Ivory Coast : Why go there?
Ivory Coast : The good reasons to go
A trendy capital
Abidjan has nothing to envy of the capitals of Europe, with a number of nice bars and restaurants.
Here, we mix!
Socio-cultural barriers fade away, and communities mingle without complexes.
The Ivorian way of life
Ivorians are hedonists: they like to eat, drink, dance, laugh...
Animist traditions
Inland, you can witness impressive animist mask ceremonies.
A sense of welcome
Ivoirians are welcoming, warm, funny and have a great sense of fun. Akwaba!
A cultural wealth
The country has nearly 70 ethnic groups and as many languages, a real cultural richness.
A developed road network
There are still some chaotic tracks, but there are plenty of paved roads.
Heavenly beaches
The coastline from San Pedro to Assinie is full of wild beaches and seaside resorts.
Lagoons galore
It is pleasant to discover, by pirogue, the lagoon villages of fishermen on the coast.
The forest of Taï
This preserved primary forest is a haven of nature and a chimpanzee sanctuary.
Ivory Coast : Good to know to visit
Timetable
Generally speaking, in Africa and Côte d'Ivoire, daily life begins at the first light of dawn. In large cities, due to transport, shops open and close a little later than in medium-sized towns. For shops, opening and closing hours are approximately as follows: between 7:30 and 9 am in the morning, between 5 pm and 7 pm in the evening, some shops such as supermarkets remain open until 8 pm and beyond. Banks generally operate during the day (8am to 2pm or 3pm), and most services and administrations close around 4pm. An Ivorian or expatriate worker's day usually ends between 5 and 6 pm.
To be booked
To get to the Taï Forest National Park, you'll need to make reservations and organize your expedition carefully. For Banco National Park, organization is directly at the entrance. For the rest, it's best to have a local guide who will call the people in charge of the small local museums to make sure they're open (as they're rarely visited, apart from Yamoussoukro and Grand-Bassam). The other parks and reserves are not easily accessible, as they are not well prepared for tourism.
Budget & Tips
Tours aren't usually very expensive - it's the guide who'll cost more - but the lack of directions and information often makes his or her presence indispensable, if not worthwhile. We therefore recommend local guides.
What's very local
Traditional cultural ceremonies in the interior of the country, especially in the north, west and east, are obviously festivities that you should try to attend, and organize your stay well in advance with guides if you are to have the chance to do so. First and foremost is the tradition of poro and mask dances in Sénoufo, Baoulé or Yacouba country.
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Ivory Coast : Discover
Côte d'Ivoire is a country with a turbulent history. But over the past 15 years, stability has returned, and with it a dynamic, booming economy. Since the African Cup of Nations, the country has seen the beginnings of tourism development, which could become an integral part of its economy. Its population is a marvellous patchwork of populations, with each ethnic group having its own way of life and multiple religions. The country is divided between rural life dominated by cocoa and urban life 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 boasts a thousand beauties, including the primary forest of Taï, the green mountains around Man and a poetic coastline between ocean and lagoon. The Sénoufos and Yacoubas, for example, perform traditional ceremonies with masks.
