Safety in Liberia

The picture: Liberia has a high crime rate, so basic precautions matter constantly. Do not display expensive electronics or thick stacks of cash in public.

After dark: Walking around Monrovia once the sun is down is strongly inadvisable. Take a taxi for any movement between hotel and restaurant, even if it is only a couple of blocks.

Higher-risk areas: Avoid Waterside market alone and stay out of the outlying informal settlements. Pickpockets work the crowds and identify foreigners instantly.

Health: Malaria is a real and constant threat and prophylactic tablets are not optional. Take out solid insurance that will pay to fly you out, because local healthcare is in poor condition.

Checkpoints: Roadblocks where documents are checked are common. Always carry your original passport with the visa, stay polite, and give officers no opening to ask for a bribe.

Photography: Photographing military sites, government buildings, bridges and the airport is completely forbidden. Always ask permission before pointing a camera at a person.

Liberia is recovering from two civil wars and the Ebola epidemic. Tourists are very few and infrastructure is weak.

Monrovia. Pickpockets and bag snatching at the Waterside market and in the centre. Nobody walks at night.

Taxis and keh-kehs. Shared taxis and motorcycle taxis are the local transport. A foreigner is better off with a car through a hotel.

The "friend" and the request for money. Common: an introduction, a story about illness or school fees, and a request for help. Declining is fine.

Monrovia's beaches. Beautiful, but the currents are lethal and thefts occur on the sand.

Currency exchange. A dual system: Liberian dollars and US dollars circulate freely. Change at banks.

Cash. Cards barely work. Bring US dollars in small denominations.

Photography. Military installations, police, government buildings, the airport and the port are categorically off limits. A frequent source of conflict.

Drones. Permission is required.

Drugs. The law is strict.

Same-sex relations are criminalised.

Wildlife. Sapo National Park holds one of West Africa's last blocks of primary forest. Visiting requires a permit and organisation. Exporting animal parts is prohibited.

Minerals. Diamonds and gold may only leave with a certificate.

Roads. In the May-to-October rains much of the country becomes inaccessible as dirt roads turn to mud. Nobody drives at night.

Cash and electricity. Power supply is limited even in Monrovia and generators are everywhere.

Yellow fever is compulsory. A certificate is required on entry.

Malaria. Very high risk year-round. Prophylaxis is unconditionally essential.

Vaccinations. Hepatitis A and B, typhoid, meningococcus, rabies, polio and cholera.

Lassa fever. Endemic, with cases recorded.

Ebola. Liberia went through the 2014–2016 epidemic. There are no outbreaks now.

Water. Bottled only.

The sea. Atlantic currents at Monrovia and Robertsport are very strong. Robertsport is a surf spot for exactly that reason. For ordinary swimming it is dangerous, and there are no lifeguards.

Rainy season. Monrovia is among the wettest places in the world, with constant rain from May to October.

Healthcare is extremely weak. The system suffered from the wars and Ebola. Anything serious means evacuation to Ghana or Europe. Insurance with air evacuation is essential.

Emergency number is 911.

Liberia ranks low on the Corruption Perceptions Index and extortion occurs.

Checkpoints. These occur on the roads, with requests for "help" possible.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates issued; the process is slow. English is official, so communication is simple.

Monrovia at night. Travel by car and do not carry valuables.

Attitude to visitors. Warm; tourists are few and interest is sincere. The historical connection with the United States is evident in the language and culture.

What actually matters. Liberia's main risks are malaria, the ocean, roads in the rainy season and the absence of healthcare. Crime against foreigners is moderate.

Emergency number is 911.