What do we know about the Ivory Coast? That its inhabitants are called "Ivorians" and that the elephant is its emblematic animal. And then? Not much else. Many even hesitate about the name of its capital. A tourist guide to Côte d'Ivoire will try to show that it is anything but an ordinary destination and that it does not lack assets. From the lagoons to the dense primary forests, from the savannah to the misty mountains in the west of the country, it holds in its hands an inestimable wealth. The Camoea National Park, where elephants can be seen, is the symbol of this. Côte d'Ivoire is also a country of bustling and tumultuous cities such as Abidjan, the former colonial city and cultural capital, Yamoussoukro, the more discreet administrative capital, Grand-Bassam and its colonial district. Today, between past and hope, the Ivorians move forward slowly, with attention and mistrust. But they will help you discover their country with kindness...

When to go Ivory Coast ?

Are you wondering when to go to Côte d'Ivoire? As in many West African countries, the tourist season extends from December to April (the main dry season). Except for some regional variations, during these 5 months, the climate is dry and pleasant, with temperatures ranging between 25°C and 30°C. From April to July, it is the great rainy season, which sees a rise in temperatures and abundant rainfall; this period is therefore rather to be avoided, because the showers, often torrential, make the tracks not very practicable, thus penalizing tourism in certain parts of the country (in particular in the north and west). The ideal climatic period to undertake a trip is from December to April; however, the period from July to September, which is more balanced in terms of temperature and rainfall, is recommended to discover another face, green and humid, of the Sahelian regions of the country (north, east). At this time of the year, the landscapes are indeed of great beauty, because the land, after the great rainy season, is covered with a coat of lush vegetation that contrasts singularly with the dusty drought in force the rest of the time.

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Practical information for travel Ivory Coast

Côte d'Ivoire is often not well known for its tourist circuits. Abidjan is often explored by many businessmen and visiting Frenchmen, but few visitors venture inland or to the west coast. Yet the country has many riches that it would be a pity not to discover during a stay. All you have to do is get out of the capital! Head for the east coast, the easiest to reach towards Grand-Bassam and Assinie, the west coast, less obvious, to spend time on wild beaches towards San Pedro. Or the center, to visit Yamoussoukro, Bouaké and learn about Baoulé traditions, the west to hike in the Taï forest, climb the mountains around Man, the north to discover the Senoufo culture and the west to immerse yourself in Agni traditions. Stays that require a good preparation to calculate the time spent in the bush and solid logistics

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How to go Ivory Coast

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How to go alone

You can go alone to Côte d'Ivoire. It is advisable to book your plane tickets and accommodation in advance. This will greatly facilitate your trip. If Côte d'Ivoire is globally a safe country, don't forget that it is a relatively poor country and that your wealth can be coveted: be careful. Being accompanied by a local guide can be useful, especially to "face" the African tracks.

How to go on a tour

Many organized stays are proposed to discover the Ivory Coast: discovery of the Ivorian nature, observation of elephants and chimpanzees, solidarity stays, ecotourism stays, seaside stays, combined tours, 4x4 tours, stays in immersion with local populations... The offer is varied!

How to get around

The discovery of the country is essentially done by private vehicle (standard or 4x4) or by public transport (bus, gbaka, taxi-brousse). Locally, one can also use two-wheelers, motorized or not (and nevertheless rather inadvisable if one takes into account the state of the roads and the way of driving of many Ivorians), the pinasse, the pirogue, or simply one's small feet.

Public transportation is generally to be avoided: punctuality and safety are not the key words.

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Discover Ivory Coast

Côte d'Ivoire is a country with a turbulent history that has experienced two decades of political and military crisis. For the past ten years, stability seems to have returned, and with it, a dynamic economy. But inequalities remain and a major challenge. Its population is a wonderful patchwork of populations, with ways of life specific to each ethnic group and multiple religions. The country is divided between rurality dominated by cocoa and urbanity concentrated in Abidjan. But Ivorians unite in a beautiful harmony of celebration, in the maquis to laugh and dance, or to support their soccer team. In addition to its fascinating culture, the country has a thousand beauties, including the primary forest of Taï, the green mountains towards Man and a coast between ocean and lagoon of the most poetic.

