Packing list for Liberia, travel insurance for Liberia and taking your belongings

What to take to Liberia: brief

To pack and check:

• Documents and money: a passport that is valid for at least 6 months and your visa. Bring your passport, visa, vaccination certificate and travel insurance details both digitally and on paper. Cash is very important in Liberia, as there are few ATMs. The Liberian dollar (LRD) is the official currency, but US dollars are also widely used.
• Clothing: lightweight, covering clothing that dries quickly in the warm climate and helps protect you against mosquitoes.
• Shoes: comfortable shoes that can handle humid conditions and sandals for Monrovia. For walks and natural areas, shoes with good grip are useful. During the rainy season, paths can become muddy, so shoes that can handle this are definitely useful.
• Toiletries and hygiene: high-factor sunscreen, lip balm and hand sanitiser. Bring enough toiletries for the entire trip.
• Packing and protecting your belongings: a good rain cover for your backpack and waterproof bags or a dry bag for your phone, passport and electronics. The rainy season in Liberia is long and very wet, so good protection is important.
• Insects and animals: a strong and effective insect repellent, for example containing picaridin or DEET.
• Sleeping: an insecticide-treated mosquito net is a must in Liberia, especially if you are not sleeping in a well-screened or air-conditioned room.
• Medication and travel first aid kit: a well-stocked first aid kit is useful in this country. Think ORS, plasters, blister plasters, painkillers, medication for diarrhoea, hand sanitiser, a thermometer and enough personal medication. Better to bring too much than too little, depending on what you are going to do, as medication and emergency medical care can be difficult to access outside Monrovia.
• Outdoor and useful items: sunglasses, a sun hat or cap, a reusable water bottle with a filter and a small daypack. A lightweight umbrella can also be surprisingly useful in Liberia.
• Technology and equipment: a universal travel adapter for type A, B, C and F power sockets, as well as a power bank and headlamp because of power cuts.
• Safety and theft: a money belt and/or securely closing bag that can fit your phone and other valuables you need to carry with you. Photographing military locations, airports, seaports, bridges and important government buildings is prohibited.

To consider:

• Offline maps and a translation app.
• Flavour tablets for your filtered water.
• Several sizes of padlocks so you can properly secure your belongings or your room.
• A quick-drying towel.
• Binoculars for birds and other wildlife.

Are there mosquitoes in Liberia?

• Mosquitoes are a major problem in Liberia. There are many of them, and they can also transmit malaria. Malaria is not the only concern: dengue and yellow fever also occur.
• Malaria mosquitoes are mainly active between dusk and dawn, but other mosquitoes, including species that can transmit dengue and yellow fever, can also bite during the daytime.
• It is therefore important to stay protected throughout the day with insect repellent and covering clothing, and to sleep under a good mosquito net in the evening or in an air-conditioned room.
• More about protection against mosquitoes and insects.

Are there sandflies in Liberia?

• Sandflies occur in Liberia, but as far as is known, they do not carry leishmaniasis.
• Leishmaniasis does occur in West Africa, so it is still a good idea to protect yourself. Fortunately, mosquito protection also works well against sandflies.
• More about sandflies.

Are DEET or other insect repellents, available in Liberia?

• Insect repellents can be found in Monrovia, but availability is not always reliable, and outside the capital, medicines and other healthcare products are much more difficult to obtain.
• It is therefore best to bring enough picaridin or DEET from home for your entire trip.
• More about DEET.

Is it legal to buy a joint or weed in Liberia or bring it with you to Liberia?

• Drugs are completely illegal in Liberia, so no. Possession, use, and trafficking carry severe penalties, including lengthy prison sentences and large fines.
• Do not bring cannabis, CBD products, or any other illegal drugs into Liberia.