Not to miss

Buchanan

Liberia's second port is about 125km (77mi) southeast of Monrovia. Some of the beaches are good, but some areas are mined. Northeast of the town centre, there's a lively fishing community set on a colourful cove.

Monrovia

Monrovia has suffered during the fighting of the past decade, resulting in ruined infrastructure and many gutted buildings. However, despite its initially depressing appearace, the city has pep. Pick a sunny day, find some Liberian friends and you'll soon forget you're walking around a war zone.

Silver Beach

There are some beautiful beaches stretching south and north of Monrovia, which fill up with locals and foreign residents on weekends; Silver Beach is one of the most popular. There's a restaurant here, small volleyball court, craft vendors, shower and toilet, and chairs and umbrellas for hire.

About 2km further south is Thinkers Beach, also with a small restaurant, shower and toilets. St Martin's Beach, just beyond Thinkers Beach, is quiet and isolated, with no facilities, and is good for getting away from the crowds.

Sapo National Park

Sapo, Liberia's only national park, is a lush 1808 sq km (698 sq mi) tract containing some of West Africa's last remaining primary rainforest, as well as forest elephants, pygmy hippos, chimpanzees, antelopes and other wildlife, although these populations suffered greatly during the final years of fighting.

Large swathes of nearby forest, as well as some forest areas within the park itself, were also felled.

With the recent eviction of the remaining squatters from Sapo, work is now getting started on rebuilding infrastructure, including park headquarters, and on enforcing its protected status.

If you are interested in visiting, the best contact for updated information is the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia(SCNL).

Firestone Plantation

Firestone Plantation - the world's largest rubber plantation - is operating, although at greatly reduced capacity. There are no tours, but you may find employees who can show you around and explain the tapping process.

Stick to the beaten path, as Firestone is one of several areas in Liberia where land mines have been found. The powerful, oil corporation-like presence of Firestone was one of the reasons the US backed Liberia's dodgy rulers for decades. In the era of banana republics, this country was even known as the Firestone Republic.