Liberia Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Liberia seems bent on destroying itself with a series of horrific internal conflicts. Just as the country appeared poised to begin recovery from a bloody civil war, gunfire broke out again in early 2002, spiraling it into yet another political and humanitarian crisis. Rebel attacks on and around the capital in mid-2003 further worsened the situation.

In August 2003, Liberian President Charles Taylor went into exile in Nigeria, opening the way for a transitional government to take the reins and for disarmament to begin. Now, thanks in large part to the presence of U.N. peacekeepers, Liberia's situation is vastly improved.

Yet, the peace is still fragile, and the ongoing hostilities have seriously disrupted normal economic life and growth. Lodging, fuel, transportation and telephone services remain unevenly available in the capital of Monrovia and are nonexistent or severely limited in rural areas. Most hotels have utilities, but not always 24 hours a day, and disruption of communications service is common. Several Western governments have advised travelers to stay away from the country, and that's what we recommend, too.

Even in calmer times, Liberia offered little to attract casual tourists—its infrastructure is poor, amenities are few, and torrential rains make the climate relatively inhospitable for about half of the year. For the more intrepid and adventurous traveler, the country promises patches of pristine rain forests populated by rare species, appealing local cuisines, good beaches and a unique history. Hopefully, one day such attractions will be more widely accessible, if the government stabilizes and factional bloodshed can be brought to a halt once and for all.

Geography

History

Liberia came into being in the early 19th century, when the American Colonization Society began to purchase slaves in an idealistic program to set them free and return them to Africa. In 1822, freed men and women founded the Liberian capital of Monrovia (named for U.S. President James Monroe), and soon set up other settlements along the coast. These settlements ultimately joined in 1847 to become the Republic of Liberia.

In 1926, Firestone, the U.S. rubber company, established the world's largest rubber plantation in Liberia, and the country became economically dependent on the U.S. Iron ore, first mined in 1951, later replaced rubber as the most important source of foreign exchange.

From the time of its founding, Liberia's political situation was troublesome. The people of the 16 ethnic groups who live in the interior constituted the vast majority of the population but never enjoyed a political status commensurate with their numbers. Power rested exclusively with the few Americo-Liberians whose ancestors had come from the U.S.

Tensions built over the decades and boiled over in 1980, when rebel army personnel staged a gruesome predawn coup that left then-president William Tolbert dead. Government officials were executed before TV cameras on the orders of Master Sgt. Samuel Doe, who assumed leadership of the country—the first person to hold the reins who was not of Americo-Liberian descent.

Yet, the new government soon proved little different from the one it had replaced, and repression and corruption continued unabated. Civil war erupted in 1990—triggered by a rebel attack under the leadership of a man named Charles Taylor, and Doe met the same fate as the president he had deposed.

During the next decade, the ensuing conflict sent nearly half of Liberia's population fleeing their homes and ravaged the countryside. There was a brief hiatus with the 1997 election of Taylor, who, as president, proved to be the most resilient of the rebel warlords. But his government, too, became notorious for human-rights violations and corruption, and the spiral of violence continued with devastating outbreaks of fighting in 2002 and 2003.

In August 2003, after months of pressure from various rebel groups and the international community, Taylor finally went into exile in Nigeria. In October 2003, a transitional government came to power under the leadership of Charles Gyude Bryant, a respected local businessman. U.N. peacekeepers stationed in Monrovia and various other points around the country set to work to protect the peace and to oversee the disarmament process.

International aid has helped start Liberia on the path to reconstruction, and the election of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in January 2006 was the first of several challenges to the peace-building process to be surmounted.

Snapshot

Liberia's chief attractions are tropical jungles, beaches and tribal culture.

We recommend that only the most determined and hardy travelers visit Liberia at this time. Any travel outside the capital should be undertaken only on a guided, well-organized tour and with full understanding of the risks involved. The country will not appeal to those who cannot deal with the poverty and inconveniences rampant in a developing country frequently wracked by internal conflict.

Potpourri

Liberian soccer star George Opong Weah is among the country's best-loved personalities. When the national team appeared bankrupt, Weah personally provided jerseys, shoes, hotel rooms and even a plane for his teammates. Liberia's soccer team is known as the Lone Stars for the single star on the nation's flag.

Liberia's highest point is Mount Nimba (4,530 ft/1,380 m).

The country has few restrictive rules for registering merchant ships (almost no inspections or safety standards), so Liberia technically has the largest merchant fleet in the world (including about 75% of the U.S.-owned merchant fleet).