Liberia’s more recent political upheavals are not a fair reflection on its proud past. Established first as an unlikely American colony, the country emerged as Africa’s first independent republic in the 19^th century, and rose to richness during WWII, when it fought hand-in-hand with the Allies. Sadly the record was tainted by a brutal military junta and civil wars, not to mention the destructive Ebola outbreak of 2014. Today, the scars are just beginning to heal. Democracy has returned and infrastructure is getting back to its feet. Monrovia, the curiously Puerto Rican-style capital is open for business, and ecotourism is begging to bubble. The deep, deep old growth rainforests of Sapo are the jewel in this respect, where Liberia tour guides showcase pygmy hippos and wild elephants amidst the misty swathes of Upper Guinean woodland. Buchanan’s beachfronts are pretty too, stringing along the edges of Waterhouse Bay in a medley of coconut palms and lapping Atlantic waves, while Robertsport fuses WWII history and windsurfing ops aplenty.