Côte d’Ivoire is the most developed country among the former French colonies in West Africa. However, 40% of the population lives below the poverty line, and agriculture is the only way for many of them to survive.
Failure to observe personal safety measures in the country is life-threatening. Robbery is possible outside the cities, any foreigner is considered a source of income. We do not recommend visiting the country, but if you are not satisfied with the more peaceful Kenya and Namibia and prefer extreme recreation, you can see elephants, hippos and crocodiles here.
The main thing about the country
- There are no organized tours. Most tourists plan their route on their own.
- A holiday in Côte d’Ivoire with hotel accommodation will cost from 250 US dollars per day plus expenses for entertainment and excursions.
- The cost of a flight from Moscow to Abidjan is from 60 thousand rubles per person one way.
- The time difference with Moscow is plus 3 hours.
- The official name is the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire (RCI), the capital is Yamoussoukro.
- Former name: Ivory Coast.
- Former colony of France. Independence was declared in August 1960.
- Situated in the southern part of West Africa. It borders Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana. The southern coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.
- The official language is French. There are about 60 nationalities living in Côte d’Ivoire, the main ethnic groups are the Akan, Mande, and Kru. There are 78 languages spoken in the country.
- The economic center of the country is Abidjan, with a population of 5 million people. It is a modern city with good roads and interchanges.
- Religion: Christianity, Islam, local African confessions.
- The climate is humid, equatorial. The average annual temperature in Abidjan is +29 °C, relative air humidity is 83 – 85%.
- The business climate is unfavorable, unfair competition is possible.
- The dominant source of income in the country is the agricultural sector. Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s largest producer of cocoa. The country also produces coffee and palm oil for export.
- The local population is quite welcoming to foreigners, but at every opportunity they try to beg for money.
Visa and entry
Russian citizens must obtain an entry visa at the Ivory Coast Embassy in Moscow. Children must have a separate passport to obtain a visa.
To obtain a visa to Côte d’Ivoire, you must present a yellow fever vaccination certificate, an invitation or hotel reservation (for tourists), a copy of an airline ticket reservation, and a bank statement for the previous three months (for tourists).
The validity period of the passport must be at least 6 months from the expected date of departure from the country.
Customs
Cash equivalents above USD 1,700 are subject to declaration.
Duty-free import/export is permitted:
- up to 5 liters of alcoholic beverages;
- up to 20 packs of cigarettes.
The import/export of artistic and cultural-historical valuables, weapons and ammunition is only possible with prior permission from the relevant ministries.
When to go
The rainy season is from May to July and also from October to November. Heavy rains and thunderstorms are long lasting, sometimes lasting for several days. Roads become impassable at this time. In January and February, the harmattan sand wind blows from the Sahara,
The best time to visit Ivory Coast is from December to February. The temperature in the dry season does not exceed +35 °C. We recommend taking with you sunglasses with UV protection, a sun hat, repellents, and long-sleeved cotton clothing.
Holidays and non-working days
January 1 – New Year;
Easter (floating date);
Ascension (floating date);
May 1 – Labor Day;
Pentecost (floating date);
Beginning of the month of Ramadan – (floating date);
End of the month of Ramadan (Eid al-Adha) – (floating date);
Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) – (floating date);
August 7 – Independence Day (National Holiday);
August 15 – Assumption;
November 1 – All Saints’ Day;
November 15 – Peace Day;
December 25th is Christmas.
Currency
The national currency is the CFA franc.
Credit cards are accepted only in the capitals (Yamoussoukro and Abiljan) and large hotels. It is better to travel to the provinces with cash.
Some exchange offices work seven days a week, some of them work around the clock. Banks are open on weekdays from 8:00 to 17:00. Exchange rates vary in different places, and it is also possible to charge commissions in any amount.
It is better to take euros with you, the exchange rate will be more favorable than for dollars.
Prices
A meal at a mid-range restaurant costs around $33. A room at a mid-range hotel will cost between $100 and $165. In large cities, you can rent a room for $18 to $20.
A taxi ride from the airport to the center of Abidjan will cost 10 US dollars.
