CÔTE D’IVOIRE 303 © Lonely Planet Publications 00 % 225; international access code 225; international % 17.3 million French, Mande, Malinké, Dan, Senoufo, Baoulé, French, Country code Wet seasons: south (May to July and October to All borders open, but only Ghana All US$40 minimum daily in , Yamoussoukro West African CFA franc; US$1 = CFA498 CFA West African Found throughout the government- Required by all except citizens of the US and most West African countries; get one of the US and most West African by all except citizens Required GMT/UTC 322,465 sq km Area ATMs controlled south Borders safe Budget US$15 to US$20 elsewhere Capital Languages Dioula Agni, Money Population Seasons north (JuneNovember), to October) Telephone Time Visas you arrive before

FAST FACTS FACTS FAST            

A consequent string of coups and popular insurgencies shook the country, and norther n- shook the country, and northerA consequent string of coups and popular insurgencies apart nations. d’Ivoire from other West African the modernity that sets Côte But it’s really Côte d’Ivoire and a role model for stability on the was once the economic miracle of Africa d’Ivoire Côte the post-independence breaking from their colonial masters, completely continent. Never and considerable prosperity. capital to build a modern infrastructure leaders wooed French the notion of promoted long-servingThe Houphouët-Boigny, and charismatic first president, society The values. capitalism with benign African a happy amalgam of pragmatic Western ended with his death. was far from liberal and the dream however, over, he presided community Most of the huge French-expat in 2002 violently split it half. led rebellion the country abounds in some jumped ship, and the economy has since crumbled. However, vast patch of National de Taï’s such as Parc of the best natural attractions in West Africa, coast. It’s also a land rich in tradition and the string of beaches along Atlantic rainforest tribal mix that includes Dan, Lobi, Baoulé and Senoufo peoples. due to a diverse these days, but its shimmering skyscrapers will still astound. Abidjan is decidedly dog-eared which of Rome’s St Peter’s, is famous for its basilica, an astonishing replica Yamoussoukro place in today’s world, current era and, in a way, Africa’s epitomises the Houphouët-Boigny signs of fading. since the Big Man philosophy shows few CÔTE D’IVOIRE

ITINERARIES reduce visibility. windsblowinginfromtheSaharagreatlytan national parks.ComeDecember,theharmat- visitstobeaches theywillaffect however, and rains shouldn’t impedetravel toomuch; in thewestern highlands. above 35°C.Temperatures candropto10°C February, withmiddaymaximumsregularly north, theaverage is26°CfromDecemberto peratures averaging 28°C.Intheless-humid October. Thesouthisvery humid,withtem- lastsfromJuneto drier north,thewetseason November.July andOctoberthrough Inthe May The southhastwowetseasons: through CLIMATE &WHENTOGO 304 HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS      

glory of Yamoussoukro ( p310 ), orsoak thevain- you couldalsoget uptosee themselves toAbidjan ( p307 ), though Days Three of exhilarating music andmasked dance. Man inspiring basilica. Yamoussoukro expedition. chimpanzees onasafari Parc NationaldeTaï clad strands. forwildlife rainforest-or search atthese West Coastbeaches town andenjoythefadedcolonialcharm. Grand Bassam Since mostintercity roadsare the sealed,

    MUCH? HOW      LONELY INDEX PLANET 

ÔEDIOR • Hglgt CÔTE D’IVOIRE••Highlights Plate ofAloco Souvenir T-shirt Bottle of Flag beer 1.5L ofbottled water 1L petrol A nightatalive musicshow US$8 Small Korhogo clothwall hanging Bottle ofYouki 100km bush-taxiride Small woodenstatue ( p311 live) Experience performances Mostshort-term visitors limit US$1.10 ( p309 the ) Wanderthrough ( p310 ) Gazeupattheawe- US$1 US$0.60 ( p309 ) Communewith ( p309 ) Soakupthesun US$10 US$0.80 US$3 US$1 US$3.60 US$10

nomic troubles. President Houphouët-Boigny l all contributed to Côteogging d’Ivoire’s eco- prices on agriculturalproducts andover- last. World recession, collapsing drought, nual growth rate for20 years. Butit couldn’t 10% an- cocoa andtheeconomy maintained d’Ivoire was theworld’slargest producer of on agriculture, were wildlysuccessful. Côte economictieswithFranceand relyingclose for president. ence camein1960, hewastheobviouschoice government.in aEuropean Whenindepend- ally becamethefirst Africantobeaminister elected totheFrench parliamentandeventu- a pro-Independencepoliticalparty, hewas labour leaderwhoturnedhistrade unioninto came thecountry’sfatherof independence. A the economy. whichplantations, are stillthebackbone of coffeefor ivory,andestablishing and cocoa tookcontrol, tradingance, buteventually they metfierceresist-colonial exploitation, When theFrench beganabigpush towards Lubi,MalinkéSenoufo, andAkanflourished. relative isolation,kingdoms such astheKrou, coastline.nialism bytheinhospitable Inthis d’Ivoire were protected fromEuropeancolo- Until the1840s,indigenous peopleof Côte HISTORY  

