The hook
Liberia's largest protected rainforest and the second-largest remaining block of primary forest in West Africa, a dense, dripping wilderness hiding forest elephants, chimpanzees, and the elusive pygmy hippo.
01Why it's worth it
West Africa's once-vast rainforests have been largely cleared, so the surviving fragments of the Upper Guinean forest are of huge ecological importance, and Sapo National Park protects one of the largest and least-disturbed of them. Deep in southeastern Liberia, it is a genuine tract of primary lowland rainforest, a tangle of giant buttressed trees, rivers, and swamp forest that shelters an impressive roster of endangered wildlife: forest elephants, chimpanzees, several kinds of monkey and duiker, the strange long-snouted water chevrotain, and, most prized, the pygmy hippopotamus, that secretive, small forest hippo found only in this corner of the world. Actually seeing the larger animals is difficult, as they are shy and the forest dense, but the experience is about the forest itself, immersing yourself in one of the last great wildernesses of the region on guided treks, listening to the chorus of birds and insects, and knowing you are somewhere very few travellers ever reach. Access is genuinely hard, requiring permits, guides, and a tolerance for rough, remote conditions, but for the intrepid it is a rare encounter with pristine West African rainforest.
02How to experience it
Arrange the visit well ahead with the relevant authorities and local guides, as access is remote and requires permits and logistics; expect rough travel and basic camping, and treat the sightings of large animals as a bonus rather than a guarantee. The reward is deep, pristine rainforest. Go in the dry season, and pair it with Liberia's coast.