Day trips in the rainy season: roads change everything

Most shops and markets in Monrovia close on Sundays, and regular business runs Monday to Friday with some Saturday mornings. Do souvenir shopping and supply runs on Saturday or earlier, and on Sunday plan around restaurants and your hotel. Keep a snack and water in your bag so a closed shutter does not cost you an…

For an Atlantic sunset, head to Mamba Point, where beach bars and the ocean-facing hotels give open views over the water in the evening. Arrive about an hour early to pick a spot and shoot as the light turns gold. Ask before photographing people. Plan your ride home in advance, since authorities advise against being…

About 30 minutes from the airport and the city, Libassa Ecolodge sits in tropical forest where a lagoon meets the Atlantic, with a beach, pools, gardens and wildlife areas. It also hosts Liberia's first wildlife sanctuary, set up with the Forestry Development Authority, which offered guided tours. Stay a night or ask…

Decoration Day falls on the second Wednesday of March, when families decorate the graves of their ancestors, and it is a public holiday. Expect many offices and banks to be closed, so do paperwork and currency exchange before or after. Treat the day with respect, and ask before photographing people.

Besides the big markets, downtown has small craft enclaves, with the oldest on Mamba Point near the US Embassy and another a few blocks away by the Cape Hotel. Look for carved masks, wooden figures, jewelry, baskets and drums. Ask the artisan what the piece is made of and what it means, bargain gently, and keep your…

Skilled tailors in Monrovia make clothes, bags and sandals to measure, and side streets sell embroidered and tie-dye fabric you can have sewn into African or European styles. Choose bright printed lappa cloth from a fabric seller, then agree the design with the tailor. Orders can take a few weeks, so start early in…

The National Museum sits in the former Supreme Court building near Providence Island. Begin on the ground floor with art and objects from Liberia's indigenous groups, then climb to Waves of Time, which follows the nation's story from before the settlers to rebuilding after the civil wars and Ebola. Look for the dining…

Liberia is largely a cash economy, and both Liberian and US dollars circulate, with prices often quoted in either. Cards work only in some supermarkets, hotels and larger restaurants, and cash machines pay out Liberian dollars. Carry small US notes for tips and small buys, and do your exchange at a bank in the…