a (p309). Taï ( Sassandra p309 ) andinParc Nationalde a mixof andsimiansaround surf, sand pace,orinsteadat acomfortable enjoy mentionedabove everything you cansee One Week Houphouët-Boigny’s policies, maintaining Houphouët-Boigny’s policies, maintaining Born in1905,FélixHouphouët-Boigny be- sii (p309). Assinie ( up somesuninGrandBassam p309 ) or this isnottobeundertaken lightly. mission tovisitTheNorth( p310 ), though the intrepid couldattempt tosecure per- pending onthecurrent situation, security government-controlled territory, or,de- mostof whatwe’ve heresee detailed in Two Weeks mation ifyoudecidetojointhem. infor- beaches, butseekup-to-the-minute ple stilltravel toAbidjanandthenearby Côte d’Ivoire remains unstable. Afew peo- WARNING With a week at your disposal atyourdisposal Withaweek Two weeks is enough timeto isenough Twoweeks lonelyplanet.com the countryreeled rebellions frommilitary Bédié’s xenophobic policiesof Ivoirité.While freepromised electionsbutinfactintensified RobertGuéi,who by forcesloyaltoGeneral its first coup.President Bédiéwasoverthrown cultural economyduringthegoodyears. Faso) thebackbone whohadbeen of theagri- ing inthenorth,fromneighbouring Burkina liv- scapegoating immigrants(mostlythose Bédié, responded tothenation’sproblems by after 33years asthecountry’spresident. phouët-Boigny woneasily.He diedin1993 to otherpartiesforthefirst time,butHou- civil unrest. The1990elections were open initiated hardshipmeasures, which sparked lonelyplanet.com du Mont Mt Nimba Intégral Reserve L IBERA (1752m) Nimba CÔTE D'IVOIRE G UINEA ὈὈ ὈὈὈ In December1999,Côte d’Ivoire suffered His hand-picked successor,Henri Konan- N'Zérékoré Bougoula Lola Kahnple Gouéssésso Toulépleu

Mt Tonkoui

Zéalé To Bamako Cavally (1223m) Danané (163km) Sipilou Touba

Kouibli Minignan River Duekoué Man Sirana Manankoro Guiglo Taï CÔTED’IVOIRE••History Mont Sangbé Biankouma Harper National du Odienné Samitiguila Mt Toura (1278m) Parc Grabo National ὈὈ Bougouni Siabli Tieni (881m) La DentdeMan de Taï Parc Tabou Guiroutou Buyo Lake M ALI Béréby Grand- Soubré

Séguéla

San Pédro S

a

s Bomizabo s

a

n Boundiali

Issia Bandama

d Daloa Kouto r

Monogaga a River Rouge Marahoué National Île du7èmeArt Goazra To Koutiala de la Parc Sassandra Ouangolodougou A TLNI COEAN ὈὈ Ὀ (130km) Korhogo Dagbego (G ulf ofGuine a) Bouaflé Niéllé YAMOUSSOUKRO Sikasso Ferkessédougou Gagnoa Kossou Lake Bandama Blanc Divo Parc National Bouaké d'Assagny

Kossou

Dam Bandama Lahou Grand Banfora Bobo-Dioulasso this trucewasshort-lived, over andfighting the mostlyMuslimnorthernpopulace. But with therebels, whohadthefullbackingof Initially thegovernment agreed toaceasefire north gainedcontrolof much of thecountry. marked byattempted coupsandtensions. lowing twoyears of Gbagbo’spresidency were power bymassive popularuprisings.Thefol- from winner,butwaschased theofficial self 2000 presidential election.Guéideclared him- GbagbowontheOctober spite this,Laurant hehadpapersthough proving De- otherwise). hismotherwasfromBurkinaFasocause (even ineligibletorunforpresidentOuattara be- declare popularMuslimcandidate Alasanne and civilunrest, Guéihadthesupreme court

Katiola Gotabo

Tanou-Sakassou River On 19 September 2002,troops from the On 19September Reserve deFauna Niangoloko d'Abokouamikro Gomon Tiagba Agboville Kong Brobo ὈὈ ὈὈ Dabou Dimbokro Kafolo Jacqueville Abidjan Parc du Banco Mbahiakro Gansé B URKINA Abengourou Ouango To Ouagadougou F ASO Ébrié Lagoon

Parc National

de laComoé Comoë (350km) Kakpin Bassam Grand des ÎlesEhotilés Parc National

Village Ki-Yi River Bondoukou Pélando 60miles 100km 0 0 Assinie Aboisso Agnibilékrou Batié Bouna

