at the border areas, as you can never know which violent incident may happen next. Hence, it would help if you are concerned about the security updates going in the area. 

9. Scam Incidents

There are many scammers present in Liberia, and they can scam you by offering a lift to the nearby area while taking you to some other destinations. Hence, think twice before hiring the cab and check its details.

10. Terrorism attack: Low Risk

Till now, Liberia has not faced any terror attacks, but we never know about the vigilant situations. Also, we cannot neglect the attacks at places like Mali, Cote D’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. Hence, we recommend you to be updated about Liberia news before planning a trip.

Conclusion

In this article, we have taken an opportunity to explain in detail ten reasons why you should and not should travel to Liberia right now. In this article, we shared a general brief about the country. We have answered important questions like: is it safe to travel to Liberia, how to travel to Liberia, where is Liberia. Also, we gave you information about the Liberia flag, Liberia news, Liberia airport, capital of Liberia, history of Liberia, and many more. We recommend you to read the entire article carefully before planning a tour to Liberia. Stay aware and alert.