* all prices are valid for June 2022
How to get there
There is no direct connection with Russia. You can get there with transfers by flights:
- Air France (via Paris);
- Brussels Airlines (via Brussels);
- Emirates (via Dubai);
- Royal Air Maroc (via Casablanca);
- Turkish Airlines (via Istanbul).
Entry into the country is also possible through the seaports of Abidjan and San Pedro. Roundtrip flights to Ivory CoastThe prices are for tickets per person departing from Amsterdam.
Hotels
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Beaches
Unlike most African countries, the beaches in Côte d’Ivoire have a high level of service. Vacationers can fully enjoy a relaxing holiday or go surfing.
Sassandra . A well-equipped tourist area. It is a long strip of sand surrounded by tropical forest. The best place for surfing is Plage de Bivak and the adjacent Poli Plage. The biggest waves on the coast are noted here.
Assini . Well-groomed, perfectly clean, with snow-white sand and a gentle slope into the water. Surfers appreciate it for its good waves, and sunbathers – for its silence and lack of crowds. Locals sell fruits, soft drinks, souvenirs.
Monogaga . One of the best beaches in Ivory Coast, located between San Pedro and Sassandra. Popular with locals and tourists. Vacationers are offered a variety of beach activities, including surfing, beach volleyball, sand drawing competitions. Here you can also try seafood dishes.
Resorts
Situated on the Atlantic coast. Distinguishing feature – good service. Tourists can rent any accommodation that suits them, from modest hotels and bungalows to luxurious cottages. The range of options offered depends on the cost of the room. Some offer a common kitchen area and barbecue facilities, while other places have 24-hour restaurants and bars. All hotels have access to the beach.
Hotels and holiday homes are located along the coast. The most important resort towns are Sassandra, Abidjan, Grand Bassam (the former capital of the country, a ghost town).
Attractions
Exoticism and contrasts are found at every turn. In the administrative capital, in the very center of the city, next to the former presidential palace, there is a lake teeming with crocodiles. The tropical forest comes to the city quarters, and the Great Mosque remains elegant in its simplicity. But first place among all the country’s attractions is occupied by nature reserves.
Comoé National Park . One of the largest territories in Africa under UNESCO protection. The area is 11.5 thousand square kilometers. Geographical zones range from humid savanna to semi-desert. Three rivers flow through the park.
Tai National Park . The second largest in Côte d’Ivoire, it is a tropical forest with rich fauna. Here you can see elephants, chimpanzees, monkeys, buffalos, hippos. The park offers various excursions, accommodation in an eco-hotel, overnight stays on Mount Nienkoue. Specially protected natural area.
Mount Sangbe National Park . Situated on the territory of three mountain ranges. In the park you can meet zebras, leopards, elephants, and royal antelopes.
Azagni National Park . Located 120 km from Abidjan. Habitat of elephants, buffalos, chimpanzees.
Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix) . The largest church in the world, larger in size than St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Located in the capital.
Le Plateau Park and Parc du Banco . Managed tropical forests, located in Abidjan.
Church of Our Lady of Marial . Catholic pilgrimage center. Famous for its biblical scenes made in stained glass.
Mosque in the city of Kong . Built in the Sudanese style from mud brick. A cult place for Muslims.
The Museum of Civilization in Abidjan is considered the country’s main museum . The exhibition features household items of the Baoulé and Yacouba tribes, ritual masks, and ivory crafts.
Entertainment
Every year in Côte d’Ivoire there are colorful carnivals and festivals dedicated to deities and Independence Day. The most notable of them is the Mask Festival, which takes place in February. They are of interest to connoisseurs of African culture.
For entertainment, tourists are offered surfing and excursions to national parks.
In the evening and at night, we recommend not to leave your place of residence, it is life-threatening.
Kitchen
The national cuisine is unusual for Europeans, it has a lot of bananas and hot peppers. The dishes are based on rice, millet, corn, cassava, pork, poultry, fish, seafood, fruits and vegetables. Snails are highly valued, here they are grilled. The favorite drink of the Ivorians is palm wine “Bangui”.