G HAN Black

Elubo Volta Wa

Swala Takoradi River Bole Kumasi

305 CÔTE D’IVOIRE D’IVOIRE CÔTE CÔTE D’IVOIRE cancelled, andGbagbodeclared hewould spected economistwithorganising elections interim primeminister, andcharged the re- mediators declared an CharlesKonanBanny mandate expiring.InDecember2005, African remain president despite hisconstitutional violence stillbreaks outsporadically. tine of peacedealsbrokered andbroken, and it lingers. backinto therou- Bothsidessettled for many,theanti-French behind sentiment themayhemaftercalled off afew days,but rians diedintheclashes. Thegovernment Most French citizensfled,anddozens of Ivo- revenge againstFrench soldiers andcitizens. citizens intoafrenzy, imploringthemtotake andradiowhipped ers, whilestate-runTV Government soldiers clashedwithpeacekeep- in retaliation, andthenallhellbroke loose. ers. TheFrench destroyedtheIvorianairforce killingnineFrench base military peacekeep- Bouaké. Twodayslater, jetsstruckaFrench fire andbombedrebel including strongholds, but on4November Gbagbobroke thecease- violent. UNpeacekeepers arrived inMarch, andmoreBy 2004thecountrywaslessstable Today d’Ivoire Côte most of thisorfurtherpeaceagreements. was intermittent andneithersidelived upto the lawless western border,buttheharmony fews were lifted andFrench troopscleanedup rebels upplacesinanewcabinet.Cur- taking of nationalunity’,withrepresentatives of the called, signedaccordscreating a‘government leaders of theNewForces,asrebels are now looting andpillaging. western-border region, andbeganfull-scale advantage of partsof thecrisistoseize the fire boundaries,andLiberianmilitiastook thecease- introopstomaintain France sent the primecocoa-growing areas resumed. 306 five-year rollercoaster many are losing hope. war and dreams of peace, but after riding a Everyone in Côte d’Ivoire worries aboutthe CULTURE untenable quo. status thority. Côte d’Ivoire remains trappedinan black-market trade,have losttheir moralau- enriched extortionand themselves through andtherebels,forts atcompromise, having The government hasmadefew ef- serious by October2006, which alsofailed tohappen. Elections calledforOctober2005 were In January 2003,President Gbagboand ÔEDIOR • Clue CÔTE D’IVOIRE••Culture most anational dish. The mostpopular places inanattractive earthenware pot–is al- served with vegetables andusually inamildsauce chicken, orsometimes guinea-fowl, simmered palm oil, isapopularstreet food. Aloco, and sauce bergine, orsauce madewitheggplant; au- madewithpalm-oilnuts;sauce a hotsauce made withgroundnuts (peanuts);sauce such withasauce, assauce served a c ouscous-like texture. They’re invariably sticky paste. poundedintoayam, cassava orplantain, rice, There are three inIvoriancooking: staples FOOD &DRINK scrubland. from theGhanaianborder. Thenorthisdry with auniqueecosystem stretches 300kmwest overwest rise lagoon 1000m,andacoastal in Parc National deTaï. peaksinthe Several Thelargest fromillegallogging. tack tractis boom, andwhatremains todayisunderat- most of itwascleared duringtheagricultural Côte rainforest, d’Ivoire tobedense but used ENVIRONMENT cal instrumentsfromthenortheast. masksandtraditionalmusi- wooden statues, Dan masksfromtheMan region andSenoufo animals.Alsoprizedaresigns andfantastical a coarse cottonpainted withgeometrical de- The definitive IvoriancraftisKorhogocloth, &CRAFTS ARTS termed animist. be loosely onancestralworship, whichligions based can 40% Muslim;therest practicetraditionalre- About 35%of thepeopleare Christian and Côte d’Ivoire hasover 60tribalgroups. PEOPLE ingly, thingshave deteriorated. days,but,notsurpris- on such thingsthese only 45years. Nooneisable totake statistics rate wasbelow50%andlife was expectancy ders thecountrywasfamousfor,literacy comes, there willstillbeproblems. People understand whenpeace that,even many peopleare givingupandgetting out. shop, farmers are barely breaking and even, Business owners are orclosingup struggling Before thewar,despiteBefore theeconomicwon- fufu adishof ripebananasfriedwithchilli in and djoumgbré, Attiéké attiéké. isgrated cassavaandhas

Fufu both with a base of bothwithabase okra. is a dough of isadough boiled lonelyplanet.com Kedjenou arachide, gombo graine, –

hospital with a 24-hour intensive-care unit. hospital witha24-hour intensive-care % Parisian the‘Paris quality–although of West ontheirwaytorestaurantsheels of four-star chic Ivorianladies clackingalonginhigh buildings,smartboutiquesand of high-rise ellers. Ononehand,it’saglitzy,vibrantcity has alwayshadamixed reputation withtrav- Abidjan, inallbutname, thecountry’scapital ABIDJAN brew, callforalocallybrewed Tuborg. isFlag,butforapremium beer The standard a skull-shattering spiritknownas able whenfreshly Distilled,itmakes tapped. is thelocalpalmwine,andespeciallypalat- tonic water, isagoodthirst quencher. grill meatseach evening. air restaurants, usuallyunderthatch roofs, that to eatoutare lonelyplanet.com SGBCI Bank Bicici Bank permarkets, change euros. stores, including HayatLebanese-owned su- In addition tobanks,most hotels and many Money StAnne-Marie Polyclinique Internationale Services Medical Internet accessiswidelyavailable inAbidjan. Access Internet INFORMATION little of everything. teaux. Southof Plateau, Treichville Le hasa tial andrestaurant districtof DeuxPla- Les of .Northof Cocodyliestheresiden- Plateau, istheexclusive residentialLe district Across afingerat night. of thelagoon,eastof government town districts.It’snearlyaghost skyscrapers, isthehubof thebusinessand and Plateau, withitsboulevards Le Lagoon. Abidjan spreads aroundtheinletsof theÉbrié ORIENTATION world. tohavewho seem slippedinfromanother hawkers andnowthegun-totingsoldiers other hand,there are thebeggars, thestreet duringtheboomyears.tion, even Onthe Africa’ moniker was abitof anexaggera- Youki Soda, a slightly sweeterversionYouki Soda,aslightly of 22-445132; offBlvdde la Corniche,Cocody)Theonly (Ave Anoma) HasanATM. (Ave Delafosse) Hasan ATM. maquis, ABIDJAN••Orientation reasonably pricedopen- koutoukou. Bandji (Pisam;

