Ivory Coast also known as Côte d’Ivoire is one of the countries in West Africa coast along the Gulf of Guinea.  This West African country is a vast plateau region that grows into Mountains and raised hills in the North West. It is bordered by Liberia  and Guinea in the west,  Burkina Faso and Mali to the north, Ghana in the east and the Atlantic Ocean in the south

Côte d’Ivoire lies in the region of strong ancient empire and early states in West Africa which included Kong Empire, Gyaaman and Baoule …to mention but  a few. This country was once colonized by the French 1843-1893 and gained independence in August 1960.

The official language is thus French although other local languages such as Baoule, Dioula and Dan among others are used. The people of Ivory Coast practice Islam, Christianity and other secular beliefs. There are different African tribes and cultures with unique tribal traits when it comes to Music, dance, festival, practices, dressing and food.

Ivory Coast is considered to be the most stable economy in Africa and West Africa despite the recent turmoil and hostilities arising from the recent political struggles and elections in the last decade.

Despite the political unrest, the country boasts some of the most amazing cities in Africa, as well as plenty of beaches, parks, and otherwise. It is a country of great natural beauty, and a testament to days when things were more stable.

Towns and Cities

Yamoussoukro is the capital of Ivory Coast although Abidjan is more popular town than Yamoussoukro. It is one of the largest cities in Ivory Coast with more than 300,000 inhabitants. Some of the attractions in Yamoussoukro include the golf course, Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro (Basilica Notre Dame), museum, vibrant markets and beautiful people

Abidjan is the largest city and houses more than 3.5 million Ivoirians. It is the administrative capital of Ivory Coast with international offices, NGOs, government offices and several hotels for business and Holiday accommodation. Some of the attractions in Abidjan include the lagoon, spectacular Hotel Ivoire and Banco National Park.  St Paul’s cathedral is one of the most attractive and prominent architectural works from 1985.

Bouaké is the second largest city in Côte d’Ivoire and another important city in the country. This town is home to Bouake people-one of the popular tribes in Ivory Coast. Another interesting city in Ivory coast is Man. Man is a small town situated to the west of the central region of Ivory Coast. The town is known as the best area to buy the famous Yacouba masks, as well as beautiful traditional fabrics.

Tourism

Several artifacts and buildings are evident of the French colonial era. Some of the most popular sight seeing tours in Côte d’Ivoire includes tours of basilica at Yamoussoukro, which is nearly an exact replica of St. Peter’s in Rome. The stunning cathedral contains more stained glass and mosaics than any other church or Roman Catholic Cathedral in France.

Vast stretches of rainforest, plenty of beaches and national parks are what define Mother Nature’s gifts to Ivory Coast. There are several National parks in Côte d’Ivoire but only there are UNESCO World Heritage Sites-Tai National Park (Habits one of the  largest rainforests in West Africa), Comoe National Park, and the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve. Other parks and wildlife reserves for Côte d’Ivoire tourism include Mount Peko, Mount Sangb , Assangny National park and Banco Park among others.

Then there is the impressive Cascade Waterfall, located in a bamboo forest in the lush region around the town of Man, which also hosts the intriguing annual Festival of Masks with performing stilt-dancers.

Weather

The Ivory Coast is found in the tropical Equatorial region of Africa thus boasts a favorable climate all year round.  The country has four seasons with long dry season between December and May, short dry season in July to October then a long period of rainy weather then another rainy season October to the end of November.

The hottest months are June, July and October especially for the central parts of the country. The north is much drier than the southern region

Travel information

Travel by flight to Cote d’Ivoire is via Abidjan International Airport (ABJ) connects Abidjan with over 35 destinations. Other airports in Ivory Coasts include Boigny Int’l airport in Port Bouet, Ferkessedougou Airport, Sassandra Airport, Yamoussoukro Airport, Boundiali Airport and several smaller others

Alternative travel is by railway from Abidjan to Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso. There are public transport means such as buses, mini-buses, motorcycles and private car hire companies.

Travel documents such as Passports and visa are important before travelling to Ivory Coast. Some of the travel information is available from Embassies and diplomatic missions in Abidjan such as

Ambassade de France en Côte d’Ivoire:
Rue Lecoeur – 17 BP 175 Abidjan 17.

Canadian Embassy in Abidjan:
Trade Centre Building, 6th and 7th floors,
23 Noguès Avenue, Plateau, Abidjan.

Embassy of The United States of America in Abidjan:
Rue Jesse Owens, 01 B.P. 1712 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire.

Abidjan Accommodation

Some of the hotels in Côte d’Ivoire include Ibis Abidjan Plateau located in Abidjan. Ibis Plateau Hotel has 185 rooms, restaurants, swimming pool, conference facilities and offers tours to the central Abidjan business district. Other hotels include Novotel Abidjan: 10 Ave du General de Gaulle, Abidjan, Hotel Ivorie Abidjan and others located in Bouake, Man and Yamoussoukro.

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