The main dish in Côte d’Ivoire is attieké, made from cassava. It is eaten with meat, fish, and vegetables. The taste can be compared to couscous.
Sauces are prepared for all dishes – from peanuts, eggplants, chicken broth, pomegranate seeds. As a rule, they are very spicy.
A special place is occupied by dishes made from bananas “plantains”, their difference from the fruits we are used to is in their size, they are very large. They are boiled, fried, mashed, baked on coals.
The restaurants serve dishes familiar to Europeans, including fish and seafood.
Souvenirs
Memorable items and souvenirs can be bought in souvenir shops or markets. You can bargain on the street – when they see a white person, traders raise prices tenfold.
What usually attracts the attention of tourists:
- Large wooden spoons shaped like humans. Locals use them to cook rice.
- Figurines of wild African animals made of wood or stone. They are distinguished by their great realism.
- Scary masks for ritual dances. They have characteristic human features. We recommend that you think carefully about whether you should take such things home, since, according to the beliefs of the Ivorians themselves, they are the bearer of a certain energy.
- Everyday ceramic and glassware. Candlesticks, dinnerware, ceramic plates, jugs, vases, hookahs. Quite often, colored glass is used for these purposes.
- Burnouses. National woolen capes without buttons and with a hood.
- Aromatic oils. They make them here from everything, even cacti.
The “female” theme can be singled out separately – figurines of women with large breasts and various female silhouettes made from hard wood.
Transport
Public transport is represented by motorcycle taxis and intercity buses. City buses operate only in Abidjan. We strongly advise against using public transport. If you need to go out, you should call a taxi.
There is only one railway line, from Abidjan to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The fare is 50 euros, and the trains run without a schedule. The sanitary condition of the trains is questionable.
Safety
The crime situation in the country is difficult, the level of terrorist threats is high. When visiting the country, we recommend that you take increased security measures, and stay in your hotel at night. Visiting the Abobo, Adjame, Yopougon, Koumassi, Port Boue districts in Abidjan at any time of the day is life-threatening.
Outside the city, armed attacks on people and robberies are possible.
Original documents and large sums of money should be hidden as much as possible, so as not to lose them in case of theft. You should make copies of your passport and carry them with you – police officers at all posts check documents and write down personal data.
Medicine
The sanitary and epidemiological situation in the country is unfavorable. Malaria, yellow fever, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, B and C, dengue fever, meningitis, and HIV infection are common in Côte d’Ivoire.
Medical care is paid everywhere. Having medical insurance for foreign citizens is not mandatory. Urgent medical care is also provided on a paid basis. The level of care provided is behind the modern one. You should have your own first aid kit.
We recommend that you get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever, meningitis, and tetanus before visiting the country.
Traditions
Islam is practiced by 40% of the population in Côte d’Ivoire. We recommend that you respect traditions and not wear clothes that offend the feelings of believers.
Internet
Mobile and Internet services are provided by three operators: Orange, MTN, Moov. Large cities have stable 3G coverage, and Abidjan has 4G coverage areas. Mobile communications in cities are stable. A minute of conversation costs about 27 cents. There are several Internet cafes in Abidjan.
In rural areas there are problems with communication, in some places it is simply absent.
Operators offer two tariff options – based on the actual number of calls and minutes and prepayment. You can top up your account in special huts, usually located along the roads.
Useful facts
- The network voltage is 220 V.
- Traffic on the roads is on the right (the steering wheel is on the left), local drivers do not follow traffic rules.
- The cost of any service or product is agreed upon immediately, otherwise you may be asked to pay 10 times more.
- A typical African picture: beyond the central streets of the cities, slums begin immediately.
- Extortion is widespread in the country. Foreigners are approached with the aim of “talking” and asking for money.
Useful phone numbers
- Embassy of the Russian Federation in Abidjan: +225-22-43-09-59;
- Police: 111, 170, 147;
- National Institute of Public Hygiene: 101, 143.
- Ambulance: 185.
Local laws
It is prohibited to take photographs near military installations and government buildings, radio and television stations, the presidential building, the airport, the de Gaulle and Houphouët-Boigny bridges in Abidjan.