centre. welcome République, Le Plateau) There’s alsoanairport Le Plateau) Ave ImmeubleBorija, Noguès, voyager-en-afrique.com; The SIGHTS heis. says the signwithyournameisreally whohe at theairport,make sure theperson holding tle extrahassle. Ifsomeoneispickingyouup presumedThose tobeFrench often get alit- from thedrivers, andsometimespassengers. especially shared demandingbribes taxis, policeregularlying because stopvehicles, passengers get robbed. de Gaulleduringrushhourwhen many taxi wanttodrivenot even over PontduGénéral Treichvilletween Plateau. You might andLe walk over Don’tever high. the bridges be- of travellers getting mugged there remains avoided asmuch aspossiblesincethechance the timebeing, andAdjaméare best ville isrelatively safe upto15thAve, but,for after dark.Despitetaxi itsreputation, Treich- problem inAbidjan.Crime isaserious Take a DANGERS &ANNOYANCES Plateaux) .fr; RuedesJardins,Centre Commercial LouisPanis, Les Deux Voyages Prestige Osmosis Akan d’Ivoire Net VoyagesCôte Agencies Travel Tourisme d’Ivoire Côte Information Tourist low asUS$0.40perminute atinternet cafés. each tocollectandare heldforonemonth. République, post-restante letters costUS$1.70 At thecentralpostoffice,opposite Placedela Post &Telephone h tower of the porary Ivorian andotherAfrican artists.The hosts thought-provoking works bycontem- h ( The small 5pm Tue-Sat) Abrogoua &Av 13,Le Plateau;admissionUS$1.80; Blvd Latrille, LesBlvd Latrille, DeuxPlateau) % Getting aroundthe city canbefrustrat- Getting forinternational phonecallsareRates as 8am-7pm) 11am-5pm Tue-Sat) 22-471686; off Route de M’Pouto, Riviera; admissionfree; 22-471686; offRoutede M’Pouto,Riviera; Musée National Musée hasover 20,000dustyartefacts. isahuge figure stylised of StPaul, Musée Municipal d’Art Contemporain d’Art Municipal Musée ( % Cathédrale St-Paul Cathédrale

( % 07-801518; [email protected]; off 07-801518; [email protected]; , beyond theHôtel Golf, 22-417673; prestigevoyages@yahoo

( ( % % ( 20-222056; cnrBlvdNangul % 20-251610; Placedela 20-336121; info@

(Blvd Angoulvant; h 9am- 307

CÔTE D’IVOIRE D’IVOIRE CÔTE CÔTE D’IVOIRE A huge colonialbuildingfeaturing many h until late. with dozens of vendors grillingmeats,sizzles east of theGrandeMosquée. time. LookaroundCitéAdministrative and Plateau issuperbforstreetLe foodatlunch- EATING alley andmore. bowling sauna, a cinema,casino,nightclub, complex hastennis courts,swimmingpools, a monumenttoAbidjan’s bygoneglory.The empty hotel, thefamous750-roomIvoire is d $54/100; location nearaFrench camp. military airport, ithasbecomepopularthanks toits great ambience. maculate andfriendly, thegardenaddsto Jardins, Les DeuxPlateau;rUS$54-72; Plateau; rUS$45-81; not great value. it’s option isinagood,busylocation,though ville; rUS$27; good option. ish renovations, thishotel should beapretty d’Estaing, Treichville; s/dUS$22/32; International Hôtel SLEEPING (cnr Ave &RueLecoeur) Marchand shimmering Olivieri, wasthefirst daringstructure. The Botreau-Roussel) a distance. buildings are asfrom asbreathtaking upclose ing robes.It’sanimpressive sight. with thenave behind himlike sweeping trail- 308 restaurants. African dishesnot often foundinsit-down US$3.60; h Plateau; mainsUS$3.60-9; modating staff. d’Estaing; rUS$75-88; La Cascade desCombattants Restaurant Allocodrome Ivoire Hôtel Ibis Marcory delaLicorne Hostellerie Grand Hôtel TerminusHôtel Plateau andyou’llfindsomeofStroll Le the Maquis LeSolePlus Maquis lunch &dinner) lunch & dinnerMon-Sat) BDA • Sepn ABIDJAN ••Sleeping h ais a dinner) La Pyramide Ministry ofPost&TelecommunicationsMinistry , designed by the Italian architect, designedbytheItalian

)

( Treichville’s mostcomfortable (Ave Chardy,Le Plateau; mainsUS$18;

(Rue Washington,Cocody;mainsaround Thebest fish intown. % ( % This fantastic outdoorspot, Thisfantastic ( a

( % %

22-408000; Blvd Latrille, Cocody;s/ 22-408000; BlvdLatrille, ( ais ) 20-332109; RueduCommerce,Le % ) More thanjustanearly

Goodvalueandaccom- 21-756300; BlvdValéry Giscard (Ave 27, Treichville; mains US$5-9; 21-241577; BlvdDelafosse,Treich-

h (cnr Ave Franchetd’Esperey &Rue 21-240747; BlvdValéry Giscard The French cuisine breakfast, lunch&dinner)

isallcurves. ( a % ) Handy tothe )

22-410730; Ruedes ais When theyfin- (Ave Le Marchand, ) Im-

in thegardenonThursday nights. pulls offaNewYorkvibe. There’s live jazz the usualtouristtrinkets. tive onthecity. Plateau andTreichville offers a lovely perspec- The fanciest hotels have free shuttles. $US8 duringtheday. which shouldn’texceed aprice, toset 6am. Attheairport you’llneed to number 2onlyappliesmidnight ing: tariff won’t switch ontheirmeter withoutprompt- are reasonably priced,butdrivers probably the system, Taxis soit’seasiertotake ataxi. ply fixed routes, tofigure butit’stough out and Public buses AROUND GETTING south ofGiscard d’Estaing, Treichville. atthecornerofBassam Rue38andBlvdValéry GareGhanaian border,it’sbetter touse de andthe along thecoast,such asGrandBassam 4km northof Plateau. Fordestinationseast Le shambolic Gare Routière d’Adjamé,some leave andbushMost buses taxis fromthe THERE&AWAY GETTING to thecore. Chinese-built building,butinsideit’sAfrican deTreichville Marché SHOPPING Le Plateau) rhythms at You cansometimesdancetoAfro-Cuban many inthishappeningpartof Treichville. oldest danceclubsinAbidjan, andoneof Ivorian professionals. tering holeforFrench expatsandold-school Sports atmosphere andexcellentreggae bands. Center,Zone4) (opposite Prima a swimmingpoolinthecourtyard. on cocktails, With theyoungIvorianelite spendingfreely DRINKING &ENTERTAINMENT indoors orout. the lagoon.Eat onabarge on served very Vietnamese tasty around $US27; the ambience. packed. Agushingwaterfall andpondaddto issuperb,sotheplaceusually at Cascade Paul Zone4) Langevin, Taking a Midnight Midnight La Pagode Flottante

