Barclayville

Day Trips

Touch down at Roberts International Airport and meet your local guide before boarding a scenic drive through verdant landscapes to Barclayville. Take in the lush greenery and rolling hills as you approach the town’s welcoming gates. Check into your eco-friendly lodge and settle in while enjoying a light Liberian breakfast.

Join a walking tour of Barclayville’s central district to learn about its founding by President Edwin Barclay and view colonial-era architecture. Stop at local stalls for fresh tropical fruits and chatting with artisans crafting woven baskets. Visit the town’s small museum to see artifacts and photographs illustrating Liberia’s early 20th-century history.

Dine at a riverside restaurant serving grilled fish and cassava fufu under the glow of lanterns. Listen to traditional Liberian string music as you savor palm wine. Return to your lodge for a peaceful night surrounded by the sounds of nighttime wildlife.

Start your day at the bustling Barclayville Market where vendors sell fresh produce, spices, and handmade crafts. Engage with friendly merchants and sample local snacks like plantain chips and cassava dumplings. Practice greeting phrases in Krahn and Gio languages to connect with residents.

Join a market cooking demonstration where a chef shows you how to prepare peanut palm soup from freshly purchased ingredients. Learn about the sourcing of palm oil and sustainable fishing practices along nearby rivers. Help stir the pot and season with chili peppers, then sit down for a communal lunch with new friends.

Head back to the market square as vendors light up lanterns and set out plates of grilled chicken and plantains. Enjoy lively conversation over sweet hibiscus tea and charcoal-roasted corn. Wander through stalls selling beaded jewelry and hand-dyed textiles before returning to your lodging.

Board a 4x4 for a drive to the Barclayville Cemetery, where early settlers and dignitaries are laid to rest beneath shaded mahogany trees. Reflect on Liberia’s founding and the town’s role in national politics. Continue to President Barclay’s modest former residence and hear tales of his leadership.

Visit the nearby Barclay Memorial Hall to view murals depicting key events in Liberian history. Join a guided lecture on the impact of colonial trade routes and Americo-Liberian settlers. Enjoy a packed picnic under a giant kapok tree along the Cavalla River.

Return to town for a sunset stroll along the riverbank, watching fishermen bring in their evening catch. Eat grilled tilapia with side dishes of dahn rice and okra stew at an open-air riverside stand. Cap off the night by listening to local storytellers recounting folk legends around a bonfire.

Embark on a motorized canoe safari down the Cavalla River to spot water monitor lizards, kingfishers, and other wildlife. Float peacefully under mangrove canopies and learn about the river’s ecology from an expert naturalist. Take photographs of colorful shorebirds and elusive otters.

Stop at an island clearing for a riverside picnic of jollof rice, smoked fish, and garden salads. Wade in shallow waters or cast a line for a chance to catch tilapia. Continue upstream to hidden rapids where you can cool off with a quick swim.

Return to Barclayville before dusk and enjoy a riverside barbecue featuring freshly caught fish and seasonal vegetables. Sample homemade cassava beer and dance to acoustic guitar melodies. Head back to your lodge under a clear canopy of stars.

Set off before sunrise with a park ranger into the Gola Rainforest Reserve, one of West Africa’s last primary forests. Trek along shaded trails listening for forest duikers and hornbills. Learn to identify medicinal plants used by local communities.

Pause for a riverside lunch of cassava leaves stew and grilled chicken wrapped in banana leaves. Resume your hike to a scenic waterfall, where you can take a refreshing dip. Keep an eye out for indigenous monkeys and bright blue butterflies flitting through the understory.

Return to camp as fireflies emerge and the forest hum grows louder. Gather around a communal fire to taste plantain fritters and groundnut soup. Fall asleep to the sounds of crickets and distant calls of nocturnal wildlife.

Travel to a nearby Krahn artisan village nestled at the forest edge, greeted with songs and kola nut blessings. Observe women weaving colorful baskets and men carving wooden masks for rituals. Try your hand at weaving a small souvenir under local instruction.

Share a home-cooked lunch of cassava fufu and fish stew with your host family. Watch a demonstration of traditional pottery making using locally sourced clay. Explore the village’s open-air gallery displaying hand-painted fabrics and beadwork.

Attend a cultural exchange where villagers perform drumming and dance to welcome you. Sample honey wine and taste fresh coconut juice as the sky darkens. Camp in basic huts or return to your lodge feeling enriched by community insights.

Return to Barclayville for a hands-on cooking workshop at a community center kitchen. Gather fresh ingredients from the garden—tomatoes, peppers, and herbs—and learn how to prepare Liberian staple dishes. Practice pounding cassava into dough and shaping it for steaming.

Cook a three-course meal alongside local chefs: start with palm nut soup, follow with jollof rice and grilled chicken, and end with sweet coconut pudding. Learn tips for balancing flavors with smokiness and spice. Sit down to enjoy your creations with new friends from nearby villages.

Volunteer to help distribute leftovers to a neighboring orphanage, engaging with children eager to share their smiles. Return to town for an informal cooking contest, where your team competes to create the best-tasting sauce. Celebrate with cold sodas and laughter under twinkling lights.

Drive east to Buchanan’s palm-lined coastline for a day by the Atlantic Ocean. Walk along golden sands collecting seashells and watching fishing boats sail by. Take a refreshing dip in the turquoise waves.

Enjoy a beachfront lunch of grilled shrimp skewers, sweet plantains, and coconut water at a local shack. Join a group lesson in traditional surfboard-making or learn how to pilot a pirogue. Try surfing small break waves under the guidance of local experts.

Return to Barclayville and treat yourself to a seafood feast of crab and lobster at a family-run beachfront eatery. Watch the sun sink below the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant reds and purples. Stroll the shoreline under a full moon before heading back to your lodging.

Spend a relaxed morning exploring Barclayville’s botanical garden, learning about medicinal herbs and cocoa trees. Snap photos of fragrant orchids and bird species perched in the canopy. Sip fresh hibiscus tea at the garden pavilion.

Visit the town’s cultural center to prepare costumes and masks for a traditional dance performance. Practice rhythmic movements and drum patterns under the guidance of master dancers. Understand the symbolism behind each gesture and instrument.

Attend a vibrant showcase in the open-air amphitheater, where dancers perform the Soko and Damba dances in colorful attire. Join the final circle dance with locals, clapping and singing along. End the evening with finger foods of spicy pepper sauce and roasted groundnuts.

Enjoy a farewell breakfast of akara fritters and banana porridge at your lodge. Exchange contact information with new friends and guide, expressing gratitude for the warm hospitality. Pack souvenirs like woven baskets and carved masks for your journey home.

Take a final stroll through Barclayville’s main street, revisiting favorite spots and vendors. Stop at a café for chilled palm wine and reflect on your immersive experience. Board your vehicle for the scenic drive back to Monrovia or the airport.

Arrive at Roberts International Airport in time for your departure flight. Share stories and photos with fellow travelers while waiting in the departure lounge. Raise a toast to your enriching 10-day journey through Barclayville, Liberia.