Pictures and images Ivory Coast

Mixité culturelle. iStockPhoto.com - vgajic
La Côte d'Ivoire produit beaucoup de cacao. BOULENGER Xavier - Shutterstock.com
Forêt de palmiers, Jacqueville. BOULENGER Xavier - Shutterstock.com
Cérémonie à Man. DUNYA DEGISMEDEN - Shutterstock.com

The 12 keywords Ivory Coast

1. Abidjanaise

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Adopted in 1960 at independence, the Abidjanese is the national anthem of Côte d'Ivoire, although Abidjan is no longer the capital. The lyrics are by Mathieu Ekra, Joachim Bony and Pierre-Marie Coty. The Abidjanaise begins like this:  Salut "O land of hope/Country of hospitality (...)". A phrase that embodies the Ivorian mentality

2. Acronyms

An Ivorian passion, you will quickly realize it on the spot, in public and private institutions as well as in everyday words. The president is thus renamed PR, the national pride FBI (Fier d'être un bon Ivoirien), the smoked fish-attiéké the PFA, the prostitutes DVD (back and belly outside) and so on

3. Akwaba

Akwaba, which means "welcome"(Me ma wo akwaaba: "I welcome you") in Twi, an Akan dialect spoken in Ghana (from which the Baoule people originate), is the sesame word by which Ivorians, renowned for their hospitality, will open their doors, their hearts and their bars to you, although it is less used orally than "welcome arrival"

4. Ambianceur

Atmospheric is a big party boy. From the drunken sapper who monopolizes the microphone by breaking the audience's eardrums, to the trendy faroteur (show-off) dressed in brand names, to the boucantier, alias champagnard, whose popularity is measured by the money slammed into the boxes. By extension: the verbs "ambiancer" and "ivoiriser le coin"

5. Cocoa

Fèves de cacao. shutterstock - Trekkathon.jpg

The "brown gold" of Houphouët, at the origin of the economic miracle of the 1970s, which earned Côte d'Ivoire the nickname of "Cocoa Republic" (better than banana republic). It has become one of the pillars of the dazzling development of Côte d'Ivoire, the world's leading producer, contributing nearly 40% of the world's bean production

6. Coupé-décalé

The coupe-decalé and its multiple musical emanations drink any Ivorian club that respects itself, carried by their leader DJ Arafat, the "Zeus of Africa", phenomenon in Côte d'Ivoire died in 2019 in a tragic motorcycle accident. It emanates from buses, markets, houses, thundering most of the time, it is omnipresent!

7. Lagoon

Lagune d'Abidjan. shutterstock - Hailu Wudineh TSEGAYE.jpg

Côte d'Ivoire is a country "blessed with waters". The lagoon network occupies 60% of an oceanfront, over 350 km in length and 1,400 km² in surface area. It has a total of thirty-two lagoons, including the Ebrié lagoon on which Abidjan is built. Around these ecosystems live people who are exclusively dedicated to fishing.

8. Nouchi

"Poil de nez" in Dioula is French Creole with Ivorian sauce, "parler Moussa" - mixed with Bambara and other Ivorian languages. Born in the ghettos ("glôglô") of Abidjan, this language is infinitely rich and differs from one neighbourhood to another. Popular slang, it conveys in truculent and evocative words the wisdom of the street.

9. Reconciliation

This word has been omnipresent since the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission - inspired by the South African model - after the resolution of the post-electoral crisis, succeeding the word "peace" and "never again. It remains to become effective in people's hearts, because according to Houphouët-Boigny's maxim, "it's not a word, it's a behavior

10. Reggae

In Ivory Coast, there is reggae, and there is all the other music. Here, we do not mess with the green-yellow-red, largely thanks to the international reputation of Alpha Blondy, Tiken Jah Fakoly or Ismael Isaac. Abidjan is an African capital of reggae, which can be heard in many bars. Amateurs, do not abstain!

11. Toubab, toubabou

Refers to a white person, without being pejorative. You'll hear it often! The word toubab, would come from toubib, the doctor, derived from the Algerian Arabic "tbib", "the sorcerer", the doctors being then white. It would also come from the Mandinka word "tubabu", which means white. In Ivory Coast, "toubabou" is used.

12. Yako

A typically Ivorian expression of compassion, which has no equivalent in French. It is probably the one you will hear most often in Côte d'Ivoire, because Ivorians use it indiscriminately, in all circumstances: if you are seized, tired, angry, if you sneeze or if you have just lost a loved one.

You are from here, if...

You order agouti au maquis. Among the bush meats, this coypu is the most sought-after in Ivory Coast. Usually cooked in a sauce or stew, it is highly prized for the flavour of its flesh, close to that of rabbit.

You use "chôco" to break everything up. Originally, "chôcô" applied to the imitation of the Westerner: "tu chôcô, dèh!" means "you talk like a white man". Today, by extension, "chôcô" qualifies what is chic, "well-dressed", trendy: the "chôcô-tude"

You "spray" yourself very often. Synonymous with "fun". A typical nouchi word, derived from the English word "enjoy", "enjaillement" means joy, pleasure. For example: "We're going to enjailler" (We're going to have fun). In four words as in a hundred: to be happy. Quite simply

You are not a "gaou", a redneck, an ignorant villager, a guy who is not hip, who is not "yêrê" (by the way). Female of the gaou: the gaouase

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