(Rue duCommerce,Le Plateau) . (Blvd Delafosse,Treichville) Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com bateau-bus PlaceVendôme h Marché deCocody Marché Butterfly lunch &dinner) , thelatest ‘in’venue, sports woro-woro

(Ave Blaka) Victor

(Blvd de Marseille, Zone4;mains (Blvd deMarseille,

hascheap drinks,afun (boat-bus) between Le (boat-bus) Le between (off Blvd de Marseille, Zone4) (off BlvddeMarseille,

High-priced but High-priced (Blvd delaRépublique,

is afavourite wa- (Blvd deFrance) (shared taxis) isoneof the isanugly Jamaica City Scotch Bar des has

(Rue

on onesideandtheturbulentAtlanticOcean out onalongspitof land,withaquietlagoon popular getaway nearAbidjan. Thecityislaid ants are themainattractionsatthisonce- stretches of restaur- beach lined withseafood air,andlong Colonial gloryfadinginthesalt BASSAM GRAND days. these are justfarfewer of themsoakingupthesun ground of wealthyIvoriansandexpats;there The beaches eastof Abidjan are stilltheplay- COAST THE EASTERN to US$35perday. of Hôtel Tiama. topayabout US$27 Expect ( but mostjournalistshire cars from lonelyplanet.com s Cargo Accommodation islargely topend,but Europe, Assinie has littletodowith Africa. of packageFormerly thepreserve tours from ASSINIE Assinie (US$2.70). often to Abidjan (US$0.90)andirregularly to gare routière the diningscene. water of (mostlythelagoon)ismainstay courts andaswimmingpool. design withold-worldcharm, and addstennis r/bungalow inclbreakfast $45/52; $14.50). of ranged withlocalboatmen. lagoon andthemangrove swampscanbear- of varioustribalgroups. a nicelittleexhibitshowing housingstyles US$1.80) apart. The being restored whileothers are slowlyfalling colonial buildings now weekend atAssinie. meansmostpeople petty crimeandmuggings tels andrestaurants, butadramaticincrease in on theother. There are manybeachfront ho- There isaswimming pool, and the % The bigcar-rental companies are stillhere, Seafood-dining in Seafood-dining townwilltake youpastthe A walkthrough Minibuses and bush taxis leave andbush taxis Minibuses from the The attractive Auberge delaPlageduParrain Auberge ) 07-675508) has funky huts withfans onthe lagoon.

( Lovely % intheformergovernor’s palacehas 07-539276; huts withshared bathroomUS$21; Musée NationalduCostume Musée whokeeps hisMercedes infront bythePlacedePaix roundabout Taverne laBassamoise thecityisknownfor,some THE EASTERN COAST ••GrandBassam THEEASTERN paillote maquis as baristhebestpart Pirogue tours withviewsof the )

mixes African ( %

( % brochettes 21-301541; r

Mr Konan 21-301062; (admission of the the of Blue

virgin rainforests in West Africa. Thanks to resort withultra-friendly owners. US$72-108; Africa ing thenight. tovillage chiefs talk aboutspend- otherwise, huts, still findafew RobinsonCrusoe–style near thepostoffice. Westof townyoucan goodfoodandthere are several serve hotels also dishes costUS$5.50).Otherseaside tuary andsomedeliciousAfrican fare (fish US$11/18; US$29) simple roomsanda hippos andmanatees) andtheresee are two take aboattouralongtheriver (andpossibly 7ème Art It’salsothegatewayown right. tothe ing, andaninteresting fishingvillage inits of beaches tothewest,somewithgoodsurf- isthejumping-off pointforastring Sassandra SASSANDRA noon andreturns earlythenextmorning. intheafter-(US$1.80), outonthehighway, homes. Oneminibusadayleaves fromDabou invillagers’mainland. It’salsopossibletostay Pilotisdel’Ébieyé Aux around towniswellworththehaggle. hiring a onstilts,and stand lage ontheÉbriéLagoon Many of inthisfascinating vil- thehouses TIAGBA inland. est sceneryandwildlife-filled parksrunning villages,best beaches withrainfor- andseaside The western coasthassomeof thecountry’s THE WESTERNCOAST Abidjan, andchange cars inGrand Bassam. (kebabs) are Take fantastic. from abush taxi -tai.org) Taï de National Parc PARC NATIONAL DE TAÏ a cab. get tothewestern beaches tohire you’llneed leave whenfull forSanPédro(US$5.50).To andminibuses ($US7.50), while bush taxis Buses run fourtimesdailytoAbidjanBuses At Dagbego,about35kmeast,is la Côtière Hôtel

if youwanttospendthenight. protects oneof thelargest remaining ( % a pirogue , 12kmnorth.ForUS$14youcan ai 34-720606; www.bestofafrica.org; bungalows 34-720606; www.bestofafrica.org; ) hassmallbungalowsonthees- ) (traditional canoe) foratrip (traditionalcanoe)

, agorgeous andluxurious (

% (

% ( % 34-712353; www.parc-national-de bungalow 34-720120; rwithfan/air-con 07-182791; rUS$8) ( % 22-424394; r isonthe maquis Best of Île du Hôtel Hôtel 309

CÔTE D’IVOIRE D’IVOIRE CÔTE CÔTE D’IVOIRE around US$90. dancing performancesinnearbyvillages for Boigny; 5pm. The The lake’s crocodilesare fed day around every is nowburied,canonlybeviewed fromafar. palace presidential around theinterior canbeoverwhelming. The during theNovember 2004riots.Walking and issuch a point of prideitwasspared 2-5pm Sun) Daloa; admissionUS$1.75; tion, the Bring yourpassporttoenter themainattrac- Sights can get awaywithanything. to Africa’sgreatest curse–theBigBosswho born here. butinteresting It’sasad, testament projects of FélixHouphouët-Boigny whowas silica andotheroverweening allpet excesses, Yamoussoukro isknownmainlyforitsba- ministries orsignificantcommercialactivity, citywithnoembassies,governmentA capital YAMOUSSOUKRO forest orwildlife left. nately, there it’shardtobelieve willbemuch then,unfortu- until thecrisisends,andeven thenearbynationalparksaretal, off limits it’sstillpossibletotravelThough tothecapi- THE CENTRE are available. US$117 perperson, cheaper though options pedition tovisithabituated chimpanzees costs can bearranged. Atwo-day,all-inclusive ex- notfullyoperational, visits the crisis.Though anti-poaching patrols have continuedthrough the WorldWildlife Fundandotheragencies, 310 and the 14th-floor Panoramique. Restaurant fixedbeen up.There’s a golfcourse, nightclub, 641582; Route d’Abidjan;s/d/steUS$56/65/117; Yamoussoukro’s best,the the mainblock. as theundistinguished, shower-only roomsin quarter, Like anAfricanvillage withinthelively Habitat Sleeping &Eating looted duringtheNovember 2004 riots,but lotes US$9-11) with fans and bathrooms cost the same withfansandbathrooms costthesame H ETE • aosoko THE CENTRE••Yamoussoukro h is a fun place to stay. Attractive isafunplaceto stay. Basilique de Notre DamedelaPaixBasilique deNotre , which resembles StPeter’s inRome Hôtel Sialou-Mo Hôtel 8am-noon, 3-6pmMon-Fri) tourist office tourist T , where Houphouët-Boigny he city’sbetter hotels were h

( % 8am-noon &2-5.30pmMon-Sat,

( % 30-640814; Ave Houphouët- Hôtel Président Hôtel 36-641364; r&paillotes arranges Baoulé arranges Baoulé as

(Route de

( % pail- ) has 30- pizzas. crêpes andlocalfare, aswellitsnamesake with cheap, simple stalls. The areaat night. around themarket abounds Tue-Sun) White outdoor, thatched terrace at able forbreakfast andcoffee, andtheintimate, breakfast US$2.70; French-run Bouaké’sbestFrench cuisine. Theserves who offers B&B-style accommodationand US$36-45; ists often with stay controlled UNcompound.Visiting journal- US$18-15; than Abidjan. anyone. Despite allthis,Bouakéismuch safer rebels, andtheydon’tjusthandthemoutto out a March.held every Youcan’tget here with- other than fore thewarthere waslittlereason tocome ofand thecapital theNewForces.Even be- Bouaké is thecountry’ssecond-largest city BOUAKÉ is risky. you have allyourpapers inorder,travel here where (keep plentyof coinshandy).Even if soldiers shoulderingKalashnikovs are every- is crumbling,jobsare scarce, andrag-tag TheinfrastructureWest Africa,issuffering. the mostfascinatingculturaldestinationsin The rebel-held halfof Côte d’Ivoire, oneof THE NORTH Ouagadougou inBurkinaFaso. (Mali),to Bamako andBobo-Dioulasso and you’ll againbeable directly tocatch buses (US$11). Bouaké (US$6),Man (US$9)andSanPédro Boigny southof thelake, toAbidjan (US$7), vehicles leave, mostlyfromAve Houphouët- Yamoussoukro isamajor transporthub,and &Away There Getting mains US$6-9; French-owned the Hôtel Printemps Hôtel situationimproves,When thesecurity There ischeap andabundant street food at gare routière

(Ave mains US$7.50-11; JacqueAka; laissez-passer ispopular withrebel leaders fordrinks a a h Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ) ) Pâtisserie lesPalmiers Pâtisserie Le Carnaval deBouaké Le Carnaval issafely insidetheMoroccan- , awell-knownFrench woman h lunch &dinner) A laBellaPizza andmanylakefront breakfast, lunch& dinner)

( % Madame Delon Madame (travel permit)fromthe 07-845632; RuedelaBCAO;r serves great pastas, serves

(Ave Houphouët-Boigny; Restaurant Black & Restaurant

(Ave Dadié; Gabriel h ( , previously % lunch &dinner isunbeat- 06-349749; maquis . naires gatherhere fordrinksontheterrace. from rebel commanders tostrandedlegion- it’s thebestplacestilloperating.Everybody for N’zérékoré(Guinea)runviaSipilou,but one adaytoSanPédro(US$11).Mosttaxis jan (US$13)viaYamoussoukro (US$9),and pastries. US$0.40; and Many simple ( to neglect.Thecentrallylocated travellers’ mecca. Todayitisfallingapartdue tions, thecityof wasoncea 18mountains Rich intraditionalculture andnaturalattrac- MAN Grand Marché. (US$6.50), leave fromGare Routière du Abidjan (US$12.50),bothviaYamoussoukro ling to/fromSanPédro(US$14.50)and lonelyplanet.com thoroughly. He isnopushover; expect tobeinterrogated passer monkeys nearby. est. Ask the yourguidetotake youtosee (US$0.60), awaterfall within a bamboofor- Some5kmwestoftax. townis of Zobale,where you’ll payasmallvillage four hours. inthevillage Thetrailstarts the summit,and aroundtriptakes about shape, ‘theTooth of Man’ at is881m high was apopularhike. Namedforitsmolar performance. the village time toprepare enough foralater done withthechief inthemorningtogive tocostabout US$36)mustbe (this used withtwoarms).Arrangingdances caught as dangerous asitsounds,andchildren are famous child-juggling isperformed(it’snot Diourouzon formed bygirlswearingoldGoua masks. Man is dances. Thenearestlar businessstaging to traditional villages todoregu- thatused illegal loggers) around Man cradlemany The lushgreen hills(nowmostlycleared by AROUND MAN this route. check situationbefore thesecurity attempting % Most of the buses and bush taxis travel-Most of andbushtaxis thebuses La DentdeMan UTB and CTM run several buses toAbid- buses UTB andCTM runseveral Don’t leave Man without getting a 33-791481; rUS$14; Pâtisserie laBrioche Pâtisserie (travel permit)from therebel chief. h Bloé breakfast &lunchMon-Sat) isoneof theplaceswhere the , where aYacouba dance isper- maquis CÔTE D’IVOIRE DIRECTORY ••Accommodation CÔTED’IVOIREDIRECTORY , 12kmnortheastof town, a cluster aroundthecentre,

) (Rue duCommerce;croissants isinsorryshape, but hasamazing Hôtel Leveneur Hôtel La Cascade laissez-

frequently demandmoneyorcigarettes. of cities.Soldiers inspectdocumentsand north andthesouth,on outskirts of Confidence,theceasefire the linebetween north andsouth,particularlynear theZone rampant, andthere isnoshortage of guns. cern iscrime. Poverty andunemploymentare thebiggest con- however, counted. Generally, the possibilityof furtherunrest can’tbedis- sporadic, butthesituationremains volatileand it’s stillnotasafe country. Violenceisonly Côte d’Ivoire canbevisited safely, butoverall DANGERS &ANNOYANCES d’Ivoire alsohasalottooffer bird-watchers. bego andDrewen, have decentsurfing.Côte Dag- spotsonthecoast,mostnotably Several ACTIVITIES that there isnorunningwater inthenorth. already-low rates insomefour-star hotels. Note perate forgueststhatyoucanbargain over the value formoney,butnowplacesare sodes- modation wasgenerally expensive andpoor remain are thewar, accom- goingtopot.Before Many hotels have shutdownandmostthat ACCOMMODATION DIRECTORY CÔTE D’IVOIRE Security checkpoints areSecurity frequent inthe

    PRACTICALITIES  La Premiere and TV2 are LaPremiere government- and TV2 Mostofthenearly20daily newspapers, and voltageis220V/50Hz Electricity Usesthemetricsystem. Radio Jam(99.3FM) Radio Nostalgie and Radio the rebels. shoestring fromBouaké, isthevoiceof runona run stations,whileTVNP, courses. L’Intelligent d’Abidjan pieces, though all inFrench, mouth- are political-party plugs have tworound pins. grams inEnglish on94.3FM. broadcastssome pro- World Service (101.1FM) playhit music,whiletheBBC Soirinfo, steer independent

24 Heures and

311 CÔTE D’IVOIRE D’IVOIRE CÔTE CÔTE D’IVOIRE Crosson Duplessis) France Canada Faso Burkina indicated. wise The followingare Plateau unlessother- inLe d’Ivoire inCôte Embassies &Consulates USA UK Germany France Canada Belgium therelevant chaptersborders. See fordetails. Côte d’Ivoire hasembassiesinthecountriesit d’Ivoire Côte Embassies &Consulates EMBASSIES &CONSULATES local advice. strong, overly confidentswimmers. Heed year;oftendertow, andpeopledrownevery lantic hasfiercecurrents andarippingun- cially inBouaké. Westerners are greeted withsuspicion,espe- foolish. Even whendocumentsare inorder, is rebel headquarters isattheHôtel duGolf) paperwork fromrebel leaders (theAbidjan CFA500. and handover whattheyaskfor–usually Either way,justremain withthem, calm,talk encountersThese canbefriendlyortense. 312 USA UK Mali Liberia Guinea Ghana Germany Fougères) AlsoaconsulateinBouaké. Riviera Golf) Riviera Also aconsulate inBouaké. ington DC,NW,20008) 10629) Blvd HassanII,Cocody) Operations have beensuspended. Lecoeur) SW1X 8BJ) 75116) Brussels 1050) nationals. Immeuble TradeCentre, 23Ave Noguès)AssistsAustralian Ave,K1N8E6) Ontario, Marlborough Ottawa, ( ( Finally, take care atthebeach. TheAt- Travelling tothenorthwithout proper ( ( % % ( % % % ÔEDIOR IETR • Ebsis&Cnuae ••Embassies&Consulates CÔTE D’IVOIREDIRECTORY ( ( ( ( ( % ( ( 20-226850; Immeuble lesHarmonies, BlvdCarde) 020-7201 9601;2UpperBelgraveSt,London % % % % ( % % 22-494000; http://abidjan.usembassy.gov; Ave,202-797-0300; 2424Massachusetts Wash- ( ( 20-311570; Maison du Mali, Rue duCommerce) duMali, 20-311570; Maison % % % 22-410288; RuedesJardins, Les DeuxPlateaux) 20-200404; www.ambafrance-ci.org; 17Rue 20-200404; www.ambafrance-ci.org; 01-53 646262;02Ave R-Poincaré,Paris 20-324636; ImmeubleTaleb, Ave Delafosse) 20-329494; ImmeubleCrosson Duplessis,Ave 20-300700; www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/abidjan; 613-236 9919;www.ambaci-ottawa.org; 9 ( 02-661 3450;234Ave Franklin-Roosevelt, 0228-26 3045;ClausewitzSt7,Berlin 22-442030; www.abidjan.diplo.de; 39 % 20-211501; Ave Terrasson de resort andlocalvillages. resort and 31December. betweentheBestofAfrica Apartnership ceremony where peoplegointotrances. religious Anall-nightandall-the-next-day orApril. March connections at CITelecom offices throughout You’ll findthere are good international phone POST & TELEPHONE floating around. duction; there isalotof counterfeit money black market unlessafriend makes theintro- banks inrebel territory. Don’t change onthe significantly from banktobank.There are no mission charged ontravellers cheques varies vide holders of cardswithCFA. Visa Com- Pédro andYamoussoukro thatreliably pro- Sgbci andBicicihave ATMs inAbidjan, San able topaywithcredit cardsvery often, but impossible mostotherplaces.Youwon’tbe and time-consuminginAbidjan, andnearly CFA you’llfindobtaining otherwise costly Endeavour cardand euros, tobringaVisa MONEY coverage of Côte d’Ivoire. The Michelin 1:800,000mapgives thebest MAPS US$0.70 perhour. tions canbeslowandunreliable. average Rates outside Abidjancybercafés, though connec- Most citiesingovernment territory have ACCESS INTERNET 25 December 15 November 7 August 1 May 1 January principal publicholidaysinCôte d’Ivoire: rica Directory chapter ( p1106 are), these the As wellasreligious holidayslisted intheAf- HOLIDAYS Festival Mask Trepoint jan, on1November. Aborn-againreligious gathering. desHarristes Fête November. Aweek-long thedead. ceremony honouring del’Abissa Fête duDipri Fête on holdduringthecrisis. have toaskaround.Many popularfestivals are nies, butfew adhere toafixed calendar;you’ll Cities andvillages holdtraditionalceremo- FESTIVALS &EVENTS LabourDay IndependenceDay NewYear’s Day Christmas FêtedelaPaix Held in Gomon, northwest ofAbidjan, in Held inGomon,northwest Held in Grand Bassam in October or HeldinGrandBassamOctober HeldinBregbo, 15kmeastofAbid- HeldnearDagbegoon7August lonelyplanet.com photos. visas are goodforayearandcostUS$100.Youneed two day, costUS$48formostnationalities. Multiple-entry visas. single-entry most nationalitiesforone-month, dayifyouapplyearly. same US$36 (plustwophotos)andisready the extension, validforuptothree months, costs Plateau inAbidjan.main postoffice inLe An meuble Douane; (Police del’AiretdesFrontieres, BlvddelaRépublique,Im- can beextendedVisas at Extensions Visa beforebe bought arrival. munity nationals,require andtheymust visas All visitors, exceptUSandtheEcowascom- VISAS Abidjan. low asUS$9. mobile phone,youcanbuyaSIMcardforas and cybercafésare cheaper. Ifyouhave aGSM the south,butcallsfromprivate lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thing withour content.’ the above -‘Do theright the termsandconditions onoursitefor alongerwayof saying youknow, orresell it.See everyone site,massemailit to only. Inother words,please don’t uploadthischapter toapeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseit forpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapter isnotdigitally Tomake within 24hours. Youcanpickupthevisa your reason forvisitingMali. aphotoandletterdetailing are chargedUS$100.Bring visascostUS$108.Americans multiple-entry and one-year multipleentryvisascostUS$72; cost US$36;three-month Mali Liberia Guinea Ghana Faso Burkina forOnwardTravel Visas same day. USA. Youneedthree photosandvisasmightbeready the nationalities, thoughyoupayUS$100ifyou’re fromthe issued thesameday. cost US$45/54andrequire twophotos. Theyare usually Postal services remain pretty reliable services in Postal For most nationalities, one-month single-entry visas single-entry Formostnationalities,one-month Four photos,US$27and24hoursare required of One-month single-entry visascostUS$57formost single-entry One-month One-month, single-entry visas,issuedthesame single-entry One-month, Three-month, single-/multiple-entry visas single-/multiple-entry Three-month, h 8am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Fri) 8am-noon &3-5pmMon-Fri) TRANSPORT IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE •• Getting There &Away INCÔTED’IVOIRE••Getting TRANSPORT La Sureté Nationale La Sureté télécentre near the s

jan andSanPédrowith checkpoints, theyare nowmuch slower. with deteriorating roadsandfrequent security and have fixed departure times.However, more andminibuses, thantaxis comfortable in thenorth–are are stillconnected. Buses those allsizabletowns –even able; however, thereand consequently isless transportavail- Locals aren’t travelling to, asmuch astheyused AROUND GETTING tinue inanothercar. Abidjan totheborder,walkacrossandcon- take fromtheGare abush in taxi deBassam Buy tickets adayinadvance. It’squicker to a whip-roundatthebordertocover bribes. gram forluggage. There willprobably alsobe to AccrafromAbidjan, plusUS$0.50perkilo- safe fortravellers. charge Buses aroundUS$36 crossing fromGhanaiscurrently considered thisissubjecttochange,though andonlythe continuetorun, andbush taxis and buses At thetimeof research all borders were open, Land has anonstopconnectionfromBrussels. can goaslowUS$800return. SNBrussels France andAirIvoire flynonstop–andprices airlines linkAbidjan withParis –onlyAir other large citieselsewhere inAfrica. Many reach andmany mostWestAfricancapitals Côte d’Ivoire isabusyairhub,andyoucan Air THERE&AWAY GETTING D’IVOIRE CÔTE IN TRANSPORT 713434; one-way/return US$135/251) 713434; one-way/return The only internal flights areThe onlyinternal flights Abid- between Sophia Airlines © LonelyPlanetPublications .

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